Charles de Lint

It probably should have occurred to me before now, but I think that I am finally beginning to understand how the writings of Charles de Lint work, at least the writings of Newford..."work" might not be the right word, but it is all I can come up with at the moment. The short stories and the novels work together to paint the whole picture (or perhaps draw the whole map might be a better metaphor) of Newford. The novels can be read in pretty much any order, and the short stories flesh out the characters and background.

Today I discovered a short story entitled "Saskia." It is the first story in the collection Moonlight & Vines and is about one of the protagonists of Spirits in the Wires. The short story was published about four years before the novel, but the timing within the stories seems to be about the same (although I haven't finished reading the short story yet).

There is a fairly comprehensive list, description and chronology of the Newford novels and stories at amazon.com. If you want to learn more, check it out here. Charles de Lint's web site provides a more complete (and complicated) bibliography which includes Newford and non-Newford stories, fiction, non-fiction, introductions, articles, etc.

His work has been called "urban fantasy" and "mythic fiction." He blurs the lines between fantasy and reality. The stories are set in a contemporary, modern city where fantastic, magical things can happen and not everyone is as he or she seems. Suspend your disbelief, and allow yourself to be transported to Newford, a familiar, welcoming place where the realm of magic is just a little closer than most people think.