Dedication
To my mother, Martha Grace McCluney Beason, for leading me to books. (Doug Beason)
and
To Dean Wesley Smith, for being more than just the right place at the right time. (Kevin J. Anderson)
Acknowledgments
We’d like to thank the following people for adding their thoughts, expertise, and opinions to this project: Laurence A.P. Moore (and his amazing database!), David Brin, Kevin Mengelt, Steve Homann, Chuck Beason, Stan Schmidt, Betsy Mitchell, Richard Curtis, Michael C. Berch, Walter Williams, M. Coleman Easton, Dan’l Danehy-Oakes, Clare Bell, Avis Minger, Gary W. Schockley, Lori Ann White, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Lisa Ice, Pat Weber, Pat Price, Pat McGraw Brown, Sally Gwylan, Patti Nagle, Karen McCue, and the countless others who encouraged us to keep at it.