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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

In 1959, Dr. Jack Steele coined the term “bionic” to reference “bio-like” or “life-like” biologically-inspired engineering.

Steele started off studying engineering in 1942, but the small matter of a war got in the way. After four years in the U.S. Army during World War II, he returned to college to study pre-medicine, and earned his M.D. in 1950. After a year as a teaching fellow, Steele returned to the military and served twenty years in the Air Force until retirement. He joined the Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory (AMRL) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio; and in 1960, led a three-day symposium using his new term “bionics,” to discuss uses of biology to solve engineering problems.

The AMRL helped prepare America’s first astronauts, and also engaged in some of the first research to propose augmenting living organisms with artificial technology. The first mention of cybernetic organisms, or “cyborgs,” was also in 1960, by Australian inventor Manfred Clynes and American scientist Nathan Kline, who proposed the integration of technology to assist in human exploration of space. The association of Steele’s bionics and AMRLs research into cyborgs cemented the popular science fiction pairing of bionics with high-technology prosthetics, as exemplified by author and aviation expert, Martin Caidin’s 1972 novel Cyborg.


This has been a fun story to write. I hope many of my readers have heard of Caidin’s book—or perhaps you’ve heard of the TV show The Six Million Dollar Man. The book and the series were quite influential in my choice of career. I entered graduate school in 1979, intending to study “bionics” only to find that the field didn’t really exist. In 1982, I started a Ph.D. in physiology and pharmacology, and eventually specialized in Neuroscience. Computerized methods for studying the brain led to means to detect brain patterns in rats use them to study memory and detect behavioral choices based on memory. That led to more memory studies in rats, monkeys, and eventually humans. In 2015, I attended an annual conference in which the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency reviewed progress across all of its funded research in neurotechnology. It was there that I met my first authentic bionic man, Johnny Matheny. Books, TV, movies all like to paint DARPA as the bad guy—but I’m here to tell you that they are truly good people doing good things. Johnny’s advanced forearm and hand prosthetic were products of DARPA’s Revolutionizing Prosthetics program under the direction of Colonel Geoffrey Ling, M.D. (US Army, retired) and Justin Sanchez, Ph.D. I looked around at the people attending that meeting, and realized that thirty-five years after learning that “bionics” didn’t exist the way I’d imagined it, these researchers and visionaries had created the field, after all, and DARPA was a major part of it.

Those two gentlemen were also program managers for the projects in which I participated, so my first acknowledgement is to Geoff and Justin at DARPA for seeing the potential in the science—and in me, as a not-so-young researcher who dreamed of turning science fiction into science. To my colleagues, including long-time mentor, collaborator and friend, Sam Deadwyler—it’s been a wild ride and we finally made it. My one regret is no longer having long Friday afternoon conversations to daydream about “what’s next?” To Mitch Riley and Brent Roeder, who represent my legacy in research, I give to you the Moon—take it and make it yours.

My publisher, Toni Weisskopf, and (former) editor, Tony Daniel, have been highly encouraging, reviewing the outline and early concepts for this book. Then, when it was all done, Toni sat me down and showed me how to make it better! This is a story I’ve wanted to tell for some time—my heartfelt thanks for the opportunity to do so.

Several authors have encouraged me in my development as a writer. Let’s start with the classics referenced in the story, Robert Heinlein, Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov, and Martin Caidin, of course. More recent influences—and folks I’ve also had the honor to meet—include Lois McMaster Bujold, James Hogan, and Ben Bova. Several author friends have provided suggestions, guidance and even a sandbox of anthologies and collections to practice the writing craft—John Ringo, Tom Kratman, Mike Williamson, Sarah and Dan Hoyt, Chuck Gannon, Larry Correia, Les Johnson, Kevin J. Anderson, Chris Kennedy, Mark Wandrey, Kevin Steverson, Kevin Ikenberry, Bill Webb. Several good friends who are “no-longer-newbie” authors from that sandbox also deserve special mention for their encouragement, notably Mike Massa, Kacey Ezell, and Chris Smith. Thanks for putting up with half-baked ideas and too much exposition! I owe you all a debt, as does every author who works in the footprints of Those Who Have Gone Before.

For examples of how to do dictation and make it work for story writing, I thank Kevin J. Anderson, and particularly Martin Shoemaker. I shouldn’t be surprised, but when it came time to “rewrite” the final chapters, I found it easier to pull out the voice recorder than to sit and write. For those who haven’t tried it yet, more than 90% of this novel was dictated into a voice recorder and transcribed by software. It takes a lot of editing after the transcription—and Toni showed me that I need to be much more careful in the editing, since there is a tendency to repeat, but it’s worth it to get the framework down and it allows me to “write” while driving—a very productive use of my time.

To Speaker Alpha, my team of first readers—I value your input, particularly on the half-finished novel when I was uncertain whether a certain character “worked.” A lot of the early feedback got incorporated in the book. It is especially poignant that we lost member Rick Boatright before he got to see the finished product. He would have liked this one. He was excited when I told him what I was writing. Perhaps if it hadn’t been so hard to write in 2020, it wouldn’t have happened this way.

Coulda’.

Shoulda’.

Woulda’.

Nothing to be done about that now. Sorry, Rick, we’ll miss you.

Likewise, our Cabal of Unlikely Suspects: Chris, KC, Bridget, Doc, Jeremy & Emily, Monalisa, Sandra, Casey, Greg, Mike, Eeps, Cathe, Tara & Brian, Scott & April, Joseph, and Vin . . . scientists and professionals, aspiring writers, and just plain good friends. We’re not exactly a writer group, because we don’t critique each other, but we do act as sounding board and companionship—something truly valuable in this time. They are the family-of-choice, brothers and sisters all.

For Nik Rao, thanks for letting me Tuckerize you (with a name change). It was supposed to be a brief appearance to set up the frustration and dark humor of Shepard’s rehabilitation. Little did I know you wanted a bigger role! Your avatar kept whispering in my ear . . . and the stuff was good! Nik became the perfect way to shed light on Shepard’s character, much the way Jen did.

There’s been a lot of writing this year, some by myself, and a lot with my sister, co-author, and personal editor, Sandra Medlock. Thanks, San, you help me make it all look good. It’s also a joy to write with you—even though this isn’t one of those books, it helps a lot to bounce ideas off of you.

In support of that writing, my dear wife Ruann puts up with a lot, but she also fiercely protects my writing time—both that I get it done, but also that it doesn’t spill over into interfering with work. As a professor, researcher, journal editor, graduate mentor, teacher, and writer, there are many overlapping demands on my time. She helps me keep it all straight. Besides that, she’s the love of my life and makes me whole. Our two sons are fine young men, grown and out of the house. They are highly supportive and have put up with a lot of instances of me trying out story ideas and dialogue. Thanks, guys.

My mother, Marjorie Hampson, is my first reader and biggest fan. She reads even the earliest versions of everything I write—sometimes before I even give them to her! We share Kindle files, and she usually finds whatever I’ve loaded for travel editing or convention readings. She also finds the tough typos that we all miss. Thanks, Mom!

Sadly, we lost Dad a year ago. Leonard Hampson was an engineer and proud father. He was slightly disappointed that I studied biology instead of engineering, but loved the fact that I ended up in a heavily engineering-influenced field such as neurotech. He was proud of the books and stories Sandra and I’d written, even if SF wasn’t his thing. He knew I was working on this book, but given 2020 . . . well, he didn’t get to see much of it. I wish I could call him up just one more time to say “Hey Dad! It’s finished! Let me tell you about it . . .” He was my hero and my role model and I miss him dearly.

To all of you readers. I couldn’t (and I wouldn’t) do this without you.

Robert E. Hampson

Winston-Salem, NC, November 2021

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