Terence Hawkins

The Rage of Achilles

Hawkins' first novel, The Rage of Achilles, is a novelization of Homer's The Iliad, told in modern and sometimes graphic language. Based on Julian Jaynes' hypothesis of the development of consciousness, the breakdown of bicameralism, it depicts the formation of the modern mind in the crucible of bronze-age warfare. "The vast majority of the characters in “The Rage of Achilles” are highly susceptible to bicameral hallucinations. When faced with pressing challenges or cognitive dissonance, the gods “speak to them” and even manifest visually. In keeping with Jaynes’ theory, these hallucinations are produced by the non-dominant hemisphere and perceived by the dominant – voices from within the mind wrapped in the trappings of an outer pantheon. . . .Against this backdrop of hallucination-fueled men, a few characters are deaf to the voices of the gods. Trojan prince Paris and Ithacan hero Odysseus both experience the world with modern minds. Odysseus especially provides the reader a sympathetic consciousness through which to understand these violent men and their alien thoughts. He's forced to nod and go along with the bicameral humans in his midst, unable to come clean about the divine silence in his head. At the same time, every diplomatic or strategic idea that he shares with the Achaeans is attributed to the goddess Athena speaking through him."^[2]

Critics have said the novel "earns...a seat next to The Iliad as both companion and commentary."^[3] It was published in 2009 by Casperian Books.

American Neolithic

In his second novel, American Neolithic, Hawkins moves from the Homeric past to a dystopian future.. Set in a moving-target day after tomorrow, its United States has become a Police State Lite: Drones patrol the skies; the black-uniformed Homeland Police have exclusive jurisdiction over any matter touching on national security; the Patriot Amendments have rendered civil liberties nominal. Into this world comes the last literate member of the last surviving band of Neanderthals, only to be caught up in a hip-hop murder and a courtroom confrontation with scientific creationism, the state religion of what his cynical lawyer calls a "trailer park theocracy."

American Neolithic received extensive critical praise. Kirkus Reviews named it a Best Book of 2014, calling it "a towering work of speculative fiction."^[4] Rain Taxi described it as "a special novel; thematically rich, it also provides all the pleasures of a hard-boiled thriller. The unique premise and lovingly crafted characters will stay with you long after you’ve closed the book."^[5] Writers' Island said "Terence Hawkins can write—he keeps a headlong high-wire act going all through the book, with pacing that never flags and a nightmarish world that’s frighteningly believable."^[6] The Chicago Center for Literature and Photography included it in its 2015 Best of the Best list, saying this:

"About as perfect as a novel gets. . ., American Neolithic floored me at a moment when I was least expecting it, and it will undoubtedly be making CCLaP's best-of lists at the end of the year. If you're going to read only one contemporary speculative novel this year, make it this one."^[7]

Short stories and other media

Since 1995, Terence Hawkins' work has appeared in Keyhole, Poor Mojo’s Almanac(k), Pindeldyboz, Eclectica, Megaera, and Ape Culture. Hawkins is a frequent contributor to the New Haven Register, and his work has appeared on Connecticut Public Radio.^[8]