The reviewer, Brit Mandelo, singles out the following stories as favorites:

• “The Secret of the Blue Star” by Marion Zimmer Bradley
• Jonathan Howard’s “The Ereshkigal Working”
• “One-Click Banishment” by Jeremiah Tolbert
• Lev Grossman’s “Endgame”
• Kelly Link’s “The Wizards of Perfil”
• “Card Sharp” by Rajan Khanna
• Delia Sherman’s story “Wizard’s Apprentice”
• Susanna Clarke’s “John Uskglass and the Cumbrian Charcoal Burner”

For me, the story is about how mathematical imagery is magical all by itself, not in a literal “I cast fireball for 6d6 damage” kind of way but just the sheer beauty of it.  It also talks a little about family and trust, but honestly I feel like I was so young when I wrote the story that it was kind of presumptuous of me to tackle those themes.

What was the genesis of the story–what was the inspiration for it, or what prompted you to write it?

I started this story in high school, and it came out of the idea of a mathemagician as kind of a pun.  I had this whole plan to write a dystopian fantasy about living in a demon empire and wine of immortality, but I didn’t have the tools at the time to pull it off, so I ended up scrapping the whole immortality angle.  But I had gotten to the point where I didn’t hate math anymore, and I spent a lot of time reading books on popular math: Ivars Peterson’s The Mathematical Tourist, Philip J. Davis & Reuben Hersh’s The Mathematical Experience, Douglas Hofstadter’s Gödel, Escher, Bach, and a whole bunch of others.  I became fascinated by the idea that you could use mathematical imagery to inform a story.  (I admit I’m a little scared of what a real mathematician would make of the story!)

Was this story a particularly challenging one to write? If so, how?

The hardest part of the story was actually not the math!  It was the fact that Biantha, the main character, is a mother.  I finished the story when I was in college, and not only did I not have a kid at the time, I’d never done babysitting, and most of my younger cousins are relatively close to me in age, so I just had no experience in what that was like.  My writing group at the time, Chymera, was incredibly helpful here, because the other members were all parents and they told me what bits did not make sense.

Most authors say all their stories are personal.  If that’s true for you, in what way was this story personal to you?

In a way this story grew out of my learning to love math.  People sometimes think I came wired that way, but I really didn’t!  I hated math for the longest time.  And then I learned that all this stuff has reasons behind it — high school geometry was very good for that — and that there were some really mind-blowing concepts.  I wrote this story because I wanted to share that feeling of wonder.

What kind of research did you have to do for the story?

I think the two mathematical things I got the most mileage out of were topology and fractals.  For the former, I got the general idea out of an encyclopedia article (or I guess these days you’d go to Mathworld or Wikipedia online), although I did take a course in point-set topology later.  I think I owe most of my fascination with fractals to James Gleick’s Chaos.  Really, it involved reading books that I was going to be reading anyway, so it wasn’t any hardship.

What is the appeal of wizard fiction? Why do so many writers–or you yourself–write about it? Why do readers love it so much?

I imagine some of it must be wish-fulfillment?  Personally, I often like looking at well-constructed magic systems.  The problem is that they’re frequently lack complexity.  This is probably just me, but a lot of magic systems end up feeling like toy systems because they’re so simple: you can easily state all the rules and figure out the implications, and yet they’re being treated as this sort of adjunct to physics, and if that’s the case I want them to reflect some of the complexity and wildness of real physics.  So when a writer (or game designer, or whatever) gets this balance right, it’s immensely satisfying.

What are some of your favorite examples of wizard fiction, and what makes them your favorites?

Let’s see: Barbara Hambly’s Dragonsbane (I didn’t like the sequels as well), because the witch protagonist is a middle-aged woman struggling to find a balance between devoting her time to nurturing what power she has and her family.  It’s not the usual “oh, here’s the upstart prodigy mage prophesied to overthrow the evil empire” shtick.

L.E. Modesitt, Jr.’s The Magic of Recluce.  Probably not for everyone, but I really liked Modesitt’s handling of order and chaos magic.

Helen Keeble’s “In Ashes,” which is an unrelenting look at the human cost of trying to protect a fire elementalist.

For manga, Hiromu Arakawa’s Fullmetal Alchemist, which has a complex, careful, intricate plot involving two brothers, both alchemists, who are searching for the Philosopher’s Stone so they can heal themselves, and then they discover more than they reckoned on.  The implications of alchemy figure prominently throughout the whole thing.

Also, I realize this is a tie-in, but I am still very fond of Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman’s Legends Trilogy for Dragonlance.  You have a mage who is trying to be become a god, conflict between twins, and time travel!

This story is about a man who spends his whole life running away from incredible pain and loss, a man who is afraid to make a life for himself.  But luckily, it’s also about the transformative power of love and the ways it can give even the most desperate person courage and power.

What was the genesis of the story–what was the inspiration for it, or what prompted you to write it?

When I was five, my mom read Watership Down to me.  I fell thoroughly in love with the story, but when I heard The Hobbit about a year later, my little kid brain sort of bled them together.  To this day I remain obsessed with rabbits and hobbits, and in “The Secret For Calling Rabbits,” I tapped into that long-standing love for all things furry, in trouble, and that burrow underground.

Was this story a particularly challenging one to write? If so, how?

I sat down at the computer one day and brainstormed the scene where Rugel begins to dig into the ground.  The words flew out of my fingers but the story was stuck like that for at least a month–I had no place to take it.  Little by little, the story emerged, but it had to go through two early readers (thank you so much, Ed Morris and Christie Yant!) before any of it made any real sense.  An undeveloped backstory really held back the wonder of the hero’s transformation, and that backstory wasn’t finalized until you (John) asked me push the magical concepts in the revision process.  All in all, this piece took almost eight months to complete!

Most authors say all their stories are personal.  If that’s true for you, in what way was this story personal to you?

I grew up in a farm family, and I’ve always had a really strong connection to plants and animals.  Because of that, everything I write comes out of this deeply nature-loving place.  There was just no way for me to create a race of magic-users that weren’t working to help nature — I wonder if perhaps I was a dwarf in a past life!

What kind of research did you have to do for the story?

I read a lot about mandrake plants — their growth habits, their place in literature, their story in the Bible.  That’s where I took the name Rachel, from a story in Genesis where Rachel asks Leah for mandrakes to aid in her fertility.  There is so much legend & lore bound up in these strange, poisonous plants, and they make appearances in many great fantasy stories.  That really complicated finding information about the real plant.

What is the appeal of wizard fiction? Why do so many writers–or you yourself–write about it? Why do readers love it so much?

Everything about wizardry is so exciting!  I think it’s incredibly appealing because you can be any size or any shape and still tap into an amazing source of power.  It’s a great equalizer.  Wizardry can be a great force of justice in the universe a writer creates, and readers love to see justice spun across the page.

What are some of your favorite examples of wizard fiction, and what makes them your favorites?

I love Nita and Kit from Diane Duane’s So You Want to Be a Wizard.  They’re just kids and absolutely new to their powers, but they go toe-to-toe against the ultimate evil in the universe.  And win.  Duane does a great job keeping the magic real and vital without allowing it to be the solution to every single problem that befalls the characters.  Plus, she allows magic to meet and befriend science, instead of pretending that the laws of nature don’t exist.

Another favorite is Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.  Here is the most powerful wizard alive, and he’s hemmed in on all sides by politics.  The government is nagging him; the school’s Board of Directors has put their thumb down on his back.  But he refuses to let injustice win in his realm, even if he can only help in the most surreptitious manner.  I think that moment he winds Hermione’s time-turner is his best and boldest moment in the entire series.

Salvation when all hope is lost.

What was the genesis of the story–what was the inspiration for it, or what prompted you to write it?

At Potlatch, there’s a charity auction to support Clarion West.  I offered the chance to give me an image–anything kinky, surreal, or disturbing is right up my alley.  The bidder asked for a story about a girl on fishhooks.

Was this story a particularly challenging one to write? If so, how?

Well, part of the bid was that I’d write the story on the spot and read it the very next day.  So yes, I was writing this story while attempting to ignore the auction.  And I needed the story to be good.  So I cranked up my headphones and rocked out.

Most authors say all their stories are personal.  If that’s true for you, in what way was this story personal to you?

It evokes memories of adventures in my wilder days.

What kind of research did you have to do for the story?

None.  Let’s leave it at that.

What is the appeal of wizard fiction? Why do so many writers–or you yourself–write about it? Why do readers love it so much?

If we use the non-gendered definition of wizard (i.e. “one who practices magic” rather than getting confused with witches and enchantresses and whatnot)… we have a person who actively manipulates the fabric of the universe itself.  What’s not to love?

What are some of your favorite examples of wizard fiction, and what makes them your favorites?

No specifics.  I’m most fond of magic that has serious consequences and isn’t undertaken lightly. Altering the universe cannot be done over tea-time.

My main character Marla is a magical mercenary hired to assassinate someone… who’s already dead. Sounds like it should be a pretty easy job, but of course, it’s not. The story is also — as the title suggests — about mothers, sons, daughters, and all the issues that come along with being any of those. (Even monstrous undead creatures have mothers, after all.)

 What was the genesis of the story–what was the inspiration for it, or  what prompted you to write it?

I’ve written several novels and stories about the main character, Marla Mason, but most are set later in her life, after she’s amassed some power and influence. I thought it would be fun to write about one of her earlier adventures… which also enabled me to write a story that wasn’t loaded down with the burden of several books’ worth of backstory!

Was this story a particularly challenging one to write? If so, how?

Only in terms of structure. I initially wrote it in a non-linear fashion (beginning with Marla dangling on the muddy slope), and jumped around through time with various flashbacks and flashforwards. I thought I was quite clever, really, until I showed it to a few of my usual readers, who all independently said it was unnecessarily convoluted and would be better as a more linear tale. I took another look and had to agree. Just because you’re capable of crossover dribbles and behind-the-back passes doesn’t mean you have to use them all the time; sometimes a simple chest pass will do.

Most authors say all their stories are personal.  If that’s true for you, in what way was this story personal to you?

It’s mostly a fun adventure story, but the family dynamic issues makes it a bit deeper. I have a good relationship with my own parents, but they’ve undeniably shaped who I am today… and I know plenty of people who’ve been shaped in less positive ways by their parents.

What kind of research did you have to do for the story?

I had to research tin toys — I wanted a robot toy instead of a monkey, but the earliest robot toy I could find was made too late to fit my timeline. I had to research historical blizzards (based on some vague memories of hearing about one in the south), and how to make homemade snowglobes… nothing too esoteric. The internet took care of me.

What is the appeal of wizard fiction? Why do so many writers–or you yourself–write about it? Why do readers love it so much?

I just like magic! Being a bit more analytical, it’s a fun way to examine the uses of power, and the ways power can corrupt and transform, in a very dramatic fashion. Wizards are people who impose their will in order to change the world… which is something most of us try to do, really.

They just get to wear cooler robes.

What are some of your favorite examples of wizard fiction, and what makes them your favorites?

There are three anthologies I have on my shelves, two that meant a lot to me as a young reader, and one that impressed me more recently: Witches and Wizards are both from the Isaac Asimov’s Magical Worlds of Fantasy series, and they have great classic and newer (circa mid-’80s anyway) stories, and the Mammoth Book of Sorcerers’ Tales has a great bunch of wizardly stories (including one of mine). From those books I like Robert Bloch’s “Sweets to the Sweet”, William M. Lee’s “A Message from Charity,” and “Ten Things I Know About the Wizard” by Steve Rasnic Tem, because they are gloriously nasty; rather sweet and sad; and wonderfully weird, respectively.

The blunt end of wizardy; the everyday magical work, at street level. Lots of responsibility, seriously low wages, but luckily there’s plenty of built-in low self-esteem.

What was the genesis of the story–what was the inspiration for it, or what prompted you to write it?

A blank piece of paper, a pencil, and a deadline.

Was this story a particularly challenging one to write? If so, how?

After writing so many books where the world, all Humanity, an even existence itself is at risk, it was good to write a story with everyday people, in an everyday setting.

Most authors say all their stories are personal.  If that’s true for you, in what way was this story personal to you?

Ah, those memories of old Soho in London; will I ever stop mining them? I met enough real characters there to last out my career.

What kind of research did you have to do for the story?

A day trip to London, checking out old haunts, drinking in pubs, and enjoying those interesting cards ladies leave in phone boxes.

What is the appeal of wizard fiction? Why do so many writers–or you yourself–write about it? Why do readers love it so much?

All men like to play with their wand.

What are some of your favorite examples of wizard fiction, and what makes them your favorites?

The best wizard novel ever, and quite possibly my favourite novel ever, is John Bellairs’ The Face in the Frost.

It’s about Quentin Ketterly, a man adrift, who stumbles upon a secret world of magicians with great, but limited, power, and it’s about what he chooses to do with that power. It’s also about revenge, cards, and a riverboat.

What was the genesis of the story–what was the inspiration for it, or what prompted you to write it?

I don’t actually remember what sparked it, but the idea came to me at Readercon in 2009. I just had this image of wizards who used cards instead of spellbooks and who only had the one deck to work with. When I heard about this anthology, I had originally intended to do a more traditional urban sorcery story, but this idea wouldn’t let go, so I wrote it.

Was this story a particularly challenging one to write? If so, how?

I wouldn’t say it was easy, but it doesn’t stand out as particularly challenging. And I had members of my writing group, Altered Fluid, to help me work out some of the snags.

Most authors say all their stories are personal.  If that’s true for you, in what way was this story personal to you?

This story was perhaps one of the least personal I wrote. I’m certainly very different from Quentin. But I think that we all deal with limitations, in whatever worlds we inhabit, and in particular, the choice between serving yourself and serving others can be a struggle. I live in New York, and there are times when you actually start to have to weigh these things and that’s something that I can relate to with Quentin, even if I don’t truly know what it’s like to be in his situation.

What kind of research did you have to do for the story?

I researched the history of playing cards and learned quite a bit about them. I learned that the four suits I took for granted differed in different countries (replaced by bells, acorns and leaves in Germany, for example) and that they are associated with a variety of different meanings. I also learned that in all likelihood, playing cards predated Tarot.

What is the appeal of wizard fiction? Why do so many writers–or you yourself–write about it? Why do readers love it so much?

I think that the appeal, for me, of wizard fiction is in the choices such characters make. Wizards have, whether through hard work and study or quirks of fate and destiny, access to great power. But it’s what they choose to do with that power that is the truly interesting part. I think the best wizard fiction involves some kind of sacrifice on the part of the wizard and the juxtaposition of that element of tragedy with wondrous power can be compelling.

What are some of your favorite examples of wizard fiction, and what makes them your favorites?

My favorite wizard of all time would have to be Merlin. He’s the original, in many ways the archetype, and his legend has endured for hundreds of years. Gandalf is cut from similar cloth and is, of course, a classic, though his use of magic is of course limited. I grew up reading about Terry Brooks’ Allanon, David Eddings’ Belgarath, Weiss and Hickman’s Raistlin Majere, and Raymond Feist’s Pug. But my favorites now skew a little differently. Elric is one, because he’s also a warrior, and because his magic mostly concerns summoning or calling on demonic entities to work for him. John Constantine, from the Hellblazer comics is another – British, working class, and tremendously flawed. I also enjoy the wizarding world of the Harry Potter books as envisioned by J. K. Rowling.