Among those who have touched my life in person, I have Professor Earl Jackson Jr. to thank for helping me to begin the intellectual journey that would eventually lead me to write this book: it was his classes at the University of California, Santa Cruz, that started me down this path. In Vietnam, on Con Dao and elsewhere, the many tireless environmentalists and activists to whom Ha Nguyen is a tribute know who they are. My work alongside them was too brief. Theirs has no end.

As a writer, I have been helped by the trust of Sheila Williams, who published my first works of speculative fiction in the pages of Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine, bringing my work to its first wide readership, and by John Joseph Adams, who helped me to find Seth Fishman, the best agent in the world. Seth’s advice helped shape this book and find it a home with Sean McDonald, who wisely guided it to a final state. I am indebted to all of them more than I can ever repay.

Most of all, though, my debt is to my wife, Anna Kuznetsova, without whom none of this would be possible—and to our daughter, Lydia, who recently joined us on our journey.

A Note About the Author

Ray Nayler’s critically acclaimed short fiction has appeared in many magazines and anthologies, including The Very Best of the Best: 35 Years of The Year’s Best Science Fiction. For nearly half his life, he has lived and worked outside the United States in the Foreign Service and the Peace Corps, including a stint as the environment, science, technology, and health officer at the U.S. consulate in Ho Chi Minh City. He currently serves as the international advisor to the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. You can sign up for email updates here.

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