Once & Future

by Cori McCarthy

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  First, we would like to acknowledge King Arthur for maybe (but probably not) existing, and Merlin, for getting past that awkward part of history where people thought he was just some magical demon spawn. Also, a shout-out to Gweneviere for surviving centuries of patriarchy, slut-shaming, and way too many spellings of her name.

  T. H. White, thank you for the retelling that sparked our retelling. Thank you for showing us that the Arthurian legend could be high-spirited, funny, sad, and resistance literature all at once.

  Thank you to the queer authors who came before us and paved this road to a more inclusive future. Thank you to the readers of these books, and the LGBTQIAP+ heroes of the real world who so rarely see themselves reflected on the page.

  Thank you to the outspoken, the people who stand up to injustice. Who strike a blow—any blow—against oppression.

  Thank you to Cori’s Lebanese family, whose struggles against cultural assimilation inspired much of Ari’s journey.

  Thank you to our brilliant writing group, SAGA, and Mr. Daum for inspiration and light during a very dark time.

  Thank you to Queer Pete, our kindred rainbow spirits.

  Thank you to Emily Andras for the show Wynonna Earp, the nerdy, feminist, stuffed-with-queers adventure we always needed to watch. And you know, Emily, if you’d like to turn this into a show…

  Thank you to Imagine Dragons, because whether they knew it or not, they wrote the soundtrack to Once & Future.

  Thank you to our agents, the Sara(h)s, who never once faltered when we said we wanted to write queer King Arthur in space.

  Thank you to Aubrey Poole, our knightly editor astride a green space dragon, for making this book fiercer and funnier and truer.

  Thank you to James Patterson, our unexpected champion, for believing in this story and seeing a place for it on the shelves.

  A huge HUZZAH to the entire JIMMY team for a cover that made us swoon and such shining, unbelievable support.

  Thank you to the booksellers and librarians who hand this book to all kinds of young people. You are our heroes.

  Thank you to Maverick, who is as loving and wild as a baby taneen.

  Thank you to our families for embracing us for who we are.

  And finally—this is just Cori here—thank you to Amy Rose for the kind of love that fills the cosmos with hope.

  P.S. This is just Amy Rose! Thank you, Cori, for inviting me to be part of the story I fell for almost as hard and fast as I fell for you. Let’s write so many more together.

  ABOUT THE AUTHORS

  Cori McCarthy had been dreaming about retelling the King Arthur myth set in space for several years, but something always held them back… until the day they asked their partner in life and words, Amy Rose Capetta, to write it with them. Such is magic. One day, an idea is only an idea, and the next, it has arms, legs, and space dragons.

  Amy Rose Capetta (she/her) holds a BA in Theater Arts from UC Santa Cruz and an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She is the author of the space duet Entangled and Unmade, as well as a love story wrapped in a murder mystery, Echo After Echo, and the vibrant Italian-inspired fantasy, The Brilliant Death, and its forthcoming sequel. She identifies as a queer demigirl. Find out more about Amy Rose and her books at AmyRoseCapetta.com.

  Cori McCarthy (they/them) earned degrees in poetry and screenwriting before falling in love with young adult literature at Vermont College of Fine Arts. Cori is the author of two science fiction thrillers, The Color of Rain and Breaking Sky, which are respectively about human trafficking in space and futuristic queer teen fighter pilots. They are also the author of two contemporary novels, the mixed media urbex adventure You Were Here, and the feminist romcom Now a Major Motion Picture. They identify as an Irish-Arab American, as well as a pan demi enby. Find out more about Cori and their books at CoriMcCarthy.com.

  In 2015, Amy Rose and Cori cofounded Rainbow Boxes, a charitable initiative to send inclusive fiction to community libraries and LGBTQ+ support shelters all over America. In 2018, they cofounded the Rainbow Writers Workshop at the Writing Barn in Austin, Texas, an annual event where aspiring queer writers can come together to learn craft and launch their careers. The couple lives together in the mountains of Vermont where they raise a magical child who may very well be the next King Arthur.

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