I just finished re-reading two of my favourite books, the first two parts of the Eldarn Trilogy by Robert Scott and Jay Gordon — The Hickory Staff and Lessek's Key — in anticipation of the publication of book three of the The Larion Senate. For some reason I happened to glance at the acknowledgement page in Lessek's Key and realized I must not have done so before. I'm sure I would have remembered seeing my name prominently displayed in the acknowledgments before.

After the initial thrill of seeing my name in print passed (hey, you never know when and if it will ever happen again, so you clutch at some pretty paltry straws in the name of providing balm to a bleeding ego), I finished reading why my name, along with three others, was being offered separate distinction.

Last year (2005), while Jay and I were busy telling Steven Taylor's story, there were many people who took time to tell Jay's. His family and I are indebted to all of them by my sincerest appreciation goes to Heather Nicholson, Tali Israeli, Sam Altman, and Richard Marcus...I know Jay appreciated their efforts as well. Acknowledgment Lessek's Key Robert Scott and Jay Gordon.

Jay M. Gordon was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gerig's Disease in 2002 and shortly after began work on the writing of the Eldarn Sequence with his son-in-law Robert Scott. When he died in November of 2005 The Hickory Staff had just been published, Lessek's Key had been handed in to the publishers, and the first draft of The Larion Senate had been finished.

What had started as a "I've always wanted to do this and since I now have the time" project ended up becoming an Orion/Gollancz publisher's bestseller, garnering praise from critics on both sides of the Atlantic. (Unfortunately Orion had not managed to secure American distribution rights at the time of Jay's death and as it stands I'm still not certain if you can purchase any of the series in his home country.)

I've written about Jay before — hence the acknowledgement — but there had to have been a reason for me being so forcibly reminded of Jay again. Perhaps it's the time of the year, when the days are shortening, and what so many call the "Days Of The Dead" approaching; days that we set aside to remember and honour those who dispensed with the encumbrance of their physical form.

That could all just be a bunch of metaphysical horseshit, but I do know that ever since I read the acknowledgement a few days ago, I've wanted to write about Jay again. With all the bullshit you read about people with guns killing other people being heroes, I thought it might be nice for people to be reminded what real heroism is. Although I'm sure Jay probably would have denied being any sort of hero, most people who perform acts of heroism on a daily basis usually aren't aware of it anyway, because to them it's called life.