This book wouldn’t have happened if three extremely smart and adventurous women had not gotten behind it and pushed hard: Huge thanks to my wife and friend, writer Janine Harrison, for her support, patience, and famous red pen. To my agent, Michelle Brower, at Folio and my editor at Ecco, Abigail Holstein. Michelle sold Abby on the story. Abby brought Ecco on board, and then helped me turn a stack of insanity into a book. Thanks, Janine, Michelle, Abby. I bow to you.
My thanks to Mark Mirsky and Andrew Lieb at Fiction for publishing “The Fires of Krypton,” the experimental short story which served, partly, as the genesis of this book. My thanks to Dad for the enthusiasm he has always, always shown, and for taking me up to the Superstitions, some years ago, to explore and hunt for stories and to stay in the room where Elvis slept. To Barbara and to Cavell, who have been energetic supporters. To my stepdaughter, Jianna, a boundless source of energy and wonder. Thanks to Mindy, Todd, Missy, Meri, Steve, Shannon, Britt, Logan, Reagan, Jack, and Charlie. Thanks, as always, to Mom and Bill, without whom … And to Steven. Wish you were here. To John Gibbons, who taught my first creative writing class, and to Marlene Hannah at Troy High, who made it clear that history was both real and, at the same time, a story. And to Nancy Yarger, who encouraged my writing despite the fact that I did it to the exclusion of my math homework. Thanks to my friend, poet James Hill, for his support and good eye for the best part of twenty years. The same to writer Rachel Mork, my tireless cheerleader, and to Michael and Cynthia Passafiume. Thanks to my friend and collaborator, science fiction writer Ted Kosmatka, for his support and energy, and for getting us started on “Blood Dauber” (he wrote all the smart stuff). Thanks to the Highland Writers’ Group, Indiana Writers’ Consortium, and other Indiana writers, particularly Kenneth Alexander, Kara Dokupil, Cynthia Echterling, Karen Eldred, Dorothy Emry, Katherine Page Camp, Larry Ginensky, Sharon Ginensky, Michael Gonzalez, Holly Granzow, Scott Guffy, Chad Hunter, Zach Heridia, Jack Kus, Jeff Manes, Rachel Miller, Catherine Osborne, Joshua Perz, Angella Pierce, Harry Pierce, Sunila Samuel, Maureen Smith, Gordon Stamper, Heather Stamper, Micah Urban, and Mary Tina Vrehas. Thanks, and a bottle of Vietnamese cobra wine, to Daniel Wallace, for his support and good humor. Thanks to Amanda LaFleur, coordinator of Cajun Studies at Louisiana State University, for her excellent translation assistance at the eleventh hour. Special thanks to the Mean Group: Ted, MT, and Josh. Big time thanks to all my McKinley family, especially Merielene, Ayanna, Angel, Casey, Anitra, Carlos, and Michelle, for their enthusiasm and support. Best wishes and thanks to everybody at Borders: Shaun Victor, Elaine, Jessica, Nikky, and Jimmy, for always sometimes sort of making sure my table was available. Not at all least, my thanks to Jake, Reggie, Buzz, Samantha, China, and Baloo. It’s a poor writer who isn’t grateful to his dogs.