John asked which authors in Fantasy Gone Wrong had written stories so good I would go looking for other things they had created. Here's the list:

Mickey Zucker Reichert
Fiona Patton
Jim C. Hines
Esther M. Friesner (already have a couple of hers)
Devon Monk
Josepha Sherman
Susan Sizemore
Michael Jasper
Janny Wurts

Obviously, some writers have not only a terrific imagination and a gifted way with words, but also a wayward sense of humor. You don't get laugh-out-loud funny in fantasy very often, or the chuckle that threatens to come out in a sneeze, but these stories accomplished it.

People look at me funny when I laugh at what I'm reading, or comment back aloud to the written word. I guess they don't understand that reading is an interaction with the characters and plots and settings--and ultimately, with the author.

I'm off to my favorite bookstores to see what I can track down. I love the detective research stuff.