Mercedes Lackey

Author profile

born

June 24, 1950 in The United States

gender

female

website

http://mercedeslackey.com/

genre

Science Fiction & Fantasy

About this author

edit data

Mercedes entered this world on June 24, 1950, in Chicago, had a normal childhood and graduated from Purdue University in 1972. During the late 70's she worked as an artist's model and then went into the computer programming field, ending up with American Airlines in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In addition to her fantasy writing, she has written lyrics for and recorded nearly fifty songs for Firebird Arts & Music, a small recording company specializing in science fiction folk music.

"I'm a storyteller; that's what I see as `my job.' My stories come out of my characters; how those characters would react to the given situation. Maybe that's why I get letters from readers as young as thirteen and as old as sixty-odd. One of the reasons I ...more Mercedes entered this world on June 24, 1950, in Chicago, had a normal childhood and graduated from Purdue University in 1972. During the late 70's she worked as an artist's model and then went into the computer programming field, ending up with American Airlines in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In addition to her fantasy writing, she has written lyrics for and recorded nearly fifty songs for Firebird Arts & Music, a small recording company specializing in science fiction folk music.

"I'm a storyteller; that's what I see as `my job.' My stories come out of my characters; how those characters would react to the given situation. Maybe that's why I get letters from readers as young as thirteen and as old as sixty-odd. One of the reasons I write song lyrics is because I see songs as a kind of `story pill' -- they reduce a story to the barest essentials or encapsulate a particular crucial moment in time. I frequently will write a lyric when I am attempting to get to the heart of a crucial scene; I find that when I have done so, the scene has become absolutely clear in my mind, and I can write exactly what I wanted to say. Another reason is because of the kind of novels I am writing: that is, fantasy, set in an other-world semi-medieval atmosphere. Music is very important to medieval peoples; bards are the chief newsbringers. When I write the `folk music' of these peoples, I am enriching my whole world, whether I actually use the song in the text or not.

"I began writing out of boredom; I continue out of addiction. I can't `not' write, and as a result I have no social life! I began writing fantasy because I love it, but I try to construct my fantasy worlds with all the care of a `high-tech' science fiction writer. I apply the principle of TANSTAAFL [`There ain't no such thing as free lunch', credited to Robert Heinlein) to magic, for instance; in my worlds, magic is paid for, and the cost to the magician is frequently a high one. I try to keep my world as solid and real as possible; people deal with stubborn pumps, bugs in the porridge, and love-lives that refuse to become untangled, right along with invading armies and evil magicians. And I try to make all of my characters, even the `evil magicians,' something more than flat stereotypes. Even evil magicians get up in the night and look for cookies, sometimes.

"I suppose that in everything I write I try to expound the creed I gave my character Diana Tregarde in Burning Water:

"There's no such thing as `one, true way'; the only answers worth having are the ones you find for yourself; leave the world better than you found it. Love, freedom, and the chance to do some good -- they're the things worth living and dying for, and if you aren't willing to die for the things worth living for, you might as well turn in your membership in the human race."

Also known as Misty Lackey.(less)

See if your friends have read any of Mercedes Lackey's books.

28 posts
Mercedes Lackey's Blog

Mercedes Lackey isn't a Goodreads Author (yet), but she does have a blog, so here are some recent posts imported from her feed.

Oh Great Mystery

I cannot think of a better piece for December 25th than this, Morten Lauridsen's O Magnum Mysterium. Lauridsen is the third of my trio of great modern choral composers, and I've linked him here before.

View more on Mercedes Lackey's website »

0 comments

•

Published on December 25, 2011 17:11 • 29 views

View all 28 posts »

combine editions
Books by Mercedes Lackey

Average rating: 3.88 · 241,738 ratings · 7,057 reviews · 242 distinct works

	Arrows of the Queen (Heralds of Valdemar #1) 4.08 avg rating — 7,491 ratings — published 1987 — 14 editions	My rating:
	Magic's Pawn (Valdemar: Last Herald-Mage, #1) 4.14 avg rating — 6,520 ratings — published 1988 — 10 editions	My rating:
	Magic's Price (Valdemar: Last Herald-Mage, #3) 4.16 avg rating — 5,839 ratings — published 1990 — 9 editions	My rating:
	Magic's Promise (Valdemar: Last Herald-Mage, #2) 4.08 avg rating — 5,830 ratings — published 1990 — 9 editions	My rating:
	Arrow's Fall (Heralds of Valdemar, #3) 4.07 avg rating — 5,732 ratings — published 1988 — 11 editions	My rating:
	Arrow's Flight (Heralds of Valdemar, #2) 4.01 avg rating — 5,714 ratings — published 1987 — 12 editions	My rating:
	By the Sword (Kerowyn's Tale) (Heralds of Valdemar, #4) 4.11 avg rating — 5,306 ratings — published 1991 — 8 editions	My rating:
	The Fairy Godmother (Five Hundred Kingdoms, #1) 3.89 avg rating — 5,122 ratings — published 2004 — 8 editions	My rating:
	Winds of Fate (Valdemar: Mage Winds, #1) 3.84 avg rating — 4,842 ratings — published 1992 — 8 editions	My rating:
	Winds of Change (Valdemar: Mage Winds, #2) 3.86 avg rating — 4,657 ratings — published 1992 — 9 editions	My rating:

More books by Mercedes Lackey…

Series by Mercedes Lackey

Valdemar: Arrows of the Queen (3 books)
by Mercedes Lackey

4.07 avg rating — 20,374 ratings

Elemental Masters (8 books)
by Mercedes Lackey

3.81 avg rating — 15,790 ratings

Valdemar: Vows and Honor (3 books)
by Mercedes Lackey

3.97 avg rating — 12,791 ratings

Valdemar: Mage Wars (3 books)
by Mercedes Lackey

3.75 avg rating — 11,290 ratings

Tales of Valdemar (7 books)
by Mercedes Lackey (Editor/Contributor)

3.80 avg rating — 9,359 ratings

More series by Mercedes Lackey…

Upcoming Events

No scheduled events. Add an event.

Quotes by Mercedes Lackey

“If it is stupid but it works, it isn't stupid.
(a Shin'a'in saying)”
― Mercedes Lackey, Owlknight

tags: stupid , stupidity , trying

123 people liked it

“Give your enemy a face, If he is human, do not dehumanize him. Know him and know why he is your enemy. If your enemy is within you, understand what it is and why you are afraid. Put a face on your fear. When you understand it, and it is no longer vague and shapeless, you will find that your fear is no longer so formidable.”
― Mercedes Lackey, Brightly Burning

tags: courage , fear

79 people liked it

“If only. Those must be the two saddest words in the world.”
― Mercedes Lackey

tags: past , regret

67 people liked it

See all Mercedes Lackey's quotes »

Polls

Feb Fantasy Themed Month: Historical Fantasy

Cold Magic by Kate Elliott

73 votes, 26.5%

The Drawing of the Dark by Tim Powers

54 votes, 19.6%

The Native Star by M.K. Hobson

40 votes, 14.5%

Phoenix and Ashes by Mercedes Lackey

29 votes, 10.5%

Throne of Jade by Naomi Novik

27 votes, 9.8%

Empire of the Eagle by Andre Norton

19 votes, 6.9%

The Silver Skull by Mark Chadbourn

18 votes, 6.5%

A College of Magics by Caroline Stevermer

15 votes, 5.5%

275 total votes

46 comments

More...

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Pick-a-Shelf: 2009-02 - Fantasy - What will you Read in February?	39	163	Feb 19, 2009 08:13am
The Next Best Boo...: Female author recommendations?	73	578	Feb 20, 2009 11:57am
Fantasy Book Club: What are you reading in February?	77	257	Feb 26, 2009 02:55pm
Fantasy Book Club: Suggestions for a newbie about what to read?	19	283	Mar 09, 2009 06:34am
SciFi and Fantasy...: Nomination Thread for June Fantasy Theme Pick - Sci-Fantasy	71	439	Apr 22, 2009 03:37pm
Goodreads Librarians: Changes sticking?	9	56	Jun 05, 2009 12:16am
Building a SciFi/...: Favorite sci-fi written by women	74	395	Jun 17, 2009 01:22pm
Building a SciFi/...: Book/series recommendations - fantasy	56	544	Aug 04, 2009 05:04pm
Goodreads Librarians: Setting up series order...(comma?, #?, etc)	127	345	Aug 24, 2009 01:38pm
Fantasy Book Club: Fantasy Series	16	127	Aug 28, 2009 06:23am

More…

Is this you? Let us know. If not, help out and invite Mercedes to Goodreads.

Mercedes's Fans (1493)