Triptych [Paperback]

J.M. Frey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 21, 2011

IN THE NEAR FUTURE, humankind has mastered the arts of peace, tolerance, and acceptance. At least, that's what we claim.


But then they arrive. Aliens--the last of a dead race. Suffering culture shock of the worst kind, they must take refuge on a world they cannot understand; one which cannot comprehend the scope of their loss.  Taciturn Gwen Pierson and super-geek Basil Grey are Specialists for the Institute--an organization set up to help alien integration into our societies. They take in Kalp, a widower who escaped his dying world with nothing but his own life and the unfinished toy he was making for a child that will never be born.  But on the aliens' world, family units come in threes, and when Kalp turns to them for comfort, they unintentionally, but happily, find themselves Kalp's lovers.

And then, aliens--and the Specialists who have been most accepting of them--start dying, picked off by assassins. The people of Earth, it seems, are not quite as tolerant as they proclaim.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Time travel, aliens, and the politics of sexuality combine with tragic violence in Frey's deeply satisfying debut. [...] It never once loses its course. Frey tells the story from varying points of view in distinct voices, imagining a world at once completely alien and utterly human. -Publishers Weekly, starred review

A stirring adventure, and a tender love story, from a first-time author who truly embraces the limitless possibilities the future may bring. J.M. Frey's Triptych satisfies any sci-fi reader looking for a different take on the first contact motif, or anyone looking to explore the possible evolution of human sexuality and love. - Lambda Literary

Not only is this a wonderful story, but it's a wonderfully told story. (...) Beneath all the action and the drama, there are some big questions asked within the novel - the answers to which we're guided, but have to realise for ourselves. That's what makes a good science fiction novel memorable. -Bibary Book Lust

Debut author Frey knocks it out of the park with a remarkable tale of alien refugees, time travel, intrigue, the pervasive madness of grief, and love that transcends culture, gender, and species. Classic science fiction elements are smoothly updated for a modern audience. - Publishers Weekly, Best Books of 2011

Wonderful Canadian sci-fi about bisexual alien refugees on Earth, queer family structures, identity, and murder. -- The Advocate, Best Overlooked Books of 2011

From the Back Cover

"You know..." she said slowly, and almost so softly that Evvie didn't hear it."You know those movies where the aliens come to Earth, and they... I dunno, they try to steal our natural resources, or create a nuclear winter so they can turn the Earth into slag, or they melt the polar ice caps and New York is under fathoms of water, or they clone us for slaves, or create terrifying bioweapons and wipe us all out and use our cities for farmland, or...all that stuff?" Gwen looked up. "It was nothing like that."

Part District 9, part Lost in Translation, part Stranger in a Strange Land, Triptych is a poignant, character-driven science fiction story about tolerance, love and loss.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 286 pages
• Publisher: Dragon Moon Press (March 21, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1897492138
• ISBN-13: 978-1897492130
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.6 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,257,728 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

J.M. Frey holds a BA in Dramatic Literature, where she studied playwriting and traditional Japanese theatre forms, and a Masters of Communications and Culture, where she focused on fanthropology.

She is active in the Toronto geek community, presenting at awards ceremonies, appearing on TV, radio, podcasts, live panels and documentaries to discuss all things fandom through the lens of Academia. She was an invited panelist on the SPACE Channel's premier chat show InnerSPACE, has lived in Japan, and lent costumes to the Ontario Science Centre for their exhibition on Steampunk in Spring 2011.

She loves to travel (disguising it as research), and has visited nearly every continent. She also has addictions to scarves, 'Doctor Who', and tea, all of which may or may not be related.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent literary feast in science fiction March 29, 2011

By Jennifer Brayton

Format:Paperback

JM Frey's Triptych is an outstanding debut novel and a welcome and refreshing addition to the genre of Canadian science fiction. Brimming with richly detailed characters and a complex nuanced plot, the narrative universe contained with Triptych is captivating and engaging from the intensely vivid first opening sentences through to the stunning conclusion.

When a previously unknown race of aliens arrives on Earth - the few remaining survivors from a distant destroyed planet - humanity has to learn to adapt and adjust to the inclusion of a foreign species. As humans and aliens interact and learn the ways of each others' civilizations, both slowly begin to change unexpectedly. Each must come to terms with their own collective culture shock and confront their own assumptions and embedded social beliefs.

Specialist Gwen Pierson and Specialist Doctor Basil Grey are members of the Institute, formed by the United Nations when the alien refugees initially appear, nearly dead and desperately seeking a new home. Recognizing the complexities of how humans would react to the inclusion of aliens into the global community, the Institute is created to help the two cultures learn from one another, and more specifically, to assist the aliens in adapting to human customs and traditions. Kalp, an alien engineer, is assigned to work with Gwen and Basil and over time, an intimate loving relationship develops between them in new and unexpected ways. Frey keeps the reader constantly and consistently on edge as the story unfolds, moving back and forth in time/space, across countries, and between three differing character perspectives. Nothing is by chance, nothing is trivial, and even the most innocent seeming of background events has significance and meaning....

Triptych can be enjoyed as an entertaining and clever literary feast filled with alien encounters, time travel, a sexy romance, and highly amusing references to contemporary popular culture. But at a deeper level, the novel sensitively addresses many contemporary social issues being confronted globally. Through the relationship of Gwen, Basil and Kalp, larger questions surrounding human norms of sex/gender roles, sexuality, the family, love, personal identity, marriage, social inequalities, xenophobia and prejudice, tolerance and acceptance, technological reliance, and the roles of the military and scientific communities are posed and explored. The novel is highly imaginative and filled with big multi-layered ideas and thought-provoking themes that challenge the reader to reflect upon the most basic and profound of philosophic inquiries into the nature of humanity and the human condition.

As a writer, Frey has a keen eye to detail, giving depth and meaning with every carefully crafted sentence. Her style is wonderfully witty, elegant, and a delightful pleasure to read. As a result, Triptych is an emotional novel, one that captures the reader to the point where what is felt and experienced by Gwen, Basil, Kalp and other characters is made real and authentic. They are not perfect beings and, throughout various points in the storyline, are shown to be prone to errors, misjudgments and flaws even as they reflect the best attributes and traits of what people (and aliens) are capable of achieving.

A beautiful and moving exploration into the human soul from an incredibly talented Canadian author, Triptych is an absorbing novel from beginning to end, and one that will strike a chord and resonate with many readers. It can be read and reread multiple times, and each time the reader will find new meanings, insights and revelations. A love story, a mystery thriller, a science fiction tale ... all of these serve as the compelling backdrop to that which is Triptych. Read more ›

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars First time I ever read an alien novel and... September 6, 2012

By Pen Name

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I really enjoyed how different the world JM Frey created was compared to our own world. I feel like the ending could be a little different and we should have gotten difinitive proof as to who E was (I'm not an idiot, so I got it straight off, but others might not be so observant). I also marvelled at how the family unit would have worked, based on Kalp's description. It makes one wonder if our world could function that was as well. And Kalp was a beautifully written character. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy different views of our world.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Unexpectedly Good August 6, 2011

By LeeDenn

Format:Paperback

At first glance the book looks cheesy. Less than stunning cover art and a summary that hardly covers anything other than the fact aliens have landed. The first seventy pages or so were slow and confusing, and it took me a very long time to get into the book. However, I must say that I immediately connected with the vivid characterization of both Gwen and Basil, their pain, and especially Gwen's confusion at the betrayal of a lover.

It wasn't until I hit 'The Middle' that I became completely enraptured in the book. Kalp's tentative progress in his new world was both endearing and heartbreaking, and even though he was alien he was so human. I smiled at his triumph, laughed at his honest mistakes, and winced at his more awkward moments. I couldn't put the book down until four in the morning, and that's only because I wanted save some more fun for the next day. Kalp was my favorite part of this book, and has become one of the most memorable characters I have ever had the pleasure of reading. I only regret that his part in the story ended tragically.

In fact, Kalp is my favorite character. Had I never opened this book I would've never came upon Kalp. Reading about his struggle and his life made me open my eyes just a bit wider.

This is a must read for anybody who enjoys Sci-Fi, realistic situations, and amazing characters.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Not just a good story, but a memorable one June 17, 2011

By Sally Bend

Format:Paperback

I love science fiction books best when they do something a little outside the norm . . . when they push boundaries . . . and when they make you stop and think. While I do enjoy some mindless carnage on the big screen, it simply doesn't work for me on the page. Mind you, what I like on the page doesn't necessarily translate well to the screen, but I have a pretty solid production crew inside my head.

Anyway, Triptych is a book that I'm delighted to say falls comfortably outside the norm, pushes sexual/racial/gender boundaries, and leaves you quite delighted to stop and think.

Take one heterosexual human couple. Introduce an oddly gendered alien into the mix. Then watch a family emerge, only to be confronted by the worst of both societies. As a story of first contact and social justice, this reminds me of the old TV series Alien Nation. It has that same conscience . . . . that same sense of something significant taking place on a personal and intimate level, even if it is approached in a very different manner.

Given Gwen and Basil's role within the grand scheme of first contact, I was afraid we'd be left with a lot of technical asides and scientific musings to explore the aliens. Fortunately, nothing could be further from the truth. Instead of being cold and clinical, the approach here is warm and human. I won't spoil any of what happens between them, but I will say I shed tears of joy and tears of sorrow for this unusual family, and that's an accomplishment few authors can claim.

Not only is this a wonderful story, but it's a wonderfully told story. Initially, I had my doubts as to how well it would work - not because of any failing on the part of the author, but simply because there were so many ways it could have gone wrong.... Fortunately, the pop-culture references are used wisely; the aliens are neither almost-human nor completely-monstrous (but something interesting in between); the core relationship is loving and tender, presented as something natural (rather than erotic or taboo); and there's no sign of the usual time travel clichés.

More importantly, beneath all the action and the drama, there are some big questions asked within the novel - the answers to which we're guided, but have to realise for ourselves. That's what makes a good science fiction novel memorable, and Triptych certainly is that. Read more ›