Alan Detwiler grew up on a small farm. That background gave him some special insights and perspectives. The weather and the natural world are very much a part of living on a farm. On a farm, everyday observations demonstrate how plants and animals grow and develop and how weather and climate interact with living things. Alan and anyone growing up a farm knows that our food supply is very much dependant on how much it rains, when it rains, and how warm or cold it is. Any drastic change in climate and weather patterns will affect our food supply.
Genetics and disease are topics of special concern to anyone living on a farm. Farm crops and farm animals are not the plants and animals of the wild. They have been genetically altered by human intervention. Farmers are especially aware of those differences and how genetics produce those differences. Farm animals are in constant threat of disease. It is not uncommon for farmers to loose substantial numbers of their animals to disease. People and the plants and animals we use for food are at risk.
Farm living, plus an interest in science gave Alan the background for writing science fiction changes coming in the near future. Potential threats are very serious and are perhaps likely to drastically affect our lives. The consequences could be unpleasant, but why react with anxiety? Wouldn't a better reaction be to take action to be prepared and feel good that you have done so?
The main themes in his writing are maximizing resilience through self sufficiency,self reliance, and how people prepare for and react to the changes of the upcoming decades.
Alan writes to explore ideas and to discover ways to more enjoy life. He uses the ideas of others and adds what his own experiences and observations can contribute. Imagination adds new ideas for appreciating all that is good. His hope is that the readers of his books will do the same.
The Garden Eater is mostly a fictional account of Winslow Oliver Green's conversations with his friend Junior Fre. They talk about values and goals and what makes life enjoyable. They don't have all the answers but often come up with interesting observations, some of which seem to be at least partial answers to how life can be made better.
Clever Construction describes a variety of homemade projects: toys and playthings, curiosities and novelties, useful and practical items. The book could be for someone looking for a hobby, cub scouts, boy scouts, or anyone interested in hands-on building and creating. It is meant to inspire wonder and appreciation for things mechanical and people's ability to conceive and create them.
For the adolescent or anyone who enjoys making interesting mechanical devices and gadgets. Most items are made from small pieces of wooden boards, coat hanger wire, paper, and discarded household items. The items are mostly mechanically interesting, clever, or useful. This is for the tinkerer or anyone who enjoys using ingenuity to make improvised devices with common tools and materials.
Date Ideas describes over 100 things to do on a date, many of which are out of the ordinary. A variety of ideas are given. The emphasis is on simple, inexpensive activities that give you and your date a chance to get to know each other. Enjoyable activities make the time you spend together pleasant and worthwhile. Can also be used by married couples wishing to keep fun in their relationship.
This is a science fiction story about the near future that presents a plausible scenario of what could happen in the reader's lifetime. In the coming decades circumstances make it necessary for people to rely more on their ingenuity and resourcefulness. The future is uncertain. The themes are science, self sufficiency, and maximizing resilience as the best strategies to deal with future unknowns.