Overview

Five thousand years in the future, life itself is in jeopardy!

A rebellion of intelligent Cybernetic servants has left the Females of the galaxy virtually sterile, crippling the controlling political body – the Matriarchy. The race is on to find a solution, but will it be enough to save the Matriarchy as other galactic authorities attempt to dominate them using sabotage and all-out war? Dryland's End is Felice Picano’s science fiction adventure for the new millennium. The novel touches on many of today's most controversial subjects, such as interracial relationships, gender conflicts, gender identity, and same-sex pairings-and views them with a lens toward the future.

The epic scale of Dryland’s End , has been rewarded with two follow-ups. The “City on a Star” trilogy carries on with The Betrothal at Usk and A Bard on Hercular (Summer 2022). First published in 1995, This new edition features a foreword by the author.

"... like the best speculative fiction, this book provides the lucky reader with both an escape into the extraordinary and a mirror for humanity’s deepest issues and concerns." — Jeff Mann, Author of Edge

"In full-fledged sci-fi form, Picano has created entirely new civilizations, species, even new language forms for his society. A phenomenally well-written book." — Virginia Gazette

Review

This book is further proof that Felice Picano can succeed beautifully in any genre of fiction. Here we have the colorful originality that is found in the greatest science fiction and fantasy writers, the wide-ranging imagination that creates not only fine writers, characterization, and gripping plot, but also fabricates entire worlds-worlds rich with warrior women, space travel, mysterious gods, political intrigue and rebellion, biological warfare, and sexualities both subtle and shifting. In other words, like the best speculative fiction, this book provides the lucky reader with both an escape into the extraordinary and a mirror for humanity's deepest issues and concerns. In the exotic settings of this novel's distant planets, we recognize familiar compulsions that collect, collide, and disperse in our own hearts: the centripetal tug of love, loyalty, and courage, matched against the centrifugal forces of greed, ambition, and strife. - Jeff Mann, Associate Professor of English, Virginia Tec

Set so far in the future that the exact location of the home planet of the Humes (humans) isn't remembered, this book examines relationships between the sexes, and between species from a new perspective and with more than a touch of levity. The ruling class of women in much of the galaxy, the Matriarchy, in power for several millennia, is suddenly facing challenges on many fronts, not the least of which is a rebellion of the Cybers (android like machines and computers) who have a designed a virus that could wipe out hume-kind. ... In full-fledged sci-fi form, Picano has created entirely new civilizations, species, even new language forms for his society. A phenomenally well-written book. - Virginia Gazette

--This text refers to the paperback edition.

About the Author

Felice Picano is the author of more than thirty books of poetry, fiction, memoirs, nonfiction, and plays. His work has been translated into many languages and several of his titles have been national and international bestsellers. He is considered a founder of modern gay literature along with the other members of the Violet Quill. Picano also began and operated the SeaHorse Press and Gay Presses of New York for fifteen years. His first novel was a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award. Since then he's been nominated for and/or won dozens of literary awards. A five-time Lambda Literary Award nominee, Picano's books include the best-selling novels The Book of Lies, Like People in History, and Looking Glass Lives as well as the literary memoirs Men Who Loved Me and A House on the Ocean, A House on the Bay. Along with Andrew Holleran, Robert Ferro, Edmund White, and George Whitmore, he founded the Violet Quill Club to promote and increase the visibility of gay authors and their works. Originally from New York, Picano now lives in Los Angeles. --This text refers to the paperback edition.