S.M. Atlas

To the reader:

Since before I could remember, the imagined shaped every aspect of my life. From the toys that came alive when given a name and a voice, to the world around me that melted into something more than initially met the eye. Although not all living creatures could tell their stories, I found solace and deeper understanding when I witnessed their context and gave them a voice.

This was not only where I had the best times, but the place that I have fought desperately to remain in throughout my life.

In short, I have always feared the day when enchantment, wonder and mystery would suffer genocide. Only to be revisited by the occasional, short-lived nostalgic moment.

Although flying dragons, monsters and other mythical beasts may forever exist in fantasy, let us do our very best in creating a compassionate, loving, and peaceful world.

One that won’t merely be found in the fiction section of our local bookstores but littered between the pages of our lives.