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I am thankful to all who helped me bring this book above ground. These include my colleagues at Wilfrid Laurier University, Jane Campbell, for her thoughtful and generous advice on A.S. Byatt’s poetics, and Ed Jewinski for steering me to John Barth’s Lost in the Funhouse. I am also beholden to David Lipovitch (for advice on things Near Eastern), and fellow members of the Inspir(d) Historians writing group (David Smith, Amy Milne-Smith, and Dana Weiner) for their close readings of Chapter 1. My book would have been much delayed and greatly diminished were it not for my stalwart student research assistants, Kathleen Vahey, Kyleigh Poultney, and Jenna Lee, who helped me to organize unwieldy quantities of material. Any remaining errors or infelicities are, I confess, entirely my own.
My thoughts about underworld themes in contemporary culture were enhanced when I gave a series of lectures for the Classical Association of Canada Atlantic Provinces tour in 2012. I am indebted for the hospitality and engaged audiences that I encountered at all seven host universities, but especially to Kathryn Simonsen (Memorial University), and Alison Barclay (Saint Mary’s University). Thanks are also due to Lisa Trentin, her students, and colleagues at the University of Toronto Mississauga, who providentially steered me towards a deeper investigation of Neil Gaiman’s work. My understanding of ancient eschatology was enriched by participating in a conference on “Imagining the Afterlife in the Ancient World,” at Newman University in Birmingham in 2016. I am grateful to Juliette Harrisson for organizing a stimulating few days of talks, and to audiences and participants for valuable suggestions on my paper on Ann Patchett’s State of Wonder, which became part of Chapter 4.
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