Secret Matter [Paperback]

Toby Johnson (Author), Mark Jordan (Afterword)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2005

The winner of a Lambda Literary Award for Gay Men's Science Fiction and bestselling novel, Secret Matter returns to print in a revised edition for the 21st century.

Kevin Anderson is moving along through his life, 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 in several cities around the globe, including SF, and nothing will ever be the same. When Kevin's company is given a contract to build a facility for the Visitors, he forms a friendship with 'Bel, one of their number. But is 'Bel so alien after all? They seem so human, albeit much larger, but they possess some odd characteristics and seem to be hiding something. 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 in love with '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.

Bonus with this edition: Toby Johnson's whimsical but profound tale Adam and Steve -- what were they really doing in the Garden of Eden?

Editorial Reviews

Review

Sweet romance, social commentary and entertaining science fiction--the sort of easy-going read rarely found in gay fiction, and very welcome. --Richard Labonte

Filled with numerous interwoven characters, self exploration, and beautifully written enigmas, Secret Matter turns out to be a coming-of-age story, an exploration of spirituality and religion, and a bold science fiction story. --Rainbow Reviews

From the Publisher

Secret Matter was a Lambda Rising bestseller when it first appeared in 1990 and winner of a Lambda Literary Award that year in the Science Fiction category. Ten years later in 2000, it was one of five books nominated to be the first ever to be inducted into the then newly inaugurated Gay and Lesbian Science Fiction Hall of Fame.

Lethe Press is pleased to reissue Toby Johnson's popular novel Secret Matter in a new edition for 21st century readers. The author has updated the technology and expanded and revised the story. Gay social and religious commentator Mark Jordan has added an Afterword on science fiction as a kind of modern day myth form, especially appropriate for gay audiences for whom the old stories of religion fail to address signficant personal issues.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 252 pages
• Publisher: Lethe Press; Revised edition (November 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590210174
• ISBN-13: 978-1590210178
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,679,587 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

author of The Myth of the Great Secret: An Appreciation of Joseph Campbell, Secret Matter, and other books. Past editor of White Crane Journal

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars theosophy, January 21, 2007

By 

Furio (Genova - Italy) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Secret Matter (Paperback)

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?

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Deserving Lambda Literary Award Winner, June 27, 2003

By 

Lori L. Lake "Author of Like Lovers Do, Buyer... (Portland, Oregon, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Secret Matter (Paperback)

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...

3.0 out of 5 stars A nice story ruined by poor editing, January 6, 2012

By 

Jeffrey Eldredge "Jeffel" (HONOLULU, HI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Secret Matter (Paperback)

Secret Matter is a science fiction story with gay characters. When the Visitors arrive from another planet, Kevin Anderson falls in love with the one of the aliens, 'Bel. Kevin ultimately learns the secret of why the Visitors have come to Earth, and together with 'Bel, they must save the planet.

The author, Toby Johnson, is a talented storyteller. The book has a nice pace to it and is plot driven. There is no explicit sex in this book, which was much better than having too much sex, as many gay romance books do. The author updated his 1990 book so it wouldn't seem out of date for contemporary readers. Technologically speaking, the update works pretty well. However, the fact that the protagonist, Kevin, is afraid to come out of the closet, seems a bit dated for the 21st century.

Although I enjoyed the story, it was hard to read because of all the grammatical errors, run-on sentences, and awkward phrasings. There are at least 3 dozen grammatical problems in the book, and each one brought the story to a dead stop while I struggled to decipher its meaning. It was like driving down a road riddled with pot holes.

This lack of editing is unfortunate, because it reflects poorly on both the author and the publisher, and makes me reluctant to buy other books produced by either of them. In its present form, this book is unsuitable for a public library, because the patrons would complain about all the errors. For the same reason, I cannot recommend this book to any of my friends.