Gehenna: The Final Night (Vampire: The Masquerade)
Ari Marmell has been writing more or less constantly for the past ten years, though he’s only been paid for it for the past three. (Whether that makes him determined or simply pigheaded is a matter of perspective.) He is the author of multiple roleplaying game supplements, for both the World of Darkness and everyone’s favorite fantasy game system. He likes both games very much, and doesn’t care that you don’t. Vampire: Gehenna, The Final Night is his first novel. Ari lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife George, two cats, and seven different neuroses. (If you’d like to adopt one of the neuroses, they’re looking for good homes.)What do you say—who do you thank—in your first published novel? If Philippe gave me an entire chapter for it, I’m not sure I could say everything I want to. So, in brief, or as brief as I can, heartfelt thanks: To Ryan, Ron, Gary, both Jasons, Jamie, and Jerel, who gamed with me for many a year and encouraged me to write if that’s what I wanted to do. To my mother, Carole, for all the mother-type reasons. To my sister, Naomi, for brutal (and ultimately helpful) honesty. To my wife, George, for patience above and beyond the call. To Philippe Boulle, for encouraging what was good and helping correct what was—well, less good. To Professor Robisson (who will never see this and wouldn’t remember me anyway, but I’m doing it because I told him I would), for being honest and for being wrong.All of these, and many more, mean more to me than I can say. But as this is my first published novel, there’s one that really needs special attention.To my father, Howard, who taught me even from childhood that stories come from somewhere. That they don’t have to end when the credits roll or the cover closes. Without him, and the lessons he taught without (I think) ever realizing he was teaching, God knows what I’d be doing right now—but it wouldn’t be writing.Thanks, Dad.