Lud-in-the-Mist-Hope Mirrlees

Strange Edwardian novel about a kingdom threatened by Faerie, the country nearest them that goes unmentioned. People in the town start eating Faerie fruit and the ruling class refuses to acknowledge the strange consequences. The metaphorical nature of this tale is not lost, as the fruit could be a stand in for sex or death. It’s a strange, beguiling tale that has the pattern and language of an old folk tale, yet feels stranger and darker than any of those. I picked it up after reading a recommendation from Neil Gaiman a while ago, and it’s clear it influenced a lot of modern fantasy.

5 things to steal

• Dream like nature of faerie and the effects it has on Lud
• Multi threaded story that converges on the same point
• Surprising twist with a plea for peace.
• History of Lud seeping into every day life.
• Reflections on time and how fast things go.