Simolke’s fourth book, Degranon: A Science Fiction Adventure, will be out in a revised, second edition (paperback and hardcover) in the summer of 2004, with more gay characters and a sharper focus on gay issues.
(Lubbock, Texas) West Texas author Duane Simolke returns with a fourth book: Degranon. This unusual release marks Simolke’s first novel, and his first book of science fiction.
Most scifi novels, movies, and TV shows ignore human diversity. Even among a wild variety of alien races, the human characters mostly stay within the usual frameworks of white and heterosexual. Aside from the occasional black man—who probably dies in an early scene or fades in and out with little consequence to the narrative—we rarely see people of color. And gay characters appear even less often.
In the alternate universe Simolke created for his science fiction adventure, we encounter characters that we might think of as Native American, African American, Latino, Asian, or gay. In fact, white characters receive only passing references, while gays seem idealized.
Though primarily a high-concept adventure, Degranon challenges every reader’s views, perceptions, and prejudices. Everyone who reads it will find it disturbing at times, exciting at times, and ultimately optimistic. In fact, many people will interpret certain scenes, characters, and events in differing ways.
Readers wanting to learn more about Duane Simolke and his writing should visit his home page (http://www.duanesimolke.com). They’ll find links or writings related to diversity, homophobia, cancer, writers, and many other topics. They’ll also find Rainbow: Lubbock, Simolke’s gay newsletter for Lubbock, Texas, which is where he lives, and where he received a Ph.D. from Texas Tech University.
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