The city of Monroe is heavily mentioned in a recently published book by ULM’s very own, Jerry Griggs.
Griggs is a ULM English professor and alumni. His book is called “The Terror of the Talpidae: A Stalker Adventure.” It is the first installment of the “Mole War” trilogy.
The story follows a hero named Stalker and his band of friends as they fight to defeat the imminent doom of humanity, which is the result of a professor’s actions decades earlier.
Griggs said his idea for the novel started in high school. He took some time off from writing the book as an undergrad, but really started focusing on the project afterwards.
“This past year I really worked on it hard and heavy to get it to the point that I really wanted it. I’m happy that it’s out there so people can see it. That was my goal,” Griggs said.
The novel draws influences from Louisiana, especially the northern part of the state.
“I don’t just refer to theses areas, events unfold there,” Griggs said.
Although it mostly takes place in New Mexico and Hawaii, there are some important scenes that take place on ULM’s campus. For example, the story features a fictional secret lab beneath George T. Walker Hall.
The novel is named for the creatures in the story. Griggs originally planned to call the novel “Stalker,” but then decided to give it a more original title.
“Talpidae is the name of the creatures in the story, which is actually not a made-up word. It’s a scientific word referring to moles,” Griggs said.
The book draws influences from several science fiction works, including Indiana Jones, Pulp Fiction and Star Wars.
Griggs said it is an action and adventure science fiction novel. It hints at time travel, which may interest some readers.
Diego Gomez, a senior psychology major, took Griggs’ for an English class as a freshman. He enjoyed Griggs’ class.
“He’s an interesting person, he’s a good teacher and he cares a lot,” Gomez said.
Cody Gibson, a sophomore psychology major, is interested in Griggs’ work.
“As someone who has aspired to write and as a sci-fi fan, I am very interested in the novel Mr. Griggs has written. Including Monroe in the story will no doubt make it that much more enjoyable,” Gibson said.
Griggs’ book is now available as an e-book on amazon.
