Vourniass Lycern -- a conosq of the three-sex Seriattic race -- holds the key to peace between Earth and Seriatt, and thus the continuation of the lucrative illegal arms trade conducted by General William Myson. When Lycern decamps to the Affinity Group complex on Veshc, Myson orders experienced Military Intelligence Officer Alexander Delgado to fetch her. While once respected, the changes that followed Myson's rise to power saw Delgado's position reduced in all but name, his independent character and methodologies unwelcome. But Delgado, sees the mission not as a chance to reinstate his name to the position of respect it once held, but an opportunity to engender a much greater level of change. When he comes into contact with Lycern, however, Delgado faces his greatest ever challenge, the consequences of which have the ability to change his life -- and potentially the future of Earth -- forever. In the first of the Structure novels, Martin Sketchley has created a vivid widescreen setting in which the boundaries between good and evil, male and female, human and non-human are often indistinguishable despite the wishes and perceptions of the startling characters he has created. Sexuality, gender roles, and the fundamental drives of every human being are explored within a gripping dynamic storyline that highlights the contrast between what humans perceive themselves to be, and what they really are.
I grew up in Tamworth, an average market town in the English county of Staffordshire -- home to Sir Robert Peel, founder of the police force, and a castle that was once home to the King of Mercia. I am a descendant of Sir Thomas Guy, although this has never seemed to impress anybody very much. I went to Greenacres County Primary School until the age of 11. Sometimes at school I was given the opportunity to write a story; I always wrote science fiction.
In 1979 I began to attend Rawlett High School, and opportunities to write stories became less frequent. When in one class the opportunity did arise, I, of course, wrote science fiction. However, the teacher who marked the story changed every entry of "ship" to "rocket". This irritated me no end.
For a few years at Rawlett I took flute lessons, and played in the school orchestra. I quickly discovered, however, that the flute isn't exactly the coolest instrument in the world, and cursed at the fact that saxophone lessons were not available. The upside to being in second flutes, however, was that all the other flute players were female, which offered countless opportunities for me to make a fool of myself. In the end I gave up the flute lessons, as I seemed to be about as successful at that as I was with the girls.
At 14 I began to write my first novel, and produced four sides of A4 at a single sitting -- more than I'd ever written before. However, I was teased left, right and centre, and page five was consigned to the bin.
I left Rawlett at the age of 16 with no qualifications to speak of -- although I had been noted for trying particularly hard during badminton lessons -- and began working with my parents as a market trader. This was fun, even though the hours were long and it was cold during the winter, hot during the summer and windy and rainy the rest of the time.
In the late 1980s I had another brief but passionate encounter with music, this time playing guitar with indie band Emma Gibbs Loves Badges. I discovered that a Gibson 335 is a much cooler instrument than a flute, and it was during this period that I met the women who would become my wife. However, the rest of the band didn't seem to share my belief in our potential -- which I still hold to this day -- and in frustration I one day left the damp rehearsal room at Mr Cutler's scrapyard never to return.
Not long after this unfortunate separation, I began writing. Unlike being in a band writing is a solitary activity, and I recognised that I alone was responsible for my success or failure. I wrote short stories behind market stalls, and began submitting them to magazines.
By 1994, having got a few writing credits under my belt, I felt I'd achieved all I wanted to achieve as far as short stories were concerned, and considered that if I wanted to be a novelist I'd have to write some novels. (Makes sense when you think about it, doesn't it.) Without the faintest notion of the amount of work required, I started to write my first novel, and over the course of the following years this evolved into the work that is now The Affinity Trap.
I'm now a freelance editor of reports on fast-moving consumer goods markets for a global B2B publisher based in London, covering fascinating subjects such as soft drinks and toilet paper. I lives in Birmingham, UK, with my wife and our two children, and am proud to be an Englishman. I no longer own a flute, but I still have the 335.
