Science fiction novelist and Georgia Tech alumnus, Dr. Anthony Francis, will return to campus at 11 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 1 for a book reading of his two latest works – “Frost Moon” and "Blood Rock."

Presented by the Library’s Faculty Engagement Department and the Tech Square Barnes & Noble, this book reading will take place in the Georgia Tech Library Neely Room and is open to the public.

“The Library is proud of all our Tech alumni and we welcome the opportunity to showcase their publication successes,” said Crystal Renfro, librarian in the Faculty Engagement Department. Renfro organized the book reading after reading a news story online about Francis receiving a 2011 EPIC  (Electronic Publishing Industry Coalition) Award for “Frost Moon.”

“We are lucky enough to have him return to campus to share his latest creative works,” said Renfro.

Both “Frost Moon” and “Blood Rock” have received rave review from readers and critics alike. Tech Librarian and avid book reviewer Mary Axford commented that “Frost Moon” is an excellent first novel centering on Dakota Frost, a tattoo artist who creates magical tattoos with herself as her best canvas. Her tattoos move, store and release magical energy, and can be transferred from herself to someone else.”

“Frost Moon” and “Blood Rock” are the first two installments of his urban fantasy trilogy called “The Skindancer Series.” According to Dakota Frost's Web site, “each book in the series highlights a new form of magic based on alternative culture practices like tattooing, graffiti or firespinning, and each highlights a new supernatural creature like werewolves, vampires and dragons.”

By day, Francis puts his Georgia Tech education to work as software developer for Google. By nightfall, he writes edgy science fiction novels, most recently about a subculture set in an alternative Atlanta. His characters visit many local landmarks including Emory University, Georgia Tech and Stone Mountain to name a few.

“I definitely want to write science fiction full time,” said Francis, who graduated from Tech in 2000 with a Ph.D. in Computer Science. “But Google lets me work on search engines, computer vision and robots.”

 It was here at Georgia Tech that he wrote his first novel titled “homo centauris.” Francis recalls his fondest memories as a Tech student are of working on code in the old Rich building, taking classes, attending talks and presentations during graduate school and the robotics work he did in the College of Computing.

“My urban fantasy work is based on the principle that if magic was real, then magic would be real,” Francis explained. “That means magic would have real physical consequences which could be explored, even if the ultimate truth of magic was more mystical and bizarre that the strangest twists we’ve found in quantum mechanics.”

One attendee will receive a free pass to Dragon*Con, the largest convention of science fiction, comics, gaming, film, art and music in Atlanta, September 2-5. Francis will attend Dragon*Con the day after he presents at Tech.

Copies of both books are now available at Barnes & Noble in Tech Square.

For more information on the Dr. Francis and his work, visit http://libguides.gatech.edu/frostmoon.