This book goes out to all the kids like me who had the normal trauma of high school made way worse by mental illness, who didn’t know how to get help or were afraid of what that would mean. You are magnificent. No matter what the world might say is wrong with you, know that you can and will have an incredible life full of joy and wonder and love and pain, just like everyone else.
Destroy All Monsters owes an awful lot to:
My magnificent agent, Seth Fishman, who always knows exactly when and how to calm me down or hype me up or set me straight.
My genius editor, Kristen Pettit, whose sense for story and voice and humor and the most efficient way to break hearts is unfailing.
Sensitivity reader Jen Larsen, whose wisdom and insight dramatically improved this narrative. Writers, take heed: Sensitivity readers make everyone better. Even when we’re writing #ownvoices fiction rooted in our own experiences, that’s still our own experience. Everyone is different, and getting other perspectives will only make your story stronger.
Bradley Silver of White Rabbit Tattoo, who put a big beautiful allosaurus on my body to celebrate this book. Amber Kline, for vital insights and amazing stories and a lifetime of so much laughter.
The Get Along G’Aang—Juancy Rodriguez, Kathy Rodriguez, Kalyani-Aindri Sanchez, and Patricia Thomas—the bestest group chat on earth, bringing me so much laughter on the days when we need it most. My best friend, Walead Esmail-Rath, and Erica, and Lola Bee; bright lights in a dark world. My extended family at Picture the Homeless: hundreds of incredible humans, including Jean Rice, Nikita Price, Mo George, Francine Walker, Arvernetta Henry, Darlene Bryant, Rogers, Chyna, Doc, DeBorah Dickerson, Tyletha Samuels, Darlene Bryant . . . and of course Lynn Lewis. Y’all’s power and pride give me hope that even when we’re fighting monsters as big and scary as capitalism and racism, we can still destroy them all.
My family—Deborah Miller, Sarah Talent, Hudson Michael Talent, Eric Talent, Flavia Aleida Castillo, Jose Rodriguez, Tia Yani, Mama Tola, Maria Alejandra and Maria Fernanda, Bready & Dabriel & Carla & Zaiel and the Blackwells—Emilia & Michael & Leilani & Marie . . . and my husband, Juancy Rodriguez, the guiding light behind all the good parts. Only the mistakes have been mine.
In the process of promoting and touring for The Art of Starving, I was grateful to count on the support and hustle (and air mattresses) of Blair Overstreet, Matt Dunn, James Tracy, Juliette Torrez, Jessica Hilt, Esther Wang, Jonathan Fortin, and Michelle Matos.
I’m just generally a hardcore fanboy, and this book is shaped by some of my deepest passions. I had my mind blown by Sam Kieth’s The Maxx in its incarnation as an MTV animated series, and there’s a lot of its DNA in this strange hybrid creation. Pretty much everything I create has been influenced by my profound love for the Avatar: The Last Airbender universe, but Destroy All Monsters owes a particular debt to season one of Legend of Korra. Ash’s gift is partially an homage to the character of Cass Neary in Elizabeth Hand’s masterful Generation Loss, which is why there’s a character named after her here. My love for Jewelle Gomez’s The Gilda Stories also inspired a character name. If you like this book, and don’t know those things, I hope you’ll check them out. They’re all way better.