Introduction
TONY AND I SHARE THE SAME OPINION OF INTRODUCTIONS, that is, that the work should speak for itself, and we agreed that this would be a fitting place, instead, to focus on the role of Jim Turner in bringing this book to print. Most of you have never heard of Jim Turner . . . and I suppose there’s no reason you should have. He was an editor, which is an under-publicized and unappreciated profession. Jim was one of the most unappreciated—and most astute—editors in the history of publishing. He lived and worked in Collinsville, Illinois, far from the literary spotlight of New York. There, unencumbered by corporate concerns, by the need to provide vast amounts of silage for the undiscerning appetites of mass-market readership, he was able to transform Arkham House from a minor-league publisher specializing in H.P. Lovecraft tributes to a respected showcase for new writing talent. He had a passion for making quality books with strong content, beautiful books that would survive as objects for generations. His Arkham books—as well as those he produced under his own imprint, Golden Gryphon (which continues today under the stewardship of his brother, Gary)—were lovingly designed and were nominated for and won innumerable awards. Jim himself was not accorded the slightest honor by the field he served so ably and devotedly until after his death when he won the World Fantasy Award in the category “Special Award, Professional.” He was never less than forthright in his opinions, and I’m certain that the notion of being recognized posthumously would have struck him as the height of hypocrisy.
I believe that Jim’s greatest virtue as an editor was his ability to spot talent. Evidence of this is a phone call I received from him in late 1989, during which he raved about the first published story of a young writer named Tony Daniel. I had taught at a workshop that Tony attended the previous summer, and when I mentioned this, Jim got excited and started pumping me for information, as he was wont to do. He declared his intention of one day publishing a collection of stories by Tony—he was that sure of Tony’s potential. As usual, Jim’s judgment was borne out: Tony has since become one of the most important new-generation science fiction writers, and it’s likely that his ultimate horizon lies far beyond the shores of that genre. The Robot’s Twilight Companion is the last book that Jim Turner nurtured from conception to the printer’s shop before his untimely death. It stands as a fitting memorial to his life, constituting the record of a maturing young writer’s development, something that Jim delighted in and something that has been a signature of many of his books. From the title piece, with its Asimovian focus on a redefinition of humanity, to the Sergio Leone-flavored tour-de-force of “A Dry, Quiet War,” to the meditation upon the often contrary forces of love and social commitment in the Hugo-nominated “Life on the Moon,” these stories constitute the most idiosyncratic body of short science fiction since the early days of John Varley. In sum they clearly enunciate the fact that Tony Daniel is a supremely gifted writer whose career has just begun.
—Lucius Shepard
14 May 2000
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ElectricStory gratefully acknowledges Jim Turner’s extensive work on The Robot’s Twilight Companion and his brother Gary’s generous cooperation with our ebook publication. Gary mentioned to us that Golden Gryphon wanted to approach Lucius about an introduction like this for the print edition but lost track of the idea while bringing the book to press, an effort that was greatly complicated by Jim’s death. We hope you’ll support Golden Gryphon in their ongoing mission to publish fine hardback volumes of the best speculative fiction (www.goldengryphon.com).