For UGA Libraries, Thomas May’s job centers around film and audiovisual work, but the archivist also enjoys the printed word. In fact, he was named one of the best authors in the state, as a recipient of a 2025 Georgia Author of the Year Award in the science fiction/fantasy category.
May serves as the audiovisual systems archivist and access coordinator with the Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection, one of three special collections units at the University of Georgia Libraries. He’s also a novelist, who self-published his debut fantasy novel Alan Dreams of Giants in November.
His story follows protagonist Alan Hendershot, a grocery store cashier who escapes ordinary life by losing himself in fantasy novels. Set against the backdrop of 1990s America, Alan Dreams of Giants offers a nostalgic nod to the decade while exploring the power of dreams.
Although the novel is a work of fiction, May wanted its message to resonate with readers in the real world.
“I think the basic premise of the book is that made-up and imaginary stories and worlds can have a very big impact on our lives and the choices we make and how we get through very difficult and dark times,” said May, who began writing his novel in 2020.
May’s main character shares a lot in common in with the author, both big fans of fantasy novels with the same favorite book, The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien.
“I thought it was important to reference authors that have given a lot of that to me, so there are many allusions and even some less implicit mentions in the book of writers that I have loved since I was young,” May said.
Alan Dreams of Giants is available for purchase on Neighborhood Books, Bookshop, Barnes and Noble, and Amazon.