Lud-in-the-Mist
Lud was a prosperous, bustling little country port, situated at the confluence of two rivers, the Dapple and the Dawl. But the Dapple had its roots in the land of Faerie, beyond the Elfin Marches and the Debatable lands to the West, which was a great trial to Lud, a town that had long ago rejected any such fanciful nonsense as "fairies" and "elves" and the like. But when a plague of faerie influences hits the town, steps must be taken. Fortunately for Lud its Mayor Master Nathaniel Chanticleer, is a man with his head firmly in the clouds.
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The respectable town of Lud-in-the-Mist sits on the border with Faerie and has officially refused to admit faerie fruit exists for two centuries. When children of the town start disappearing, the mayor finally has to look.
Lud-in-the-Mist was written by Hope Mirrlees and published in 1926. The novel was rediscovered by fantasy readers thanks to advocacy from Neil Gaiman, Susanna Clarke, and others. It is widely cited as a precursor to modern English fantasy.
Lud-in-the-Mist's copyright status varies by country. In the United States it entered the public domain. UK and EU copyright depends on Hope Mirrlees's death year (1978). Modern editions remain copyrighted.
Lud-in-the-Mist is 288 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, Lud-in-the-Mist takes most readers 4 to 6 hours to finish.
Lud-in-the-Mist is a standalone novel by Hope Mirrlees, not part of a series.
Lud-in-the-Mist is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.
