Dear readers, tonight we interview an imaginary friend, a precocious twelve-year-old’s companion. He’s a dinosaur, living in a fantastical pre-historic world together with other creatures, pirates, and ancient magic.

Tell us a little about where you were born. What was it like there?

Well, as an imaginary friend, I suppose I was born in my best friend’s imagination. I can’t say I remember exactly how I came to be—when did I shift from abstract thought to something… more? Am I more than that at all? What I can say is Robyn’s mind is a wild place—believe me when I say it has created more than just me!

But conceptually I was born much longer ago. You see, Robyn is a real geek for everything prehistoric, so when she concocted a friend, she modelled me on a real-life ancient creature. A Dimetrodon hailing from the Permian period, some quarter of a billion years ago and long before the first dinosaur hatched. It was a time before the rise of reptiles, when animals more similar to mammals ruled the planet.

Did you have any favourite activities as a child? Any cherished memories?

One of the downsides of being a figment of someone’s imagination is that interacting with the “real” world is… difficult. I won’t say impossible—I did once headbutt someone into a puddle, but that’s a story for another time.

So, I have to be happy to spectate. And I know that sounds boring, but I get to spectate the most interesting girl on the planet. Okay, I might be biased. She’s an incredible artist, an impressive athlete, and… a terrible singer. So, you might say my favourite activity is just being with my best friend every single day. I don’t think many people get to do that.

Of course, I’m also her emotional support—and she’s needed me for that lately. You see, her mum isn’t well. We didn’t realise until recently just how unwell. But it’s okay—we can help her.

What do you do now?

Not so long ago, Robyn and I made a discovery. It all began with the aforementioned headbutt. Look, I’m not proud of myself, but… actually I am—it was awesome and they totally deserved it. From there we came to realise that the line between what’s imaginary and what’s real is kind of vague. Under the right conditions, I can interact with the real world. And if I can, does that mean anything Robyn imagines could? Could she create real, physical things with nothing more than imagination?

One thing led to another and woosh! We find ourselves in a different world. An imaginary world, but somehow real. I can’t say I understand it myself, but I feel at home there. I can touch things, speak with people other than Robyn, I can eat. That might all sound quite pedestrian to you, but I’ve never been able to do those things before.

So now we have a job to do—a quest, if you will. Because this world, Pangaea, has a magic to it. Something more than just a tired cliché about the power of imagination. Here, we might find a cure for Robyn’s mum. If it’s here, we will find it. We have to.

What can you tell us about your latest adventure?

Our time in Pangaea has been wild. We’ve met prehistoric creatures, dined with a king, and even been kidnapped by pirates—all in search for the Heart of Pangaea. We don’t know what it is yet, but we’ll find out soon—the king reckons it could save Robyn’s mum.

What’s your pet peeve?

Okay, I need to be very clear about this—I am not a dinosaur. My kind came first, we predated the dinosaurs by about thirty million years just for them to come along and steal all the thunder. I’m actually more closely related to you than any dinosaur. Look, I’m not bitter but we are so much cooler—have you seen their silly little arms? They’re almost as small as their brains.

Tell us a little about your friends.

Well, until recently I had just the one friend, but we have a bond like no one else. Robyn is more than a friend, she’s like a sister. And, since she created me, sort of a mother too, but that’s weird to think about.

I guess she’s just like me in that sense—I’m her only friend too. She’s wicked smart, but she never has been able to figure out people. Maths, chemistry, evolution—these things all follow a set of rules, but people are inconsistent. They say one thing but mean another, and we’re expected to know the difference based on the subtlest of deviations in tone.

I suppose I should be thankful—I doubt I’d exist if she had “real” friends.

What did you first think when you met a dinosaur?

Shocked at first, but somehow relieved. Of course, I’m not a dinosaur, I can’t stress that enough, but I’m a prehistoric creature, nonetheless. So, to meet someone like me, it was freeing.

What was the scariest thing in your adventures?

The stench of Tyrannosaurus breath!

Okay, okay, seriously, though? The fear of failure. I wouldn’t ever tell Robyn that, I think I owe it to her to put on a brave face, but what if we can’t find the Heart? Or if it doesn’t work? What if its properties don’t translate to the real world like we hope? Robyn is so alone in the world, she needs her mum. We both do. I might be able to fill the void left by having no friends, but I don’t think I can replace a mother.

What is the worst thing about Pangaea?

Trying to tell friend from foe is a challenge. Half the population could swallow me in a single bite if they wanted to, so it makes most new faces daunting.

What is the best thing about it?

Food. Look, I know you must think a magical realm filled with prehistoric creatures must have something better than food, but you don’t know how it is to be imaginary. For years I had to sit idly by at mealtimes—watching stringy cheese slopping off of pizza, or a stew bellowing steam into the air, or a torrent of caramel sauce flowing over a sticky toffee pudding—and you’d better believe I could smell it. Yet was never able to take a bite. I couldn’t even touch it—real-life objects just sort of… pass through me.

But here I can eat until I feel sick and it’s the most glorious sickness I could imagine. 

Any romantic involvement?

I’m a 270-million-year-old Permian stem-mammal as imagined by a twelve-year-old girl. So, not at the minute, no. Maye one day they’ll have an app for me.

Whom do you really hate?

Etheldred. Without a doubt. A bloodthirsty Dilophosaurus with white feathers and piercing red eyes. To be hunted by her… I can’t imagine anything worse. I don’t fully understand her motives, I think she just enjoys inflicting pain. She seems to relish violence.

What’s your favourite food?

Have you tried pizza!? It’s like bread with cheese and… you probably know what it is. Oh, or steak, or fried egg, or cake… oh my goodness, cake. What was the question again?

What does the future hold for you?

Look, the priority is obviously helping Robyn’s mum. But there’s something else that bugs me about this place—about Pangaea. These people, these creatures, they feel like family. In so many ways we’re the same, but there’s a rot in this world. There’s so much hunger, hate, and desperation. Perhaps, when this is all over, I can make a difference. I think Pangaea needs me.

Lindsey Kinsella is a Scottish science fiction and fantasy author. ​While a qualified and experienced naval architect and avid classic car enthusiast, he always reserved space in life for his fascination with science, nature, and paleontology. This drove his writing process as he aspired to write tales of the rich and complex story of life on Earth.

You can find Ed on the pages of The Heart of Pangaea.

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