A classic selction of uniquely different contemporary tales from three giants of the fantasy genre. Wizard of the Pigeons by Megan Lindholm (also writes as Robin Hobb)(copyright 1986) Seattle: a place as magical as the Emerald City. Subtle magic seeps through the cracks in the paving stones of the sprawling metropolis. But only the inhabitants who possess special gifts are open to the city's consciousness; finding portents in the graffiti, reading messages in the rubbish or listening to warnings in the skipping-rope chants of children. Wizard is bound to Seattle and her magic. His gift is the Knowing—a powerful enchantment allowing him to know the truth of things; to hear the life-stories of ancient mummies locked behind glass cabinets, to receive true fortunes from the carnival machines, to reveal to ordinary people the answers to their troubles and to safeguard the city's equilibrium. The magic has its price; Wizard must never have more than a dollar in his pocket, must remain celibate, and he must feed and protect the pigeons. But a threat to Seattle has begun to emerge in the portents .... and he is the only wizard in Seattle who can face the evil and save the city, his friends and himself. 298 pages Fevre Dream by George R R Martin (copyright 1982) Abner Marsh has had his wish come true - he has built the Fevre Dream, the finest steamship to sail the Mississippi. Abner hopes to race the boat some day, but his partner is making it hard for him to realise his dreams. Joshua York put up the money for the Fevre Dream, but now rumours have started about his the company he keeps, his odd eating habits and strange hours. As the Dream sails the great river, it leaves in it's a wake one too many dark tales, forcing Abner to face down the man who made his dreams become reality. 343 pages Faerie Tale by Raymond E. Feist (copyright 1988) Successful screenwriter Phil Hastings decides to move his family from sunny California to a ramshackle farmhouse in New York State. The idea is to take some time out, relax and pick up the threads of his career as a novelist. Good plan, bad choice. The place they choose is surrounded by ancient woodland. The house they choose is the centrepoint of a centuries-old evil intent on making its presence felt to intruders. 480 pages