A Cry in the Desert

A story of the battle against tyranny that remains as relevant now as when it was written.

A group of friends living in Las Vegas are happy and successful: doctors, lawyers, journalists, and decorators. However, their lives go from utopian to dystopian when a law passes to allow the quarantine of those suspected to have AIDS. The government, in a blatant overreach, closes the Nevada border. Those tagged as homosexuals disappear in the middle of the night. Spurred on, former Public Defender wunderkind Larry Armstrong and his lover Dr. Carl Woodsford fight Dr. Alfred Botts, a brilliant strategist who creates a concentration camp in the middle of the Nevada desert where, once behind the tall walls, people are never seen again. They fight him in the halls of hospitals and in the halls of justice but are constantly outmaneuvered by others in high places that are loyal to Botts or being blackmailed into supporting him. As more and more of their friends are snatched in the night, their fight must go underground if they have any hope to stop Botts!

Originally published in 1987, this dystopian tale returns for the first time in a generation. This edition contains a new foreword by the author.

"A Cry in the Desert is truly a very special title. Good writing is always welcome in every field, but is especially necessary for the 'message' novel dealing with a current, topical, controversial subject like AIDS. As a reviewer and as an avid reader, A Cry in the Desert has become a personal favorite for which I felt a special enthusiasm." – James A. Cox, The Midwest Book Review

"As it stands, the novel is a skillfully written and structured piece of fiction with the power to make those of us who haven't, look into the mouth of the AIDS beast and cry out in terror ... A Cry in the Desert should be mandatory reading for anyone who thinks we are liberated, gay or straight." – Lee Lynch, Home In Your Hands

"An unforgettable and harrowing account of the horrors resulting from the health crisis. The best novel to date about AIDS and the gay community." – Stan Leventhal

"Pay attention to this one. A Cry in the Desert is a first novel, published and promoted by a young small press whose owners are willing to take risks ... a risk I support wholeheartedly, and it's up to all of us, readers with open minds and clear thought, to validate it ... I ask you to read it, give it to people, tell people about it." – Meg Umans

"Mr. Bryan has ingeniously married powerful storytelling to a dominant social issue and the resulting union is quite an achievement." – Gerard Curry, Tangled Sheets