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Willem of the Tafel

A New Gay Earth: New Book Explores Gay Life 500 Years into The Future

By Tim Larcombe

In Willem of the Tafel, the gripping new gay novel from Hans M. Hirschi, the world we know is gone. Set centuries into the future, it is a post-apocalyptic Earth where few have survived the Great War. Those that remain have taken refuge underground, deep beneath a mountain.

The novel's main character is seventeen-year-old Willem. When he is exiled and forced to the surface, he must struggle to survive a battered world that is the result of our generation's carelessness. Luckily he meets Hery, another young man, who helps him along the path to his destiny.

Willem of the Tafel

Is our world heading towards disaster?
Hans Hirschi: Just look at global warming and how, now that oil prices are low again, emerging technologies like electric cars are hurting. Or a much more imminent threat is Russia and how quickly we've ended up in a new cold war. Then there's the migration crisis in Africa and the Middle East. Thousands die on the Mediterranean every year. Things certainly don't look promising right now but I'm an optimist, always hopeful.

It's interesting to think that there is hope for the LGBT community. 500 years into the future, being gay is completely acceptable.
When it comes down to it, I believe the question of gay rights is closely tied to people's prosperity. Unemployment, hunger, and hopelessness all lead to people searching for scapegoats, and as most minorities are, we are easy targets. Once we tackle the big issues, tolerance will follow. If despair prevails, intolerance will increase.

In the book, you mention homosexuality has become acceptable because after The Great War, the people have given up on God. Will it really take people abandoning religion for them to accept gays?
That's not exactly what I write. I mention how new religions have replaced old ones because of the war, which is nothing new in human history. My explanation with regards to being gay in the book is completely unrelated to religion: in Tafel, it is related to their strict regulations on procreation. In the world above, people simply "get it". It makes absolutely no sense to discriminate.

The book also touches on issues of racism. Do you truly believe racism can be eradicated?
I do believe racism can be eradicated, and I would argue it the same way I would with the acceptance of the LGBT community.

What do we need to do?
If I had the answer to that, I'd be in rich and in politics. I think it lies somewhere on how we raise our children, and the example we set ourselves. We have to lead by example, and the LGBT community is not always a shining example. Racism, like discrimination can take many shapes, not just black and white, but also young and old, manly and effeminate... Every time we say no to someone simply based on attributes, we are part of the problem. We have to start with ourselves, and that is a lot more difficult than pointing fingers, asking others to go first. We also need to show a lot more courage in reminding people when an opinion is based on people's attributes rather than their actions. Too often, we look the other way.

What do we need to do today to save our earth?
Every little bit helps, from recycling to changing to LED light bulbs to taking public transport, downsizing your car engine… We can all do something. On a societal scale, we need to redirect resources, from short to long term investments in photovoltaics, solar energy, nuclear fusion, batteries, and so on.

What do you say to people who believe your idealism is unrealistic?
Willem of the Tafel is a book, it's fiction, so yes, it is idealistic, but it has an important message. If that message makes it across to readers, I've been successful.

Willem of the Tafel

"Willem of the Tafel" is now available, digitally and in softcover, on Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble (Nook), Apple's iBookstore, Smashwords, and at selected local bookstores.