Shadow of the giant

to help us bring out this book in time for a good publishing window,
and I appreciate their patience with an author whose estimate of the time
needed to complete this book was so laughably wrong.
    And Tom Doherty may just be the most creative publisher in
the business. There's no idea too wacky for him to at least consider it; and
when he decides to do something unusual—like a series of "parallel
novels"—he puts everything behind it and makes it happen.
    Barbara Bova's creativity and dedication as my agent have
blessed my family for most of my career. And I haven't forgotten that the Ender
saga first reached the public because, even before she became an agent, her
husband, Ben Bova, found a novella called "Ender's Game" on his
slushpile and, with a few small changes, agreed to publish it in the August
1977 Analog magazine. That one decision (and it wasn't a no-brainer—other
editors turned it down cold) has been putting bread on my table and opening the
door for readers to find my other work ever since.
    But when the writing day is done and I come down out of my
garret room, it's finding my wife, Kristine, and my daughter Zina there that
makes it all worth doing. Thanks for the love and joy in my life each day. And
to my other kids as well, for leading lives that I'm proud to be connected
with.