The Hundred-Year Christmas

Title: The Hundred-Year Christmas
Series:
Published by: Overlook Connection Press
Pages: 82
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Synopsis

This twenty-fifth anniversary edition of a rare story David Morrell wrote to give to his friends at Christmas is now available again in a brand new signed-limited edition. Featuring all new color and b&w illustrations by artist Cortney Skinner commissioned exclusively for this volume, this is a novella that has different meanings, depending if you're a child or an adult. It's about the poignant friendship between Father Christmas, who lives a hundred years before being replaced, and Father Time, who lives only a single year before being replaced. Each year, Santa sees a version of his friend grow old and die. Now it's Santa's turn, but he's having trouble finding a replacement, and if he doesn't succeed, there'll be no one to take care of the infant Father Time. Time itself will stop.

Backstory

I wrote this because I wanted something personal to give away during the holidays. This is a lavishly illustrated novella that has different meanings, depending if you're a child or an adult. The children in it are named after my daughter and son. Nominated for a World Fantasy Award, the original edition was published by Donald M. Grant in 1983. Limited to 700 copies, signed and numbered, it had beautiful illustrations by R.J. Krupowicz. It eventually became a collectors' item that was extremely expensive and difficult to find. In 2009, I asked Overlook Connection to re-release it with new lavish artwork by Cortney Skinner. It's a truly gorgeous book. Some families read it aloud each year as part of their holiday tradition. I revised the text for this version and added an introduction.