The Moon and the Sun – Vonda N. McIntyre (1997)

Set in Louis XIV’s court, this Nebula Award winner hides political fantasy under powdered wigs. When a mermaid is captured and brought to Versailles, it becomes a struggle between reason, religion, and curiosity.

McIntyre blends Enlightenment science with mythic empathy — The Shape of Water before The Shape of Water existed.

It’s historical fantasy at its most sensual and subversive, proving mermaids belong in salons, not shipwrecks.