Secret Matter

by Toby Johnson

Book Overview

Winner of a 1990 Lambda Literary Award for Gay Men's Science Fiction and bestselling novel, Secret Matter returns in a revised edition for the 21st century. With an Afterword by gay theologian, social commentator Mark Jordan.

Kevin Anderson is finishing up college, and getting ready to leave New York for an internship rebuilding San Francisco after an immense earthquake. Then the Visitors arrive; a race of human-like aliens touch down...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1727179420
• ISBN13: 9781727179422
• Release Date: September 2018
• Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
• Length: 302 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

One of Lethe's bestselling titles

Lethe Press is proud to bring out Toby Johnson's Lammy-winning, beloved gay sci-fi novel in a new edition "for 21st Century readers" that's been updated and expanded by the author AND that includes an Afterword by gay religion scholar and social commentator Mark Jordan. It has been one of Lethe's best selling titles. When human-like Visitors arrive in the skies, the mysteries begin. Where are they really from? Why have they come to Earth? What's the secret they're protecting? And why is one of them apparently flirting with the young architect Kevin Anderson who's just moved to San Francisco to help in the rebuilding after the "Big One," the earthquake that destroyed the City. Were the Visitors responsible? Or have they come to save the Earth from more such immense earthquakes & disasters? Enjoy discovering the "secrets." "fly blend of sweet romance, social commentary and entertaining science fiction--the sort of easy going read rarely found in gay fiction, and very welcome" -- Richard Labonte Winner of a Lambda Literary Award for Gay Men's Science Fiction and bestselling novel, Secret Matter returns to print--and to Kindle--in a revised edition for the 21st century. By Toby Johnson, author of Gay Perspective, Gay Spirituality, and (with Walter L. Williams) Two Spirits. ". . . a writer with a positive vision and a wonderful attitude" --Philadelphia Gay News

Answering Questions

Johnson, Toby. "Secret Matter", Lethe Press, 2005. Answering Questions Amos Lassen Roby Johnson's "Secret Matters" was originally published in 1990 but has been updated to include new information pertaining to the 21st century. When it first came out it won the Lambda Literary Award for Gay Men's Science Fiction and became a bestseller. With its updates it is even more compelling than the original. Kevin Anderson is finishing his college studies and preparing to leave New York to take a position as an intern to help with the rebuilding of San Francisco after a terrible earthquake wreaked havoc there. Suddenly "the visitors" arrive. They resemble humans and they alight in several different cities around the world, among them San Francisco and prepare to change the world. Kevin's company receives a contract to build a facility in which they are to live and in doing so Kevin becomes involved in a friendship with Bel, one of the visitors. He seems very human but he has strange characteristics and appears, like the others, to be hiding something. Kevin finds himself plagued with questions about Bel and the others but before he can find the answers he is searching for, there is a great deal of political miscommunication and disaster. "The visitors" feel that some of the actions of the United States will have dire consequences on his people and the world they live in but Kevin is the only one who listens to what they have to say and only because he is smitten with Bel. Kevin finds himself on a mission to discover the secrets in order to prevent the genocide of the group as well as the destruction of millions of Americans. Toby Johnson gives us a view of religion and the world as he feels they should be and he has a great deal to say and does so by using Kevin as a man who is torn by guilt. Kevin had never really thought of himself as gay; school had kept him so busy that he never really thought about his sexuality until he realized that his attraction for Bel was something more than just a friendship in the making. It takes a disaster for Kevin to face himself and as he does, he brings up the questions that so many of us have had during the period of discovering ourselves. Johnson pulls us into the story by making science fiction appear as the real thing and unlike a lot of fiction, the issues that he presents are very real. "Secret Matter" is fascinating for that reason. Johnson tells us that the things we experience in life are what determine as reality and since we cannot change the past, we must learn to deal with it. What "the visitors" bring is chaos and as Kevin is able to deal with it, so should we be able to deal with in our own lives.

theosophy

My personal problem with this book is that I cannot relate with the two main characters. Religion-inspired soul-tearing guilts that torment young innocent Kevin are as far from my background as the blinding perfection of sweet natured, understanding, sincere 'Bel. It is my problem of course but I also think that such a conflict as Kevin experiences is literarily speaking a little obsolete and perhaps up to date only among the gay youngsters belonging to certain religious communities. At the same time it is not my wish to underestimate the depth of this book. Mr Johnson, throughout his work, develops a view of the world and of religion as they could and should be and though this makes some paragraphs quite hard to understand at the same time it is absolutely different from the usual new ageish blurb you get from shallow minded so-called thinkers. You may think them objectionable but you cannot discard them as useless. The book in itself is probably no masterpiece: it is an easy story, neat, consistent, well written, with some nicely done action scenes that betrays a competent writer. I feel like objectioning about the author's clearly understandable opinion that casual sex is questionable, the real thing being only the one you share with the love of your life... what about those who have not found it yet?

A Deserving Lambda Literary Award Winner

Kevin Anderson is moving along through his life, finishing up college, and getting ready to leave New York City for a prestigious internship in San Francisco when issues about his sexual orientation begin to bother him. His roommate, Tim, is gay, but Kevin has been so busy with school that he has purposely not given it much thought. When Tim confronts him, Kevin ends up feeling rather glad they are going different directions upon graduation. Kevin flies out to the West Coast for an internship with a company that is helping to rebuild after a giant earthquake. He couldn't be more excited. And then the Visitors arrive. A race of oddly human-like space people touch down in several cities around the globe, including San Francisco, and nothing will ever be the same. Everyone around Kevin: his neighbors, his boss, new friends, and coworkers are profoundly affected by these new beings, especially when Kevin's company is given a contract to build a facility for them. By accident Kevin meets up with a Visitor named 'Bel, and their connection blossoms into a friendship. But is 'Bel so alien after all? And what's with the Visitors' periodic changes in skin color? They seem so human, albeit much larger, but they possess some odd characteristics, and they seem to be hiding something. Are they dangerous? What secrets do they carry, and where, exactly, are they from? Before Kevin can get to the bottom of his questions, political disasters and miscommunications occur, and the Visitors are expelled. 'Bel and his emissaries are very clear that certain actions on the part of the U.S. will have grave consequences upon his people and their world, but no one listens except Kevin, who has fallen for 'Bel. Now the young man is on a mission to unravel the Visitors' secrets in order to prevent the death and destruction of Visitors and millions of Americans. The secondary characters are critical in wrapping up the story and resolving the mystery of the Visitors. Very quickly the reader feels sympathy for Kevin and his struggle to deal with both his internalized homophobia and the new experiences that confront him. The book is a mystery, a coming out story, a sci-fi adventure, a romance, and an insightful twist on biblical themes and philosophical debates. Secret Matter is an enjoyable read most worthy of the Lambda Literary Award it won...

SPECTRUM AWARD NOMINATION

SECRET MATTER has been nominated for the Spectrum Awards Hall of Fame presented by Gaylaxicon, the Washington, DC-based national gay and lesbian science fiction fan club. The award will be given at their annual convention in DC in Oct. 1999This is the first year for this award. The Hall of Fame is just starting. So of all the hundreds of gay sci fi books published up to this year, SECRET MATTER was chosen as one of the top five. So even if it is only nominated, it is a significant honor.There is more information at the web site for White Crane Journal.