Foreword to the Nethereal 10th Annviersary Edition
As regular readers know, the Nethereal 10th Anniversary Edition is much more than just a reprint. The special edition includes all-new enhancements and material, including original interior art and a new foreword by yours truly. As a foretste of what’s to come, it’s my pleasure to share the new edition’s freshly minted introduction here.
Image by Marcelo Orsi Blanco
What makes a story?
MFAs and literary critics have wiled away untold hours arguing about definitions. Of course I have my opinions. But such matters are too dry; to academic, for the day. Let’s save the debate over plot structures for a less momentous time and place. After all, holding this 10th anniversary edition in your hand means you’re more likely wondering Of what is this story made?
The answer you want has less to do with formulas, plot point arrangements, and—in a word—theories, than the milieu that laid the foundation for Nethereal and the building blocks it was raised with.
First, it’s worth guarding against the temptation to appraise this story too highly. The final judgment of its worth will be made—if at all—by others many years from now. I am perhaps least able to say whether the book in your hands ranks among the great stories. What must be admitted, if one is to judge any story at all, is that there were indeed Great Stories, and that we can know them.
Among many lovers of fiction there has grown the sentiment—one I share—that the age of the Great Stories is over. New entries in series that once delighted now fail to satisfy. Books, movies, and games are consumed greedily and forgotten as soon as the last page is turned or the credits roll. Everywhere, the grace of inspiration seems to have been withdrawn from the West. The wild wood that once rang with elf-song has fallen silent.
Whether we want to or not, we all walk the dimming trail through this increasingly managed wilderness. Some study the withering tree before them under a microscope and accuse us of viewing the forest behind us through rose-colored glasses. But we know in our hearts that the scoffers speak from secondhand knowledge.
Because we were there. We heard and saw, perhaps not the Great Stories, but the homages inspired by them that set fire to the whole world. And we remember when we could expect each new bonfire to outshine the last. For we all basked in the glow.
When to be young in the West was to gather with friends and share your enjoyment of the new Robert Jordan novel, the latest D&D module, the next fansubbed Escaflowne tape: That was the time and matter from which Nethereal took form. Think of this book as a monument to the spirit of an age which, though long past, still haunts us all, and you’ll have a head start on understanding the story within its pages.
A dear friend, mentor, and patron once pondered why, despite much boasting to the contrary, the generations that came after the Great Stories’ imitators haven’t managed to surpass their homages.
He finally had to conclude that it was fear that held us back—not fear that we couldn’t rise again to the heights of the Great Stories, but the fear that we could.
Maybe what started me on the path of the storyteller a decade ago was having it pointed out that “Don’t be afraid” is the divine command given most often in Scripture.
Take comfort in knowing that even the best of us can only make pale imitations of that Greatest Story.
Heartfelt thanks to the Author of Life and all of my readers for ten wondrous years. May there be many more to come.
Brian Niemeier
July 29, 2025
Many readers have asked for more time to back the Nethereal 10th Anniversary Campaign. While premium tiers like numbered editions and personalized rewards are no longer on offer, Kickstarter’s late pledge feature is now enabled for a limited selection of rewards.
That means you can still:
Claim the Nethereal 10th Anniversary Special Edition hardcover
get all unlocked upgrades, including character art
own the exclusive Kairosis novella, which will not be offered again after this window closes!
Late pledges end tonight, July 29, at 11:59 PM Central Time.
After that, Kairosis goes into the vaults forever.
So join us now for the victory lap!