Also a special thanks to Pam Wallace, my screenwriting friend, whose professional assessment of the novel and its publishing chances ("It's great. You'll never sell it") in many ways precipitated its publication in this form. Pam has always been supportive of my writing efforts, and that means a lot, since she is a good friend, a great writer, and has an Oscar to boot. Polymathic author and science fiction writer W.T. Quick gave me an assist early on; his efforts on the part of someone he only casually knew were (and are) greatly appreciated.

Why not thank a teacher? Keith Johnson, John Heyes, and Larry McMillin all encouraged me in different ways to write, and imagine I could write. Good teachers mean a great deal; it's a damned shame there aren't more of them. Jackie Kahn was not a teacher in a classroom, but exposed me to writing, thinking and imagination, and encouraged me in my writing with her own. She is a great friend, and a great friend to my writing.

My dedications are to three women.

To Regan Avery, who served as my frontline editor, and was in fact the only person who read the book previous to its completion. In many ways, this was like giving someone a knife and allowing them to cut you without anesthesia. Regan's deft eye and editorial observations made this process easy — she returned my trust and made this book better. I was exceptionally fortunate to have Regan as an editor, and am exceptionally fortunate to have her as a friend.

To Kristine Scalzi, my wife, who tolerates me clacking away on the computer when she really wants me to get off the damned thing and pay attention to her (well, tolerates it up to a point). Krissy knows better than anyone whether something I've written is worth reading. When she told me she liked this novel, that was when I actually knew it was good enough. I love her more than anything, and I'm glad beyond words she loves me.