AUTHOR’S NOTE
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If you’ve read this far, thank you! You’ve earned something of an explanation.
“Strange Heaven” is less of a story than an intermezzo between adventures. This handful of vignettes shows Mark finding his way in the Lamia Islands, adapting to the culture and language, and integrating with lamia society. They also look into the relationships between him, Yurilee, and Madiyan. We also meet a new character who is taking over for the banished Dr. Aemilia. That’s a lot to fit into one rainy day!
More meaningfully, I wanted to explore themes of mortality and loss. Throughout the tale Mark is confronted with deaths, and near-deaths, and aging, and endings. These are not cheerful subjects, but Mark and Yurilee are not young. (Neither am I.) But endings are beginnings, as well, and Mark enjoys successes here: he is finding purpose among the lamia women, making friends, and becoming increasingly intimate with Yurilee.
From a technical standpoint, I wanted to experiment with writing from melancholy, using weather, colors, and pacing to invoke a dreary, wistful mood. I think I learned a few things, but I’ll trust the readers to tell me if I did well.
I also took a risk, by creating a character who is Arab and Muslim, when I am neither of those things. It was important that I do so respectfully, so I reached out for feedback. I am very grateful to SomethingAncient for his guidance and assistance in humanizing our new doctor, and to Unit_ZER0 for graciously reviewing the draft.
Reminders of mortality and inevitability surround us. But I hope that, like our retired spy and his aged companion, we can continue to find joy and achievement along the inescapable path. “In the midst of death, we are in life.”
Thank you all for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the tale. I promise you a proper adventure next time.
—
MARK AND YURILEE WILL RETURN
IN
AESCLEPIUS
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