Author's Notes
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The Dross Record A story, of course, can be read in many ways. One reviewer commented on my use of irony in this story, seeing the historian’s world as just as false as the one he discovers in the Dross Record. When I wrote the story, however, I envisioned the universe exactly as described: an infinite “inside” (indeed, “Inside” was the working title). Irony’s fine, but I often prefer sincerity.
Dross and her world have been with me for many years and in many forms. It was a novel, then a short story, a roleplaying game, and finally a completely different short story. Most of these early projects dealt directly with Dross and her unfortunate family. It was not until I hit upon the idea of the frame narrative that the story really came together. But even now, Dross is unsatisfied, urging me to expand her story into a novel… |
Above the Ice I’m fascinated by Europa and by octopods, so I suppose a story about octopods on Europa was inevitable. Amazingly, the very real possibility of life on Europa coupled with the observed intelligence and surprising sociability of some octopods mean “Above the Ice” may be my least fantastic story.
Upon reading this story, most people immediately demand a sequel. While I am quite happy with the way the story ends – and enjoy open-ended stories in general – be assured that a sequel is a distinct possibility. |
The Last Work... Besides writing, my other great passion is tabletop roleplaying games and these two passions often cross-pollinate. The two competing Lords in these story began life as characters for the surreal RPG, Nobilis. Alas, the game never happened, but the Lords of the Known and of the Forgotten never left me.
Gratefully influenced by Jorge Luis Borges and Lord Dunsany, “The Last Work of Jan Rosthoven” is a meditation on the fickle and ruthless nature of history. From the Present, the Past can look inevitable, but before history was History it was a constellation of countless events, a nigh-infinite cascade that flows from the Big Bang to this very moment. How many things might have been? How many masterpieces have been lost forever? How do we acknowledge and confront our feeble knowledge of the past? |