My thanks to Ford Street for publishing this book and its predecessor, and for all the great feedback and assistance the staff provided.
As always, my wife, Kerri, who read and commented on my outline and early drafts. This time around she was also instrumental in the shaping of the story, courtesy of a brainstorming session during a long drive out to the country. I am indebted to her m so many ways.
And for inspiration I must acknowledge William Gibson’s Neuromancer for its dead channel sky; Steven Moffat’s Doctor Who episode ‘The Empty Child’ for its terrifying image of WWII gasmasks; Star Trek for its communicators; and the terrific YA anthology, Zombies vs Unicorns, edited by Justine Larbalestier and Holly Black - after reading this anthology I had to have both zombies and unicorns in Garners’ Challenge.