Even as a kid, I could never fall asleep properly. I have almost no memories of ever just pulling the covers on, closing my eyes, and drifting off. Most nights, I’d wouldn’t sleep a wink, just toss and turn until the wee hours of the night, finally passing out after hours of this. I was meant to be nocturnal. For that reason, late-night radio was my boyhood best friend. Fortunately, I lived in an area with lots of channels and never got bored. But I was chronically sleep-deprived and getting up was horrible. Unsure if that’s why I tended to vividly recall my dreams.
As a student, I made a habit of jotting down every idea and phrase that came to mind. I’ve got notebooks full of them, but somewhere in that pile of slop, I found a sad little line that said, Dreams have the best cost performance of all entertainment. At the time, I often had dreams with solid stories, and I woke up going, “I wanted to see a little more of that one!” Which may have prompted that note.
Sadly, as I grew up, I stopped remembering my dreams. Even if I do have one, they’re the type you’re relieved to wake up from. My inability to fall asleep alone continued and only recently corrected itself. I mentioned this in the last afterword, but it’s easier to drift off while throwing together plots in your mind. My recent go-to started with a man walking endlessly through the ruins of the Earth, three thousand years in the future. A black-hooded coat wrapped around him, not another soul in sight, just walking on and on. Who is he? Where’d he come from? Where is he going? Where is everyone else? I start pondering that…and before I know it, I’m asleep. I recommend this to any insomniacs out there.
Acts one and two of The Theater of Haruhi Suzumiya originally appeared in The Sneaker, as “Haruhi Theater.” I started out with a trio of concepts, and I believe the plan was to have Noizi Ito draw some art for them and write a short story based on those illustrations, but somehow it ended up more of a novel. Also, the three goddesses motif in the final act took a lot of inspiration from pinup illustrations done for The Sneaker LEGEND. The art is always fantastic, and I can never be grateful enough, but this volume legitimately requires an extra special thank-you to the one and only Noizi Ito. The last concept sure got reworked a lot, but somehow it worked out in the end. Thank you so much.
I’d also like to take this space to express my gratitude to all the Haruhi Suzumiya series fans who’ve sent me wonderful gifts. Thank you very much.
And of course, to anyone who helped edit, proof, market, and sell this novel; and to anyone who picked it up, I send waves of gratitude in your direction. May we meet again!