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| The Lost Anthology cover art by Jeff Himmelman |
Years ago, a friend of mine by the name of JeffHimmelman started a journey toward making his own RPG. Myself, my husband and
other friends (including fellow writer Shoshana Kessock) would gather with him
to offer our advice and beta test the system. From a broken-hearted ballerina
to an old homeless woman, I had a blast exploring the world my friend had
created. The setting was rich with somber details and touching sentiments which
examined the struggles of the homeless and the lost. It was a game unlike any
other I had played and my hopes were high that my friend would find success
with it.
And he did. His game, Kingdom of Nothing, went on to be
published by Galileo Games. Being able to watch it develop and knowing I helped
to contribute to my friends dream truly warmed my heart. So when Jeff announced
that Galileo Games was accepting submissions for short stories for an anthology (The Lost)
based off his game world, I jumped at the chance to participate once again.
As a huge fan of mythology and folklore, I found myself
struck with the idea of doing a retelling of Han Christian Andersen's classic fairy
tale “The Little Match Girl”. But where to set it? Then it clicked. Kingdom of
Nothing was born in my neighborhood of Astoria, Queens, where Jeff lived at the
time of writing the game. I was going to bring this story home. And thus I went to work writing my short story, "Burning Ember". Throughout
Ember’s journey, she meets a number of colorful characters all of whom were
inspired by local Astorians, including the streetwise cat, Gato (who is always eager for a
little scratch behind the ears whenever my husband and I cross his path).
Astoria is such an interesting neighborhood within Queens and I wanted to
capture it in vivid detail, from Hell Gate Bridge to Athens Park. It was my ode
to Kingdom of Nothing’s origins and I hope I did my friend proud by it.
Galileo Games
is going a step further than just publishing this anthology, though. They are
going to the very heart of the themes presented in both Kingdom of Nothing and
the inspired The Lost. Those themes include loss, struggle and being forgotten.
But Galileo Games has not forgotten. Kick starting a campaign fundraiser,
proceeds of The Lost will be going to City Harvest – a charity dedicated to feeding
the hungry of New York City. It was already an honor to be included in the
anthology to begin with, but to be a part of such a generous campaign makes
this experience all the more fulfilling.
I would
encourage anyone interested in getting their own copy of The Lost anthology to
visit the campaign funding site here at IndieGoGo. Not only will you be able to
pick up a collection of wonderful stories, but you’ll also help to show that
those who may feel lost and certainly not forgotten.
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