The Mythic Café, with Charles de Lint & Company

 Earlier this month, the co-founder of one of my favorite Facebook groups passed away. Charles de Lint and MaryAnne Harris created Mythic cafe to draw together fans of his books and through her active role in this space, MaryAnn became the heart and soul of a community of fantasists looking for tiny pieces of magic in our mostly mundane world. It was a place to share art, talk about books, share mythic tales and find those places that could be gateways to urban magic and beyond. At those time, when Facebook seemed to be stuck in its more toxic moments, this group became a balm and a refuge. While it is currently infused with a sweet sadness, it still remains one of the most special online spaces I know and it has exerted no small influence on what continues to motivate my quest to find Facebook's best online communities. My heart-felt condolences to Charles (who is one of my favorite authors) and to everyone who loved her. Unlike most of the groups I have featured since reviving the blog, this is a private group.

Members: 8.4k, at the time of writing

Trigger Warnings: None.

Go here to request access.

Fans of Charles de Lint!

I visited this group for personal reasons - I am a fan of Charles de Lint's writing - but decided to also include it in this blog. Threads on the discussion board include 'Favourite Book?', 'Newford as a TV series...', 'Favorite Character(s)', 'Favourite short story?', 'Other authors' and 'What was the first CDL book you ever read?' In the gallery, you will find mostly images of book covers, a few photos of Charles de Lint and a little fan art. What's truly interesting, is that you will find  several posts from Charles de Lint's wife on the wall and in the discussion section, including an invitation (with link) to the author's personal Facebook page and an invitation to his annual yard sale.

What's great about this group: An example of what's (still) good about the internet in general and Facebook in particular.

Update (26 October 2023)

I could not find the Facebook group, Fans of Charles de Lint. However, I do know that there is a really awesome community centered around the magic of Charles de Lint's stories and fantasy and folklore in general entitled Mythic Cafe with Charles de Lint & Company. Since it is a private group, you can request access here. Additionally, there is a smaller Facebook group focused on Mapping Charles de Lint's Newford, (which is, of course, the fictional setting of many of his books). This group is also private and access can be requested here.