contacted her and said that if she ever had a was Moon’s seven-book Heris Serrano series, this alien culture? But, man, it was 24–7. If
novel, he would be interested in seeing it. “Like featuring several characters whose lives and you’d asked me before I did it if I could do it,
the grandparent who just happens to have pic- adventures revolve around the military of an I’d have said, no way.”
tures of the grandchildren,” Moon chuckles, interplanetary league. The Vatta’s War series, While Moon was helping Michael face the
“I just happened to have a novel.” with explosive space battles and a spirited, constraints of autism, she also was facing the
The Deed of Paksenarrion was rejected by tough-as-nails heroine who refuses to back constraints of writing adventure stories. “Main
a lot of publishers, and a letter from one ex- down, is in process. characters usually just come to me,” she says.
plained why: It was too long, and it was about The switch from medieval fantasy to space “I sit there and say to the people in my head,
a woman soldier, by a woman. The implication ships may seem like quite a leap, but it was a ‘Okay, who wants to be next?’ And this crowd
was that women can’t know anything about the providential change for Moon, whose personal comes forward, and then I prod and poke them
military. “I blew my stack.” Moon says. “I’ve life had taken a grievous turn. Her son, Mi- to see if any of them are solid enough to make
studied this stuff, I have a degree in history, I chael, had been diagnosed as severely autistic. a main character. If they come to me with a
own horses, and on top of that, I was a marine, “Having a child that different,” she says, “is big problem right off the bat, they’re usually
and how dare they, and so on.” The agent kind of like getting a box of parts, but the parts pretty strong. Otherwise, I say, ‘Shut up and
went back to the publisher and said, “You’ve aren’t the ones in the directions, and you have go away.’” Ofelia wouldn’t go away.
insulted a marine.” The publisher, who had to fi gure out what you can build out of the Ofelia, whose story is recounted in Remnant
strong military feelings, agreed to look at the parts you do have that will result in some kind Population, certainly does not fi t the adventure
manuscript again, and when he actually read of happy conclusion.” character mold. She is an old and simple widow
it, he liked it. She began homeschooling Michael and living in a small colony on an out-of-the way
The Deed of Paksenarrion was published in discovered that the switch from fantasy to planet with a son who does not understand
three volumes—The Sheepfarmer’s Daughter, science fi ction might be the only thing that her and a daughter-in-law who dislikes her.
Divided Allegiance, and Oath of Gold—in 1988 would allow her to continue writing. “To “What I saw in Ofelia,” Moon says, “was
and 1989. “One of my biggest thrills as a writer write deep fantasy, I need six to eight hours a person who’d had all of the fun and play
was seeing that fi rst book out,” she says. “I without interruption because I have to sink squashed out.”
showed the cover fl ats to a friend who ran a into that world in order to make it real. So I All Ofelia wants is to live out her life in peace
bookstore in Georgetown, and she folded one knew I couldn’t write fantasy, at least for the on this planet that has been her home for most
and stuck it between some other books on the near future. With science fi ction, though, I can of her life. But the corporation that colonized
shelf so it looked like my book was sitting there write some, be interrupted, and go right back the planet has lost the franchise, and the entire
with the others. I managed not to scream and and write some more.” colony is scheduled for deportation. Instead
jump up and down in the store, but I was really Moon says that the intellectual training of accepting her fate, Ofelia hides in the forest
excited. Later, I was terrifi ed because, when instilled by Rice allowed her to survey the until the last ship has left, then she reoccupies
you’re a writer, you also reveal, and when I professional literature on autism relatively her home in the settlement and goes on, quite
seriously thought about everything that was in quickly and thoroughly by setting standards comfortable and happy with her solitary life.
The Deed of Paksenarrion, I thought, oh boy, by which to judge the quality of her sources. Until she discovers that she isn’t alone. The
I’ve just thrown open the closet.” “It’s been very challenging,” she says, “but indigenous intelligent species, which is at a
Two linked prequels to The Deed of Paksenar- it’s been stimulating, too. Rice helped give pretechnological level and has been hiding
rion followed, but not before Moon received me the ability to see the situation as an intel- in the forest since the colony was founded,
an invitation to co-author a pair of books with lectual challenge, not just an emotional one. begins to explore the town left vacant by the
well-known science-fi ction writer Anne Mc- The cultural anthropology at Rice gave me humans, coming face to face with its sole re-
Caffrey. Those two showed that Moon had the means to look at autism as a culture thing maining occupant.
a talent for writing military science fi ction, rather than as a pathological thing. If this is At fi rst, Ofelia resents the intrusion, but she
and her publisher requested more. The result what we have, how do we make contact with soon becomes an integral part of the fabric of
30 Rice Sallyport
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