This book has its roots in a pair of plays I wrote and directed during my tenure as a fringe playwright in Seattle. In 2011, my sci-fi play Duel of the Linguist Mages ran for four weekends, introducing Olivia Regan, Bradford Jenning, Maddy Price, power morphemes, and the alien punctuation marks. In 2014, my rom-com play Balconies ran for four weekends, introducing Cameron Kelly, Violet Parker, Lonso Drake, Jordon Connelly, the Dauphine of the Shimmer Lands, and the game of Sparkle Dungeon. Battle of the Linguist Mages is not a proper adaptation of either play, but rather an extensive mashup/remix that blends and expands their stories. (Isobel Bailie and Alexander Reece were invented specifically for this book.)
Duel of the Linguist Mages required us to solve such theatrical problems as “What do power morpheme sequences actually sound like?” and “How do we dramatically portray the punctuation marks?” (To that latter question, if you guessed “through the magic of song and dance,” congrats.) Balconies placed two condo balconies side-by-side on stage. In one condo, revelers gathered for the Sparkle Dungeon 5 release party, with all the costumed chaos that implies; in the other, Violet’s fundraiser took place on the same evening. When the two events spilled onto their respective neighboring balconies and crashed into each other, hijinks ensued! Including romance! And comedy!
I love both of these plays dearly, and this book inherits a great deal of spark from the inventive spirit of those productions. Thank you to all the artists who invested an enormous amount of talent and passion to bring those plays to life. And thank you to the elite adventurers of Annex Theatre, the resourceful collective that chose to produce both of these formative plays. Annex was my artistic home for many years, and I remain grateful for the company’s support of my work.
I was nominated for a regional playwriting award for Duel of the Linguist Mages, which I did not win, but had I won my speech would’ve included a thank you to my friends at the 14/48 Festival. In 2011, I was still early in my tenure writing for the festival, but I remember crediting my ability to write a play like Duel back to lessons learned in the crucible of 14/48. Thank you for all the invitations to write for 14/48 over the years, and thanks to everyone who helped bring a literal fleet of my short plays to life for the festival during that time.
Lesley Carmichael first collaborated with me during the development of Duel of the Linguist Mages. I was inspired to write Duel after talking to Lesley about her career as a linguist and being struck by how much like science fiction it all sounded to me. She steered my research prior to writing the play, and we also gleefully brainstormed a wide array of potentially diabolical applications of power morphemes as I was shaping the earliest version of the story. She worked with me again as I prepared to write this book, catching me up on technological developments in her field and once again steering my research in fruitful directions.
Battle of the Linguist Mages was originally written in the second half of 2018 and early 2019. I’m indebted to many friends who took an interest in helping me improve the book.
Kira Franz provided sharp, meticulous, instructive critique across multiple drafts, digging in deep at every opportunity to help me salvage a proper story from the sprawling, semi-incoherent morass I’d originally committed to text. Crucially, Kira also helped me trouble- shoot my early, deeply flawed characterization of Isobel, clearing the way for Isobel to become the Queen we meet in the final version of the book.
Tae Phoenix offered feedback on multiple drafts and frequently was my sounding board during the writing process; we had many engaging, free-wheeling conversations about the politics of the characters in relation to my own evolving politics that influenced little details and larger threads alike. In addition, Tae resonated early on with the Dauphine as an emergent factor in Isobel’s story, and her perspective helped me refine and enhance the Dauphine’s eventual arc.
Thanks to my valiant brigade of beta readers for providing critique and encouragement: Mason Bryant, Lesley Carmichael, Neil Cebara, Mike Gilson, Lars Liden, Susie Lindenbaum, Jen Moon, Carina Morningstar, Ramez Naam, Peggy Nelson, Joe Pemberton, Heath Rezabek, Llew Roberts, Jenny Rooke, Stefan Schaefer, Beverly Sobelman, Cheryl Trooskin-Zoller, Nat Ward, and David Whitney Jr. These folks gave me detailed feedback, met me for in-depth discussions, or sometimes simply hit me with a motivating blast of enthusiasm about the book. Additionally, many thanks to my sensitivity reader, Cit Callahan, whose advice and critique were indispensable while wrestling the book into shape for submission.
I’m indebted to Lee Harris, my editor at Tordotcom, for enthusiastically supporting the book and for proposing key upgrades to its final form. Lee’s guidance and encouragement led me to rethink and improve the last act of the book more than once, for instance; he also gently steered me to strengthen key relationships that anchor the story. The last set of major revisions, working with Lee’s notes close at hand, was huge and fun and satisfying to deliver. Also thanks to my copy editor, NaNá V. Stoelzle; my cover designer, Jim Tierney; and everyone on the Tordotcom team who provided support in the promotion of this book.
Finally, the trajectory of my career as an artist hinges on the unwavering support of my partner and frequent collaborator, Jen Moon. She’s enabled me to carve out a life with steadily increasing dedication to writing, despite knowing full well all the perils such a life generally entails, and I’m not sure simple concepts like gratitude or relief are adequate to convey how I feel as a result. I love you, Jen—thank you for fostering so much creativity and compassion in our lives.