Gary Beene

Gary Beene is an American science fiction and non-fiction author. He is best known for his Eden's Angels series, which includes Alien Genesis (2022) and Alien Exodus (2023).

Beene grew up on a farm in southern New Mexico. At Las Cruces High School, he focused on the 440-yard dash, a passion he continued in college. "Gary's got wheels," people would say. Later, he joked that all he had left were "flat tyres." Although not drawn to academia, he went on to a long career in education and disability services.

For thirty years, Beene worked with and for people with disabilities. He served as New Mexico's state director of special education, state director of vocational rehabilitation, and assistant secretary of education. His work required technical and research writing, but he had long wanted to write fiction. He retired early, saying, "A book in my head begged to be written...so I did."

Beene's first novel, Alien Genesis (2022), launched the Eden's Angels series. The story follows Ensign James Cortell, who awakens from a coma with memories of an alien scientist who visited Earth fifty thousand years ago. The novel explores the genetic manipulation of early humans and the emergence of a galactic slave trade. The sequel, Alien Exodus (2023), expands on these themes, focusing on the consequences of the aliens' experiments and their efforts to correct past mistakes.

Beene's favourite character is Alicia, a supporting character in Alien Genesis. "Everybody loves Alicia," he said. He is working on a second book in the Eden's Angels series, which he describes as "more of a spin-off than a sequel".

He lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with his wife, Carla.

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