Like Homer's Iliad, this too is an epic story, the recounting of a man's journey, in this case through a life filled with a strange species called "woman." The dedication, quoting the song To All the Girls I Loved Before, says it all. If men are from Mars and women from Venus, here is a sci-fi writer exploring the space between them. Like Moby Dick's narrator, Ishmael tells of a search with an elusive goal, understanding the women in his life. "I was there along the sidelines, so I can attest to the truth of Bill Burkett's words," says editor and anthologist Hollis George.