Prefaces
I. Elixir
“Dune” was serialized in Analog Magazine during 1962-3. I was just the age of its principal character, Paul Atreides, and I read the tale intently, counting the days till the next installment. As I grew older, I recognized that author Frank Herbert must have studied Oriental religion, Shakespeare, and Arabic poetry, along with military history and political theory. I learned from his example that a writer can never master too many odd and disparate topics.
I conceived “Elixir” as a prequel to Herbert’s epic and an homage to the man whose work I had so long admired. The story shifts between five planetary locales, each of which is described in astronomical shorthand at the index of planets. “Elixir” was written between 1986-89, nearly a decade prior to the “Dune” prequel produced by Herbert’s son. I could not get permission to publish, for reasons that later became apparent. Which version does more justice to the original? You be the judge.
Begin reading: Elixir: Chapter One
II. The Pearls of Poritrin
After completing “Elixir,” I felt bereft. Its characters had companioned me for three years. Though some of them were alarming to know, I had enjoyed their company. In particular I was fascinated by Zefir. How had he acquired his odd equanimity? And who were the Zensunni? Frank Herbert had coined that kenning casually; he had not explored its implications. Knowing something of Zen and of Sufi poetry, I contemplated how those disparate traditions might blend, and another novel began to take shape. I completed it in 1992.
Since “The Pearls of Poritrin” concerned characters wholly of my own invention, it transgressed little on Herbert’s intellectual property, but I made no effort to publish it. “Pearls” and “Elixir” were read by fewer than a dozen people before the advent of the internet. I had already turned fifty when I began exploring the web in 1999. At first I could not have imagined acquiring the skill to design a website. But I have always been an amateur, or if you prefer, a dilletante, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to please or vex a few more readers with these quirky works.
Begin reading: Pearls: Chapter One