PAPERBACK EDITION Veteran TV writer Jim Pond ( Living Single, Hope & Faith, Night Court ) didn't live long enough to see his insanely inventive short stories published. Now, thanks to the people who loved him most, that time has come. In this otherworldly anthology, a man falls so hard for an enchantress that he's willing to overlook her penchant for turning her rivals to stone. A lovesick attic spider discovers that true love requires true sacrifice. A ski mask knitted in a mystical Chinese province reveals powers its horrified wearer could never imagine. And in a dystopian future, a dinosaur hunter squares off against the mother of all adversaries. This collection also features a series of fictional news stories that are as bizarre as they are hilarious. For thrills, chills and chuckles, look no further than the wise and warped mind of much-missed writer Jim Pond, a master at weaving tales of greed, revenge, and atonement that capture the best and worst of humanity. What Jim had was his elegant wordsmithery, his ferocious imagery, a deep well of dark humor and a huge reserve of beautiful humanity. All four are on display in these wonderful stories. I'm so glad that this collection has arrived and I'll get to read him whenever I need a dip in the Pond. Chris Cluess Writer/Producer: The Simpsons, SCTV, National Lampoon Gone, but never forgotten, Jim left a legacy of brilliance and laughter that we can all savor through this beautiful collection all told with Jim's singular voice. If you had the good fortune of knowing Jim, you've read at least 10 of these ... at least 10 times. And they're still hilarious! Now, thanks to his dearest friends, Jim's stories are curated in one place for the whole world to relish. You're welcome, world! Enjoy! Yvette Lee Bowser Writer/Producer: Living Single, For Your Love, black ‐ish, Dear White People, Run The World I was always amazed at Jim's ability to paint a vivid picture of something that he knew nothing about, to find truth in even the most absurd moment, and humanity in the most unexpected places. When he shared a draft of "Night Awaits" with me in 2016, I responded, "Dude, I was riveted... As if the world isn't a scary enough place with Trump, now I gotta worry about giant lizards? One more reason never to go to the OC." Tod Himmel Writer/Producer: Ellen, Everybody Loves Raymond, According to Jim, 90210 This is a book for anybody who loves compelling stories, cursed lovers, functional zombies, and a Weeble that wobbled and did fall down. The author manages to produce laughter, poignancy, and suspense--sometimes all at the same time. There's great writing on every page. Dean BataliWriter/Producer: That 70s Show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Good Witch These stories are just like their author, Jim Pond... brilliant, funny, and irresistible. They lure you in, as Jim did, with his incredible smile and effortless charm, and then you have a fabulous time reading them. The news goofs are laugh-out-loud funny, and the short stories are sometimes dark, and always deep, layered, and wonderful. What a joy to also have these stories as a last gift from Jim. Pamela Eells Writer/Producer: Jessie, Married With Children, The Nanny, Mad About You Pond. James Pond. By Will Fuller Jim grew up in Costa Mesa, California, a kid astronomer and altar boy who ran cross‐country and surfed. He cut his comedy teeth on Monty Python, Fawlty Towers and George Carlin. He wrote for newspapers and flacked for companies like Toyota. With my equally uncorporate self in tow, he eventually quit Toyota and set his sights on writing sitcoms. After a few false starts, we broke in, writing and producing on staff at Newhart, Night Court, Living Single, Hope & Faith and others. But Jim had another muse he was hellbent on feeding. Although both of us were fans of King and Koontz, I didn't think I had anything worthy to contribute. Thankfully, Jim did. By the time he wrote the novella, "Night Awaits," his skills had been honed to perfection. Not only is it a gripping tale of suspense, it has all the elements of a blockbuster movie. You may say I'm biased. But as somebody who's devoured tales of the supernatural all my life, I can say without hesitation that Jim's stories would fit seamlessly into a horror anthology alongside the work of the greats. It's not just because of the tales he tells. It's the fact that there's a river of humanity running through his work: how a father's love for his daughter can outlive an apocalypse. How a heroic sacrifice brings an arachnid and the woman of his dreams together.  And while on its surface, "Night Awaits" is about laboratory‐engineered dinosaurs run amok, it's ultimately about the  devotion of fathers and mothers to their children. The world lost Jim Pond in January 2019, before he could fulfill his dream of publishing his stories. And that just didn't seem fair. So I joined forces with our mutual friend, novelist Diana Dempsey, to track do