I could not have written this book without the help of numerous talented and knowledgeable people, all of whom were exceedingly generous with their time and knowledge.
The novel owes its genesis in part to the work of K. Eric Drexler, who provided me with considerable information about the field of nanotechnology, not only through personal conversation, but also through his own excellent book, The Engines of Creation. If you like this novel, I heartily recommend his nonfiction account of the emerging technologies of the very small.
For help with the astrophysics, I must give the greatest thanks to Larry Molnar, who provided long hours of thoughtful conversation on a subject that could quite easily have been classified as bizarre. I hope I haven't damaged his professional reputation. Nor those of the following of his colleagues at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, all of whom sat down with the curious science fiction writer who appeared on their respective doorsteps and willingly explained the stuff of their trade: Bob Scherrer, for the scoop on cosmic string, which is not quite the same thing as the hyperstring described here; Margarita Karovska and Peter Nisenson, who joyfully told me all about Betelgeuse and how I might blow it up; Bob Kirshner, who told me about supernovas, and how I might not blow it up. Also C. F. A. librarian Joyce Rey-Watson, who would probably lose her job if her boss knew how helpful she'd been to a curious science fiction writer when she was supposed to be doing other things; and a librarian whose name I do not know at the Arlington Bobbins Library, who helped me with prefixes.
The following is obviously a work of fiction; nevertheless, I've aimed for scientific credibility throughout (subject to some important future developments, such as n-dimensional fields, FTL, and the seventh force). However, please don't blame any of these people for the ways in which I have fiddled with their technical input.
I received more than technical help, of course. Special thanks to Amy Stout and Lou Aronica of Bantam, for their warmth, perceptiveness, and enthusiasm—and yes, it did make a difference; and to art director Jamie Warren for caring about science fiction literature and science fiction art. Plus, of course, Richard Curtis, without whose eagle-eyed assistance this all might have gone very differently.
And what would I do without the Group? Thanks, Victoria and Richard and Mary and Craig—for helping me rid the book of hokes and awaks and dreadful idioms, for being so damnably hard to please.
Crystal, Dave and Cathy, Norm and Peggy, Larry (again) and Cindy, Mark and Misty, Ted and Robin. Doug Stuart, too. You guys know why.
Chuck. You know why, too.
Sam. Who else would have lain at my feet every day for the length of an entire book?
And finally of course Allysen Palmer, without whose loving encouragement I probably would have thrown it all in the brook long ago.
Arlington, Mass., 1987