Working on a book is a journey, not only for the writer but also for those who help bring the story to life. I’ve had the privilege of collaborating with Abbey Decker, an exceptionally talented editor who has helped refine my debut novel for the English-speaking audience. With her keen eye and attention to detail, she has elevated the text in ways I couldn’t have achieved alone.

It’s a unique feeling to have your work reviewed and reflected upon through someone else’s eyes—especially someone like Abbey, who truly understands the essence of the story and the depth of its characters. Here are her thoughts on what awaits you in the English version of the book:

My name is Abbey Decker, and I have been a proofreader, editor, and author coach to hundreds of diverse writers since 2018. Literature is my livelihood, and when I left my boring proofreading job in immigration law six years ago, I dedicated my life to the everlasting pursuit of the next great stories, told by the most unique and creative voices of my generation.

I didn’t need to search long—or even very far—to find them. From my early forays into science fiction and space operas (particularly, Star Marque Rising by Shami Stovall and the Repatriate Protocol series by Kelli Kimble) to my long-standing partnerships with urban fantasy writers Petra van der Ploeg (of the Somnia Series), Kevin Johnson (of the Element Saga series), and Elandriel Decker (Midnight Men and Sheep’s Clothing), and finally to my five-year partnership with Jade Lawson, esteemed and award-winning fantasy author of Whispers of a Roseand Storm of Ashes and Darkness(slated for wide publication in 2025 and already optioned for a feature film), I can confidently say that I have pivoted through thousands of plot twists, climbed over a wealth of character arcs, dangled from more than a few cliffhangers—and even pulled the trigger on some smoking Chekhov’s guns.

When the ambitious writing team of Ariana Damon contacted me in September 2024 with the promise of an epic tale laced with dark humor, political gaffes, steamy romance, and star-crossed misadventures set primarily in a fast-paced television studio full of sexy young opportunists in Stockholm, Sweden, I was instantly intrigued. The story sounded not just unique or creative but undeniably bizarre—and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. It wasn’t every day that I got the opportunity to work on a novel that featured an accidentally-on-purpose global impotence pandemic that led to a classic “last man on Earth” scenario for one adorable-yet-hapless Swedish screenwriter just trying to get a pilot made. It was something straight out of a Chuck Palaniuk novel—except even Chuck couldn’t dream up a plot so full of charming absurdity, in which even former U.S. President Barack Obama shows up to dole out witty one-liners while the greatest political minds of our generation bicker and scheme about how to divvy up their countries’ women to repopulate the Earth.

Now, this was a story.

As I began my edits, I quickly fell in love with our plucky hero, Cyrus Danielsson. He was about as everyman as a main character could be, a starry-eyed optimist with big dreams but no idea how to achieve them, waiting patiently to pounce on his moment in the sun. He was unlucky in love and bumbling with women, but so naturally charming in his earnestness that one wondered how he had remained single for so long. I could almost see him on the small screen, played with quirky aplomb by a rosy-cheeked indie actor like Vilhelm Blomgren (of Midsommerand Clarkfame), captivating international audiences into binge-watching episode after episode of his mounting misadventures, rooting for him to find love and success. It was simply impossible to dislike Cyrus, and Ariana Damon clearly knows this; they bet on the right horse when they created such a clumsy, yet surprisingly charismatic protagonist.

Apart from Cyrus, there is much to enjoy about The Chasing of the Last Lover’s rich worldbuilding, global narrative, and action-heavy plot full of surprising twists and turns. Ariana Damon approaches their vision with a cinematic scope, not satisfied to limit their perspective to a handful of characters but extending the narrative voice to a host of eccentric characters in multiple converging subplots. The Chasing of the Last Lovergleefully charts a grand adventure that is offbeat, surreal, occasionally controversial, and even borders on the avant-garde, all while offering subtle cultural commentary on capitalismand the perils of chasing fame. Ariana Damon’s playfully crafted narrative is full of fourth-wall breaking sarcasm and irony that keeps readers entertained—tickled, even—as characters often muse on the absurdity of their situations that seem to have been orchestrated by the fickle hand of fate itself. As the interwoven plotlines careen towards each other with the unstoppable force of a freight train, readers may find themselves unable to resist succumbing to schadenfreude; it is an unexpected delight to watch the stakes escalate into the stratosphere as fate has its merry way with these deeply flawed, oddly lovable, and undeniably human characters.

The Chasing of the Last Lover surprises at every turn, and I can say with full honesty that I have never read such an original and unconventional story in my career as an editor.

—Abbey Decker (September 7, 2024)