Mary Brown

Mary Brown (1929-1999) was a British author of fantasy and science fiction who published her first novel, the historical Playing the Jack, in 1984 before turning to the genre fiction for which she became best known. Her breakout book, The Unlikely Ones (1986), was a picaresque fantasy quest following an ordinary girl and a group of transformed animal companions, and it was followed by the linked Pigs Don't Fly series -- including Master of Many Treasures, Strange Deliverance, and Dragonne's Eg -- set in the same fantasy world. Brown's fiction was noted for its warmth, humor, and old-fashioned quest structure, drawing reviews from outlets including the Los Angeles Times and Kirkus Reviews. She wrote steadily through the 1990s, publishing her last novels shortly before her death in 1999.