Sometime back, maybe as much as two years ago, Greg Bear wrote me to see if I would consider contributing a short story to an anthology celebrating the life and work of Poul Anderson. Since Greg is a friend and I have been reading Poul Anderson for what seems like forever and the esteemed Gardner Dozois was partnering with Greg as editors of the book, it was an easy decision to say yes. Having done that, I had to decide what to write, which was a little more difficult. The idea was to write something in one of Poul’s worlds or involving one of his stories or even something that would remind readers of his work. Lots of options. But I hadn’t read anything by Poul in over twenty years, and my memory of what I had read was a bit fuzzy. Or maybe just fuzzy in general. So I went back in time by reading through a few earlier collections in search of something that would speak to me from out of the past. It didn’t take long. I found THE QUEEN OF AIR AND DARKNESS almost immediately, and almost as quickly as that I remembered the story and how much I had loved it. So I wrote a sequel to the story, some ten thousand words or so, imagining what might have happened after that story had ended. There was a sadness to the conclusion of the original, and I always thought that somehow things would come back around for the fairy creatures. Of course, writing the story was a struggle, just like always with short fiction, since I wanted to do an entire book on the subject. I mean, thirty pages? Who writes thirty pages. Lots of people, of course, very successfully and quickly. But not me. Still, I got through it intact and submitted the story and it was accepted. Another bridge crossed. You can read it in the anthology which publishes later this year from Subterranean Press! To read more about the anthology and the impressive line-up Greg and Gardner gathered together—and to ensure you get a copy by placing your order today—click HERE!
BrooksBlog: On Multiverse