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Contents

Dedication


This volume is dedicated to three people who’ve made a difference in my life. They aren’t the only ones who’ve made an impact—there are far too many to list here—but they have all passed on and deserve to be remembered for their many contributions to humanity.


The first person is my brother-in-arms, Captain Ralph J. Harting III (1976–2005), who rode honorably with the Blackhorse in the sands of Mesopotamia. You sacrificed your life so others could live. One day, I will share a pint with you at Fiddler’s Green where cavalrymen rest forever. Allons!


The second is Mike Resnick, who passed in early 2020. A legend in the genre, Mike always made a point of giving back to the science fiction and fantasy community by taking new writers and editors under his wing. I consider myself one of his “writer children” as do several of the authors in this anthology. I owe a great deal of my publishing success to his mentorship and support. Mike’s advice and encouragement were instrumental in bringing this project to life. Without his guidance, this anthology and the two that preceded it would not have been possible. Fare thee well, old friend.


The third is former Secretary of Defense Ashton B. Carter (1954–2022), whom I consider to be a mentor and the smartest person I’ve ever met. As my thesis advisor and boss at the Stanford-Harvard Preventive Defense Project, he taught me everything I know about international security strategy. Without his keen stewardship of the Nunn-Lugar Program to denuclearize Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine, as well as to stabilize the remaining Soviet nuclear arsenal in the wake of that empire’s collapse, the world would’ve been a far more dangerous place. He also designed and executed the DOD’s strategic pivot to the Asia-Pacific region, a topic that is highly relevant to the subject matter of this volume. Farewell, my friend. The world will be a less secure place without you.


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Framed