The inspiration for this writing journey began in sunny, southern British Columbia 46 years ago. As a classical, pencil-and-paper Dungeon Master always in demand, my D&D game continues in Japan with new player characters eager to improvise and develop their own stories. New players are millennials who add a real freshness to D&D with their inclination towards modern society themes and the use of contemporary language. Together with our 1980s-era, old-school, Canadian players championing this effort, all kinds of amazing adventures playing out over the years have found their way into these books.

I hope you'll have as much fun with Genoivieve, Roxanne, Ulmaetor and Numencrön as I have had, developing scores of characters and writing about the world through various experiences. No AI is ever used in the written word or in my hand-drawn maps. Character images begin with personal photographs and are then enhanced by AI image software.

The Genoivieve series are simultaneous stories in a classical setting where women and minorities are suppressed, but blatant misogyny, racism and homophobia are not endemic prejudices. In particular, as I applaud women for generally reading more, Genoivieve makes a case for an increased female readership in a genre that has historically been male-oriented.

These contemporary high fantasies are inspired by JRR Tolkien, Gary Gygax, RA Salvatore, Robert E Howard and dollops of Franz Kafka and Charles Dickens, so if you're familiar with the celebrated masterpieces from any of these ground-breaking authors, we already have something in common. Eternal gratitude goes to all my veteran players for their suggestions and support, and to my darling soulmate Yoko, without whom the endless nights spent proofreading might be overwhelming!

Apart from writing and conducting my RPG, I and my colleagues operate an English school in Japan. I'm an avid vintage record collecter and play music every day, often quite loud! When time permits, we travel to the Mediterranean to inspect classical world hertiage sites. Other passions include visual astronomy, freediving and photography. I can really get mired into anything involving optics. Although age and the Pandemic have naturally caused skills to decline, the silver lining is that I have more time to write! Stay tuned!

With My Very Best Wishes and Sincere Thanks,

MARTIN WERNER ZANDER

martinwernerzander@genoivieve.com