Discover new books on Goodreads
See if your friends have read any of G.S. Johnston's books
G.S.  Johnston

more photos (1)

G.S. Johnston’s Followers (96)

member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
Greg Sisco
49 books | 3,147 friends

Glen Kr...
1,192 books | 4,728 friends

A.B. Sh...
5,535 books | 481 friends

Charlotte
3,056 books | 460 friends

Melissa...
1,574 books | 1,643 friends

JoLynn
4,903 books | 858 friends

Grace
889 books | 453 friends

Beth Ju...
624 books | 427 friends

More friends…

G.S. Johnston

Goodreads Author


Born
in Australia
Website

Twitter

Genre

Member Since
May 2011

URL


G.S. Johnston is the author of three historical novels, Sweet Bitter Cane (2019), The Cast of a Hand (2015), The Skin of Water (2012). And a fourth novel set in contemporary Hong Kong, Consumption (2011).

The novels are noted for their complex characters and well-researched settings.

His new novel, FOR A MOMENT MORE (2026) is set in 1993-96 Sydney and deals with the worst years of the HIV/AIDS crisis.

In one form or another, Johnston has always written, at first composing music and lyrics. After completing a degree in pharmacy, a year in Italy re-ignited his passion for writing and he completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature. Feeling the need for a broader canvas, he started writing short stories and novels.

Originally from
...more

To ask G.S. Johnston questions, please sign up.

Popular Answered Questions

G.S. Johnston I went to an exhibition of death masks at the Musée d’Orsay in 2001. Apart from the casts made of people’s faces after they’d been executed, there wer…moreI went to an exhibition of death masks at the Musée d’Orsay in 2001. Apart from the casts made of people’s faces after they’d been executed, there were some casts of the hands of murderers. I was researching another novel at the time and found a book on the new extension to the Palais de Justice in Paris. The first case trailed in the new court was the Troppmann case and the book had a photo of a cast of his hand. I found that intriguing and started looking for more books on the case. Once I started, I was less and less convinced of his guilt. (less)
G.S. Johnston I don't really have writer's block, per se. My greatest issue is blocking out the rest of the world to write. I need a contradictory mix of tension an…moreI don't really have writer's block, per se. My greatest issue is blocking out the rest of the world to write. I need a contradictory mix of tension and relaxation. I need to feel pressured but at the same time I need to feel concentrated. If the cat is jumping around the room, I can't settle. But if I have massive amounts of time and no pressure, I'll just go an put another load of washing on. I guess I've always been borderline shy/wild. (less)
Average rating: 4.15 · 495 ratings · 128 reviews · 5 distinct works • Similar authors
The Skin of Water

3.98 avg rating — 263 ratings — published 2012 — 3 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
Sweet Bitter Cane

4.48 avg rating — 85 ratings — 2 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
The Cast of a Hand: Based o...

4.25 avg rating — 73 ratings — published 2015 — 4 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
Consumption

3.81 avg rating — 43 ratings — published 2011
Rate this book
Clear rating
For A Moment More

4.90 avg rating — 30 ratings — 2 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
More books by G.S. Johnston…

Climate Change and flat-bed scanners.

So, like, last Friday I went to the Greta Thunberg inspired climate change rally in Canberra.  I was hesitant to go, not because of any disagreement with the rally’s ideas […]
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on September 25, 2019 03:25
The Garden of the...
Rate this book
Clear rating

 

G.S.’s Recent Updates

My Heart at Evening by Konrad Muller
"This was unfortunately a major disappointment. I heard about this novel after its being shortlisted for the Miles Franklin award. It had an intriguing premise, and it is the first publication by the new independent publisher Evercreech Editions. Thei" Read more of this review »
" Hi all,

I just wanted to share my new novel - For A Moment More: A novel of living in the time of HIV/AIDS.

For A Moment More is set in Sydney and dea
...more "
G.S. Johnston did not finish
The Leavening by G.S.  Johnston
The Leavening
by G.S. Johnston (Goodreads Author)
Rate this book
Clear rating
G.S. Johnston rated a book it was amazing
Cul-de-Sac by Eleanor Limprecht
Cul-de-Sac
by Eleanor Limprecht (Goodreads Author)
Rate this book
Clear rating
This is a story that has to be told. I guess all relationships are coercive to a degree, but the key is where the lines are drawn. The great thing about this novel is that the ‘bad’ is not rammed home in a sensational manner. Initially, it seeps out ...more
For A Moment More by G.S.  Johnston
"Let me take you into a work of fiction, into a story which is (or was) only too real for many during the 1980s and 1990s. Travel to Sydney and meet Chris Roberts. In 1993, Chris is thirty-three. He has been HIV-positive for eight years. Chris works i" Read more of this review »
For A Moment More by G.S.  Johnston
"Absolutely loved it. I think it hits all the right notes and the characters felt so real - all of them! It transported me straight back to that time when gay friends were talking about T-cell counts and the desperate hope for a cure. It’s an importan" Read more of this review »
For A Moment More by G.S.  Johnston
"A caring reflection on a challenging and uncertain period. I cared about all the characters in the book and wanted to know more about each of them - a reflection of the author's authentic voice coming through on the page. As Chris says in the novel, " Read more of this review »
56936977 37891964
G.S. Johnston made a comment in the group THE WORLD WAR TWO GROUP — New Release Books on WW2 topic
" Fables & Lies: A WWII Novel Based on a True Story

I read this novel last month, written from the German civilian viewpoint about Berlin museum curators
...more "
More of G.S.'s books…
Quotes by G.S. Johnston  (?)
Quotes are added by the Goodreads community and are not verified by Goodreads. (Learn more)

“People... people who NEED people, are the yuckiest people in the world.”
― G.S. Johnston

“There is no sight more appealing on this planet than a person actually preparing food for the ones they love.”
― G.S. Johnston

“The silence became”
― G.S. Johnston, The Skin of Water

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics posts views last activity  
Making Connections: 1655. - THE SKIN OF WATER by G.S. Johnston 13 68 Jan 30, 2014 12:01PM  
Fiction Fanatics: February POINTS Challenge! <3 <3 18 45 Mar 01, 2019 01:37AM  
Aussie Readers: February - Love is in the air 155 228 Mar 04, 2019 09:25PM  
Cozy Mysteries : 2018-2019 Winter Challenge 54 137 Apr 07, 2019 02:06AM  
Cozy Mysteries : This topic has been closed to new comments. When You're Not Reading a Cozy . . . 1840 864 Apr 13, 2019 07:45AM  
“You can never have too many hats, gloves, and shoes.”
― Patsy Stone

“There is no sight more appealing on this planet than a person actually preparing food for the ones they love.”
― G.S. Johnston

“People... people who NEED people, are the yuckiest people in the world.”
― G.S. Johnston

“Worse than not realizing the dreams of your youth would be to have been young and never dreamed at all.”
― Jean Genet

44234 Goodreads Self Published Authors — 1397 members — last activity May 25, 2025 09:51AM
A group for authors to help fellow authors in book promotion, review pools, and other things
53412 Historical Info for Historical Fiction Readers — 1559 members — last activity Aug 11, 2022 01:41AM
Information about eras past in different parts of the world. Help for readers who may feel lost in an unfamiliar historical setting, may not understan ...more
770270 G.N.A. Publishing░N░e░w░ ░A░u░t░h░o░r░s░ — 1252 members — last activity Sep 13, 2026 07:38AM
📜𝓘𝓽'𝓼 𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓹𝓵𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓾𝓻𝓮 𝓽𝓸 𝓱𝓸𝓼𝓽 𝓾𝓹𝓬𝓸𝓶𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓪𝓾𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓻𝓼 𝓸𝓷 𝓕𝓪𝓬𝓮𝓫𝓸𝓸𝓴, 𝓣𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓽𝓮𝓻,𝓘𝓷𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓰𝓻𝓪𝓶, 𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝓣𝓾𝓫𝓮 & 𝓖𝓸𝓸𝓭𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓼 𝓽𝓸 𝓲𝓶𝓹𝓻𝓸𝓿𝓮 𝔂𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓻𝓪𝓷𝓴𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓼. 📜𝓑𝓸𝓸𝓴𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓶𝓼&𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀𝓮𝓻𝓼,𝓶𝓮𝓮 ...more
721 Aussie Readers — 6565 members — last activity 4 hours, 4 min ago
A group for all Australian Goodreads members (and those interested in Australia), no matter what they read!
42697 Kindle Readers and Authors — 365 members — last activity Dec 24, 2025 04:50AM
Discussion forum to bring together readers on Kindle (and other ebook formats) with authors
25x33 Reading For Fun or Not — 15 members — last activity Jul 17, 2013 11:30PM
There must be a number of book lovers in Hong Kong who might like to share reviews, lists or even trade books. We might also want to share sources for ...more
2059 THE WORLD WAR TWO GROUP — 2755 members — last activity 9 hours, 23 min ago
A chance to discuss books covering the Second World War, the battles, campaigns, leaders and weapons. Tantum librorum, tam brevi tempore (So many ...more
220 Goodreads Librarians Group — 341529 members — last activity 1 minute ago
Goodreads Librarians are volunteers who help ensure the accuracy of information about books and authors in the Goodreads' catalog. The Goodreads Libra ...more
99401 The Backlot Gay Book Forum — 1478 members — last activity 18 hours, 53 min ago
The members of The Backlot (formerly AfterElton) love to chat about the latest in gay books. With the site changing, we're moving the discussion here. ...more
26639 Expats - The English-speaking French — 108 members — last activity Apr 03, 2020 09:59AM
A group for people who have moved (or want to move) from an English-speaking country to a French-speaking country (or the other way). Hopefully we can ...more
More of G.S.’s groups…
Comments (showing 1-3)    post a comment »
dateDown arrow    newest »

message 3: by Rusty

Rusty Nugent Hello G.S.,

Thanks for the friendship. Hopefully, you'll enjoy reading Moonwarriors: Guardians of the Night. Take it easy, Rusty


message 2: by A.R.

A.R. G.S., thanks for the add!


message 1: by R.S.

R.S. Lentin Thanks for the friendship invite!


back to top