Fairy Brewhaha At The Lucky Nickel Saloon

Product Description US regulars at the Lucky Nickel Saloon, Second Ave, Laramie, Wyoming Territory, US of A, are shocked to hear from Mick, the Irish barkeep, that his mortgage is due tomorrow. Bankruptcy looms, dire straits for certain sure, as weallre broke and none of us can get credit nowheres else. Suddenlike, a gang of fairies invades town. Theyre intent on robbing the circus, just arrived in town for a show, of payroll gold. But afore the robbery, said bandits intend to get drunk on Fairy BrewHaHa, concocted only in the Lucky Nickel. Trouble is, Mick, who brewed said brew, cant remember the secret formula. He better remember quick, as the fairies get agitated and commence to breaking up furniture and glassware. Trapped under the saloon piano by the furious fairy folk, yer faithful narrator Tom Dooley (atyerservice), plus a long list of characters, must do battle guns, poker, fisticuffs, swinging parasols, and wooden leg clubs with the fairy horde. We got ourselves a saloon to save. Ken Rand resides on Bora Bora Drive in West Jordan, Utah. His website: www.sfwa.org/members/Rand/. His living and working philosophy: Lighten up. Review From a darkly humorous tale of the power of words (Death and the Librarian) to a neverbeforepublished response to events of September 11 (Ilion), Friesners 12 stories illustrate the authors acutely sensitive vision of wonder in the everyday world... Known primarily for his Star Wars novels... Zahns short stories also deliver strong plots and memorable characters... Zebrowskis many novels (e.g. Macrolife) mark him as a visionary as well as a master of hard sf. The ten short stories collected in In the Distance provide a benchmark of his creativity... the author expands his concept of the human condition to embrace the stars. Part of Five Stars continuing commitment to showcasing the short fiction of the genres most prominent authors, these three volumes belong in most libraries where short sf is popular. Library Journal (December 2002) (Library Journal 20021201)...Part of Five Stars continuing commitment to showcasing the short fiction of the genres most prominent authors, these three volumes (Death and the Librarian and Other Stories/ Star Song and Other Stories/ In the Distance, and Ahead in Time) belong in most libraries where short sf is popular. Library Journal (December 2002) (Library Journal 20021201)Four more titles in Five Stars new series (God Is an Iron and Other Stories/ Generation Gap and Other Stories/ The Lady Vanishes and Other Oddities of Nature/ Suppose They Gave a Peace and Other Stories) of short fiction by noteworthy sf authors offer a variety of tales that illustrate the depth and staying power of the genre...Most of the stories in these volumes have only appeared in periodicals. Libraries wishing to augment their sf or short fiction collections should consider any of them. Library Journal (June 2002) (Library Journal 20020615)Something that has always struck me about Rand?s work is the unmistakable whimsical quality of his tales. Tall tales, almost, with characters larger than life. Even his science fiction stories are more fantasy at heart. Rand writes about people, and with a wry humor that has the knack of making even the most absurd seem feasible. His writing is infused with a sense of hope, an unmistakable optimism that, in the end, it really will be all okay. The Lucky Nickel, a saloon in the wild (and in this case) fantastic west, suddenly find itself invaded by a rowdy group of fairies, seeking gold to replenish that which was lost by their king. The saloon regulars find themselves squeezed beneath a magic piano, watching helplessly, but not hopelessly, as the fairies tear up the joint. Mick, Tom Dooley, Banky and Casper, along with a mermaid, circus strong man, and newspaper reporter, abruptly find themselves prisoners in Mick?s saloon, while the fairy folk party and plot robbery. Various attempts at