This novel was written under difficult circumstances. Although grieving a dead spouse is not as much work as caring for a dying one, it is still very hard, and if it were not for the support of my family and community there is no way I would have been able to finish this book.
I would like to thank everyone who sat and wrote with me in coffee shops, living rooms, libraries, and airports, including but not limited to K. Tempest Bradford, Robin Catesby, Sara Mueller, Mary Hobson, Felicity Shoulders, Mark Ferrari, Lucy Bellwood, Rachel Swirsky, Aimee Amodio, Alex C. Renwick, Tina Connolly, Grá Linnea, Thorn Coyle, Mary Anne Mohanraj, Mary Robinette Kowal, and most especially Shannon Page. Also the whole Portland NaNoWriMo crew and everyone on the 2017 Writing Excuses Cruise.
I would like to thank everyone who offered moral support, provided a shoulder to cry on, went to a show, or shared a meal, including but not limited to Michelle Franz, Sue Yule, Marc Wells, Patty Wells, Wendy Ice, Teresa Enigma, Jacob Engstrom, Mark Stein, Tim Learmont, Amanda Clark, Kate Schaefer, Glenn Hackney, Bo O’Dell, Don Hicks, Debbie Notkin, Alberto Yáñez, Debbie Cross, Paul Wrigley, Andrine de la Rocha, Howard Patterson, Diane Chaplin, David de la Rocha, Rhiannon Marie Louve, Goldeen Ogawa, Lee Moyer, Venetia Charles, Allan Hurst, Will Martin, Ellen Klages, Elf Sternberg, D. Omaha Sternberg, Eleri Hamilton, Carmen Risken, Gina McCarrig, Alisa Wood-Walters, and especially Cynthia Nalbach. Special thanks to Clare Katner, Daniel MacLeod, and Kay Gage for service and friendship.
I would like to thank—seriously!—Liz Bourke and Sylvus Tarn for their critical comments on colonialism in Arabella and the Battle of Venus, and Aliette de Bodard and Grace Fong for their similar critiques on an unpublished Arabella short story. It’s never fun to receive a negative review or critique, and I must admit that at first I didn’t want to hear it, but in the end I came around to understanding and appreciating the issues they raised. I have attempted to address their concerns in this volume; whether or not I succeeded is not up to me to determine, but I thank them for taking the work seriously enough to critique it.
And last but definitely not least, I would like to thank my editor, Christopher Morgan, whose efforts improved this volume immeasurably; my agent, Paul Lucas of Janklow & Nesbit; and the team at Tor: head of publicity Patty Garcia, art director Irene Gallo, and publicist Desirae Friesen. It’s been an amazing journey and I’m proud and pleased to have taken it with you all.