A novel, in which all is created by the author's whim, must strike a more profound level of truth, or it is worthless." "And yet, I have heard you say that any novel that relieves your ennui for an hour has proved its usefulness." "You have a good memory. It must have been ten thousands of years ago that I uttered those words." "And if it was?" "In another ten thousand, perhaps I will agree with them again." "In my opinion, the proper way to judge a novel is this: Does it give one an accurate reflection of the moods and characteristics of a particular group of people in a particular place at a particular time? If so, it has value. Otherwise, it has none." "You do not find this rather narrow?" "Madam—" "Well?" "I was quoting you.

The books are presented as historical novels written by Paarfi of Roundwood a Dragaeran roughly contemporary with Vlad. Some of these approaches are more purely stylistic and have minor effects on the actual story-telling; some are profound and involve the point of view of characters whom the reader never expected to get to know so well. "
The 1995 Boiled in Lead enhanced CD Songs from the Gypsy featured songs by Brust and Adam Stemple as well as the full text of the novel The Gypsy.

These include Emma Bull's and Will Shetterly's Liavek Robert Asprin's Thieves' World Neil Gaiman's Sandman and Terri Windling's Borderland Series. He was a member of the writers' group The Scribblies which included Emma Bull Pamela Dean Will Shetterly Nate Bucklin Kara Dalkey and Patricia Wrede; he also belongs to the Pre-Joycean Fellowship. Steven Karl Zoltán Brust (born November 23 1955) is an American fantasy and science fiction author of Hungarian descent.