👋 Hey Companions, it's Lawrence, and I can’t wait to share with you a preview of Amanda’s book, Purpose: Embracing Mental Health as a Fandom, and we’ll be rolling out more stories over the next several weeks.
If you’re new to The Companion, here’s the latest book update:
- Added special cover design details to the Limited Edition Hardback
- Selected printers for both the Limited Edition Hardback and Paperback edition
- If you’d like to stay up-to-date with the book, here’s our public To-Do list
“Why This Book” from Amanda Tapping
You might be asking the same questions that I am asking myself…
Who the heck are you to write a book about mental health?
Why are you doing this?
What do you hope to achieve?
Valid questions that, in the long dark teatime of the soul, also known as 3am insomnia, I have wrestled with. And struggled with. And soul-searched over.
Such is the anxious, over-thinking, people pleaser that is me… your humble host for this book.
My eldest brother Steven passed away on Christmas Day 2006. It was a tragic accident and it was devastating. Steven was an epileptic and also suffered from paranoid schizophrenia. The schizophrenia developed as he hit puberty. It was a vicious cycle of him not taking his epilepsy medication and not taking his schizophrenia medication. He was having almost daily seizures and mental health crises. We were close when we were all little. He was my big brother. But when Steven had a seizure in elementary school things changed. He was suddenly the weird kid and we, his siblings, were by extension weirdos too. He withdrew and he struggled. He spent time in a mental institution and he was in and out of jail. I felt helpless. There was nothing I could do to “save” my brother. Nothing I could do to make his life better. Steven and I had some beautiful and profound conversations as adults. He was incredibly smart and insightful.
He was also a huge sci-fi fan! I was always so worried about his circumstances and how well he was navigating the day to day of his life. It wasn’t until Steven died and I attended his funeral that I realized what an incredible community he had built around him. He was living a very fulfilling life. It made me realize how profoundly we misunderstand mental health issues. It was a huge wake up call for me.
Suffice it to say, this book, and my hopes for it, are all because of my incredible brother Steven.
Lawrence from The Companion asked me a long time ago what I most wanted to focus on in terms of reaching out to fans. I immediately said mental health. It started as check-ins and discussions on various topics, but it quickly became obvious that there may actually be a need, even a desire, for this community to share their stories with each other—that this may actually be helpful for people. That this book could be a touchstone for people who are struggling. It was a rather lofty goal, but one that inspired all of us involved in creating this.
In short,
We need this book.
We need to know that we are not alone.
And we need to feel the arms of our community around us.
There have been a few isolating events in recent years. Not the least of which was the COVID pandemic. So many people lost their lifelines, their social outlets, their communities. It has taken a huge toll on people’s mental health.
I have been so fortunate to travel the world meeting science fiction fans from every walk of life, and I have learned one very beautiful truth. Sci-fi fans are amazing, kind, and generous people. They look out for each other, reach out to each other, and support each other in ways that still bring me to my knees.
While this book is for and about our community, I think the stories and lessons are universal.
I hope you enjoy it. I hope you see a little of yourself in here. And most importantly, I hope it brings you comfort.
Much love,
Amanda xx
📘 Hardback and Paperback, Strictly limited
The Collector’s Edition was always limited to 500. 140 copies left, and once they’re gone, they will be gone forever.
The Paperback Edition is a single print run too. Orders will close sometime between Thanksgiving and December (exact date to come).
🚢 Shipping
Printing starts in the next few weeks. Because this order is so large, it will be shipped via sea freight, and we’ll ship as soon as we can in January 2027.
🎄 Meanwhile, everyone who’s ordered will get early parts of the book digitally over the holidays, because we know it’s a great time to dive into a good book, so stay tuned.
And if you think you know a friend who might enjoy The Companion, please pass on this newsletter to them.
Speak soon 🙏
