Ask the Author: Gary J. Kirchner
Answered Questions (3)
Gary J. Kirchner
I have a strange mark on the underside of one of my toes. It’s the type of location that might be used to label a product number or a price tag. Hmmm . . .
I’ve always considered the possibility that I am an alien. I seem in many ways to be different from other humans – an aversion to mindless television shows and a complete disinterest in betting on football games come to mind – and I have an inexplicable desire to look up at the sky at night. And there’s that strange mark . . .
I asked my older sister about the mark once; she replied that it was a birth mark. But now that I think about it, she answered just a bit TOO quickly; the answer just a bit TOO simple. What was she trying to hide? Does she know the secret?
I asked my mother; she said it was a birth mark too. Of course. It was the agreed-upon story. And what else would she say, anyway? “Well, son, you’re an alien. We wanted a higher-functioning model, but you were all we could afford.”
Anyway, as to the mystery story, I envision one in which I discover another ‘human’ with an identical ‘birthmark’ underneath a toe. Together, we try to discover the truth behind our pasts, perhaps discovering that we are the vanguard of an alien race bent upon infiltrating and then conquering the human race. (Why they would bother is, of course, a problem the author would have to contend with.) And if you make my partner a beautiful woman, you could add a spicy love interest into the mix.
So there you go.
I’ve always considered the possibility that I am an alien. I seem in many ways to be different from other humans – an aversion to mindless television shows and a complete disinterest in betting on football games come to mind – and I have an inexplicable desire to look up at the sky at night. And there’s that strange mark . . .
I asked my older sister about the mark once; she replied that it was a birth mark. But now that I think about it, she answered just a bit TOO quickly; the answer just a bit TOO simple. What was she trying to hide? Does she know the secret?
I asked my mother; she said it was a birth mark too. Of course. It was the agreed-upon story. And what else would she say, anyway? “Well, son, you’re an alien. We wanted a higher-functioning model, but you were all we could afford.”
Anyway, as to the mystery story, I envision one in which I discover another ‘human’ with an identical ‘birthmark’ underneath a toe. Together, we try to discover the truth behind our pasts, perhaps discovering that we are the vanguard of an alien race bent upon infiltrating and then conquering the human race. (Why they would bother is, of course, a problem the author would have to contend with.) And if you make my partner a beautiful woman, you could add a spicy love interest into the mix.
So there you go.
Gary J. Kirchner
One of my writing goals is to publish quality work in a number of different genres. "Cromby’s Axiom" was a dystopian fiction/social commentary, and "In the Shadow of the Goalposts" was a book of sports fiction. My wife thought I should try humour, so I thought I’d give it a go. The result is "Throwing the Hammer."
A quick peek: Mark Patterson is hoping for a cushy job when he is hired as a physics teacher at Winston Grant, a (fictitious) private high school in Montreal. Instead, he finds himself reeling as he is forced to deal with Procrustean administrators, quirky staff members, coddling parents, and, of course, his teen-aged students.
Along with a fun read, I use the novel to make some serious comments regarding modern schooling. In particular, I examine the fact that technology is often mistaken for education, and innovation can trump serious teaching.
A quick peek: Mark Patterson is hoping for a cushy job when he is hired as a physics teacher at Winston Grant, a (fictitious) private high school in Montreal. Instead, he finds himself reeling as he is forced to deal with Procrustean administrators, quirky staff members, coddling parents, and, of course, his teen-aged students.
Along with a fun read, I use the novel to make some serious comments regarding modern schooling. In particular, I examine the fact that technology is often mistaken for education, and innovation can trump serious teaching.
Gary J. Kirchner
Very simple: all I had to do was think back to my years teaching high school. For a book in the genre of humour, one hardly needs more than that!
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