By Nicole June
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – Lovers of science fiction will find their next favorite hero in Unification: Rise of the Thunderblade, the debut novel from Clarksville author David Shelton.
“In the far distant future, galactic civil war looms while a young man named Barin Romaine encounters a mysterious object that gives him the supernatural powers of the Thunderblade. Meanwhile, a universal threat endangers everyone. Will Barin learn the secrets of his new powers in time?”
This epic space battle was a labor of love for Shelton, who has been a sci-fi devotee since his first viewing of Star Wars at the age of six.
“Ever since I saw the Death Star explode that first time, I wanted to be Luke Skywalker,” Shelton joked. “I’ve always loved the idea of space battles, the magic swords, and the hero’s journey.”
This particular hero, Barin Romaine, is written as a gay character, which was an important theme for Shelton. His intent was to write a character who was gay “just because” without highlighting the typical coming out narrative or using his sexual orientation as a source of conflict in the story. According to Shelton, he just IS.
“It [his orientation] is just part of the story, neither insignificant nor definitive. In my mind, that’s how a person’s orientation should be treated, really. He is a hero — one we can cheer on no matter what our orientation might be,” he said.
In the Unification universe, Shelton wants to transport readers from the the mundane to a time and place thousands of years into the future, when the earth has expired and mankind faces a menacing threat. His hero, Barin, must now be the strength of the people.
“…There’s still hope — even under an unimaginable threat, there’s hope for a hero that rises to be the best of us. We could all be that hero. Any of us,” Shelton said.
Shelton’s tale has been nearly four decades in the making, with at least one full rewrite along the way. Throughout his process he has found that editing and revising can be just as important as sitting down to write and hammer out ideas. Research, reading, blogging, and rewriting have been the cornerstones of his work.
He encourages other aspiring writers to do the same.
“To any writer, I will always remind them that rewriting is as important as writing. Just bang it out. Don’t hold back. Listen to your editors,” Shelton said. “But no one will ever be an author without first being a writer. Start with essays. Keep a blog. Research. Read. Read some more. But through it all, write!”
Copies of Unification: Rise of the Thunderblade are now available for purchase online. Shelton will also host a local book-signing event Thursday, May 2 at 6 p.m. at Journey’s Eye Studio (131 Franklin Street) in downtown Clarksville.
Find more information about David Shelton and his writing here.
