On August 13th I started writing Hair Power, using its then working title Hair Skirt, which I felt was less relevant and maybe too suggestive. The idea came to me April 6, 2015, and again a month later, and I summarized it for my Ideas file: a woman with hair so long and voluminous that she could wear it in lieu of clothing, and it would keep her warm or cool, and when she whirled it would rise like a skirt to show as much of her body as she chose. I always liked long hair on a woman, so this is sort of my ultimate fantasy. Then of course I wondered how she came by it, and how it might affect her life. Might it have other properties, such as protecting her from attack, or facilitating the performance of her mind and body? Could it assist her swimming? Might it enable her to parachute, or even to fly? Could it emulate her normal clothing, so others would not notice it? How did she come by it? Could it be alien? So the idea grew somewhat as the hair grew, and you have seen the end result.
I don’t think there’s a connection, but while I was writing it, the global stock markets crashed, with back to back 500 point drops in the DOW, as there was concern about the economic situation of China.
But there was another concern. I read that some people have suffered memory loss or even general brain dysfunction when subjected to general anesthesia, particularly old folk. I’m old, so this put me at risk. I did not want to exchange bad teeth for bad memory. For one thing, it would mess up my writing. I’ve always said that if I should ever lose my writing ability, I would want to be the first, not the last, to know it. I have seen folk who claimed they were just as good in their age, or even better than ever. Like as not, they were in denial about their deterioration, substituting certainly for judgment. That can be dangerous when they happened to be in positions of responsibility or power, or driving a car. We have seen more than enough idiocy in high places. It’s not a path I want to travel.
But how can I know, when my subjectivity will try to compensate for my decline? I exercise for my health, and my runs have slowed; those are measurable. But my thoughts? Sometimes I can tell, such as when I couldn’t think of a certain type of food, and had to tell my wife it was round and we put mushrooms on it, and she said “Pizza.” Right. I know the words, but can’t always pull them out of my memory banks. There are more of those lapses as I age. If I get to the point of starting a story with “Once upon a ...” and can’t think of the next word, I’ll be concerned. But I’ll probably dismiss it as a fluke, though that may not be the case.
So the timing of this novella was not coincidental. I scheduled it for right after my anesthesia in significant part to test my mental ability, trying to ascertain whether my writing finesse has suffered. It moved along okay; I wrote it in two weeks. But velocity is not the point; quality is. I think it is up to my normal standard, but I’m not sure. That will be up to you, my readers, to decide. I don’t mean my critics, who seem to think that my brain had atrophied before I wrote and published my first word, over half a century ago. I mean my readers, who have liked my work in the past, but may find it lacking verve in the future. The thought of losing you is a horror, especially if it is because of my own failure.
Will there be a sequel? I have done many, many sequels elsewhere, and can take them or leave them. Obviously we have here a cast of characters with unusual powers and an important mission. I am curious about the culture and technology of Planet Hairball. But it depends less on them than on you, the readers: if this story is a success, there can be more. If not, not.
So that’s it, my concern for the day. This novella was proofread by Scott M Ryan and Anne White. My website is www.hipiers.com/, where I have a monthly personal column, information on my novels, and maintain an ongoing survey of electronic publishers with candid feedback from authors who use them. The idea is to help others get a less difficult start than I did, before I grew my hair long. So if you want to know more about me, that’s where to go. Otherwise, I’m glad you read this book, and hope, oh do I hope, you enjoyed it.
About the Author
Piers Anthony is one of the world’s most prolific and popular authors. His fantasy Xanth novels have been read and loved by millions of readers around the world, and have been on the New York Times Best Seller list many times. Although Piers is mostly known for fantasy and science fiction, he has written several novels in other genres as well, including historical fiction, martial arts, and horror. Piers lives with his wife of 60 years in a secluded woods hidden deep in Central Florida.
Piers Anthony’s official website is HI PIERS at www.hipiers.com, where he publishes his monthly online newsletter. HI PIERS also has a section reviewing many of the online publishers and self-publishing companies for your reference if you are looking for a non-traditional solution to publish your book.
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