Ganymede: Time for Love

by K.G. Follett

The experiment was not supposed to end that way. Ganymede 72165, a service android, was to be sent back three hours in one of the earliest time travel tests in 2295. But something went wrong and his device took him to 1995 instead. Making matters worse, it was a one way trip. Ganymede was now stranded three centuries in the past. Without the data stream in his head that helped him function in society, he must now find his way alone in a strange world, without letting those around him know the truth. Then he experiences the kindness of a random stranger.Troy Sanders is a loner. He has tried numerous times to find love, but all he seems to come up with are one night stands, flakes, and users. At 45, he is pretty sure he is destined to be alone the rest of his life. Until he runs into an unusual guy from out of town named Ganymede on his way home from work on Hallowe’en. He’s drawn to the man’s quirkiness and takes him under his wing, since he seems to have no where to go. It does not take long before Troy starts to develop feelings for his new friend. But what secrets is his new friend hiding?As a service android, Ganymede was programmed not to become too involved with those he worked for. But in this new situation, he begins to understand loneliness and other human emotions, all with the unwitting help of his new friend, Troy. Can an android fall in love? Troy may be the answer to that question for Ganymede.

214 pages, Paperback

First published February 7, 2019

About the author

K G (Ken) Follett has lived in Rockford, Illinois for over thirty years. Born in the Chicago area, he moved to Rockford after growing up in the suburbs and exurbs. He graduated from Northern Illinois University in 1980, with a BS degree in business/marketing, and worked in the banking and marketing fields for over fifteen years. After his move to “the Forest City”, he obtained his ADN from Rock Valley College in 1997, and began working as a Registered Nurse. He now lives with and is happily married to his partner of nearly twenty years, Brent.

Follett started writing the short story about a gay man named Brad Kelly the mid-1990s as an “escape” during a difficult time in his life. Follett felt compelled to write something positive about being LGBTQ in modern “middle” America, and his original short story began to grow. Hence the concept of A Different Kind of Family as a novel was born.

However, as the new millennium dawned, Follett put the story aside due to positive changes in his life. The story lay forgotten for nearly two decades, until he rediscovered the unfinished manuscript in a file cabinet in his basement in early 2017. Inspired by gay romance novels, and gay feature and short films on the internet, Follett decided to revisit Brad Kelly’s life in earnest. He revamped his original concept and completed the book, publishing it that September.

Shortly thereafter, he realized he had grown attached to a number of peripheral characters in the novel, and he launched The Bears’ Den series of books devoted to them. After publishing the third The Bear’s Den book in the spring of 2018, Follett revisited his original story. He found that his characters still had more to tell about themselves. Hence, A Different Kind of Family: The Trilogy was born, delving more deeply into the lives of Brad and his “family”. He split the original novel in to three free-standing books, each covering a different “era” of Brad Kelly’s life.

More recently, Follett has been spreading his literary wings, with an historical fiction novel reviewing the early AIDS crisis of the 1980s and its effects on those who lived through it and those who are long-term survivors (Never Too Late). His next publication was his first exploration of the Science Fiction genre with a gay twist. It explores artificial intelligence and human emotions as well as time travel (Ganymede: Time for Love). His most recent publication, Hello Again, is a gay romance novel with a bit of a paranormal twist.

In his books the author’s attempts to reclaim the terms “family” and “love” to be used legitimately for any kind of family structure in today’s society. He also hopes to shed light on how LGBTQ life has improved over the past five decades, what challenges the LGBTQ community still faces, and what could be lost if we do not remain vigilant in these tumultuous times.

Reviews

[Peter Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author says this is her first attempt at sci-fi. Unfortunately, it shows. However, I gave it 4 stars out of 5 because this book exhibits many positive characteristics. There is a good underlying story. The concept is valid. However, the book seems rushed. Although it’s sci-fi, characters and relations among characters still need to be developed and explored to support their actions. I think that this book is too short. It needs some tlc to allow the plot and people in the book to shine forth. It’s a fun read, it may bring a tear to your eye now and then (I cry far too easily) but when it’s finished it’s a little unsatisfying. I will, however, follow this author and I hope that she continues to develope her sci-fi ideas.

[Greg Kauffman-Starkey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This first attempt at science fiction works extremely well on all fronts. K G Follett is a huge fan of time travel and it comes through very well in the execution of his latest novel. The romance aspect is excellent as well. It's not quick and sloppy. It unfolds evenly over the course of the story and finished the book with a nice, unexpected loop in narrative that is well-thought out and beautifully written. He keeps his penchant for writing real and relatable characters, which is a hallmark for his writing style. It's always difficult to put his books down; they are engrossing and compelling. I hope he revisits the sci-fi genre again.

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute story with nice sentiment. Easy to follow and quick plot line. Characters grew nicely and easily.