Besides, whatever troubles, even tragedies, might lie ahead, they were part of—as she had told him— another tale.
TIP OF THE SCIMITAR
I
am indebted to Stephen Sommers, the director (and co-screenwriter) of The Mummy and The Mummy Returns, for allowing me to play a small role on the ongoing team associated with these entertaining movies. The Mummy films are modern extensions of the Universal Studios legendary horror-movie cycle; having grown up on those classic pictures—like so many of my generation—I was thrilled to land the assignment of writing novels officially associated with that grand tradition.
The Scorpion King, on the other hand, grows out of another classic tradition, that of heroic adventures associated with such fictional characters as Conan and Tarzan, and the mythic likes of Hercules and Ulysses. Writing this novel was my way of paying homage to the creators of those first two great heroes— Robert E. Howard and Edgar Rice Burroughs (with a nod to a visionary filmmaker named Ray Harryhausen and a blind poet named Homer)—and I appreciate having been given this opportunity to do so.
I would like to acknowledge the screenwriters of The Scorpion King—Jonathan Hales, Stephen Som-mers, David Hayter and Will Osborne—for providing such a fun, action-packed, well-crafted script. I had a wonderful time writing this, thanks to these gentlemen.
Cindy Chang of Universal provided her usual solid support, by way of scripts, photos and other materials; she also treated me with consideration and patience—thank you!
Similar thanks for patience and support go to Tom Colgan of Berkley Books; that Scorpion King of agents, Dominick Abel; and the lovely sorceress who could never have predicted what life with me would be like— my wife, Barbara Collins.
