Dear Reader, There are in...
Dear Reader,
There are in the world a few places, a few sights, a few creatures that are a match for anything one encounters in the world of fantasy. Near the top of the list resides the Great White shark. In the absence of carnivorous dinosaurs in our modern world, probably no animal excites such atavistic fears deep in the hearts of those who venture into the sea.
But oh my, is it beautiful!
To see a great white in its natural habitat is to experience one of the profoundest thrills imaginable. Soaring, cruising, diving like a squadron of high-speed interceptors, six of them swam back and forth before me in the waters off souther Australia, while I and my awestruck companions looked on from the safety of our twin shark cages. Nothing quite stimulates the appetite like being within caressing range of a creature that's trying very hard to eat you.
I can't take you with me to see, and touch, the Great White in person, but I can bring them to you in writing—as Warner does unexpectedly in INTO THE THINKING KINGDOMS. I hope you enjoy their cameo appearance as much as I enjoyed watching them patrol the deep blue depths of the southern ocean.
Regards,
Alan Dean Foster
© Alan Dean Foster
