A Modern BestiaryThe final writings of

Nicolas Grandois

Introduction by Alexander Harvin

Vindeon Publishing

Introductionby Alexander Harvin

Nicolas Grandois was a great friend of mine for over 30 years. We first met at Stanford in 1974 while attending a fictional writing class. What struck me first about him was his vivid imagination. Most men of genius status I have met seem to have worked themselves into a rigid framework of the mind, analyzing life methodically. Nicolas wasn’t like that. His bril-liance shined, but he would often get lost in his head for hours and hours, only coming back for pressing matters. One could only imagine the landscape of his mind. Luckily, he dedicated most of his life to translating what existed in the depths of his psyche through writing and various methods of creation. He used to write me letters when he was near completion of another science fiction nov-el. The passion he felt about each one always amused me. “This is my best work yet! If Satan himself created this, God would change his mind and let that sonuvabitch into heaven!” Often the letters would ramble for pages and pages, and I couldn’t help but wonder if he’d acciden-tally sent me the manuscript, while his publisher got a letter addressed to me! It pleased me to see how successful he became in the late 80’s and early 90’s. His novels really were groundbreaking. I even spoke with scientists and engineers that told me his books inspired them to change their lives and pursue a path of knowledge and discovery. The whole world wanted to make Nicolas’ dreams come to life. I truly think the world wouldn’t be as advanced as it is today if it weren’t for his novels inspiring the scientific community. This “Modern Bestiary” is Nicolas’ final project before being institutionalized and then passing shortly after. It is apparent from the beginning of his scribblings that his mental health had already started fading. His ramblings and odd sketches throughout seem to chronicle a disturbed man succumbing to the beasts within himself. Some legible sections are profound, seeming to draw parallels from the people he encountered over his life, while other metaphors are too far-out to extract any definite conclusions. I have released these documents to the pub-lishers under the condition that the original form is published. The world has been in awe of Nicolas for decades, and it’s important to get a glimpse into the dark side of a brilliant mind. It will scare some and enlighten others, but one thing is for sure, this wasn’t written by the same Nicolas Grandois everyone knew and loved. This was mental illness.

In this compelling piece of visual art, we see the intricacies of a mad man. Nicolas Grandois’ fi-nal work is a manuscript of an ill mind. After years of success as a science fiction novelist and abstract painter, Nicolas’ mental health started to decline. After years of struggle, he was finally institutional-ized and passed away shortly after. From his original notebook, published in its original format, we get a glimpse into the demise of a beautiful mind. From his ramblings, odd drawings, and eerie marks, we see the dark side of a genius.