PREFACES
To the 1st edition (October 2020)
So far, this story has been translated to English, from its original Czech, only partly – and no doubt imperfectly. However, I am now distracted from further translation and editing by a responsibility I cannot either neglect or postpone. So, as the already-translated chapters are central to the whole narrative, I dare to offer them to the readers, with the remaining chapters represented by their brief outlines.
To the 2nd edition (October 2021)
Unfortunately, my personal situation remains the same as it was a year ago, so that the changes from the 1st edition have been restricted, besides light editing, to the correction of a substantial error brought to my attention by Professor Jean Hebert, and to the implementation of a few of the thoughtful suggestions by Drs. Thomas Robertson and Pierre Vandevenne. I am extremely grateful to them all, and also to Drs. Casey Dorman and Christoph Guger for their encouragement.
To the 3rd edition (October 2022)
I am mostly happy with my book’s reception. However, some of my friends have noticed that a detour into semiconductor chip fabrication technology details in its opening chapter had been a showstopper for many potential readers, while having only indirect relation to the story’s main line. This is why, with a heavy heart, I have decided to replace that discussion with just a few sentences describing its essence. The readers eager for more details can find the replaced fragments on the book’s website https://veratinyc.weebly.com. (This site also has a link to the open-access audio version of the 2nd edition, masterfully narrated by Mr. Miles Meili.)
—VHT