Michael Solis: “Deficient” Re-Launch
*The event has already taken place on this date: Wed, 07/15/2026
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Michael Solis will be in conversation with Craig Rooney, founder of Rochester’s Sci-Fi Book Club.
Join us for a celebration of the re-release of Deficient, by Michael Solis.
Alé Aragón isn’t like the other kids at school. He can’t fly, read minds, or turn invisible like the genetically accelerated majority. As a powerless Deficient, Alé’s reality is one of constant ridicule—tormented by bullies, scorned by his brothers, and barely tolerated by his father.
His greatest refuge is his best friend, Yalamba, an outspoken artist whose drawings come to life. But when Yalamba vanishes in an ability-related hate crime, Alé is the prime suspect. Desperate to find her and clear his name, he teams up with fellow outcasts to uncover the truth. As they dig deeper, they realize Yalamba’s disappearance is linked to a series of unsolved murders targeting the extraordinarily gifted.
With danger closing in, Alé must confront his deepest fears and insecurities to solve the mystery and rescue Yalamba before it’s too late. And he’ll have to do it all without an ability of his own.
Michael Solis (pronounced SOH-lees) is the author of the YA sci-fi novel Deficient, winner of a Reviewers’ Choice Award from YADudeBooks and nominee for the Pushcart Prize, the Stonewall Book Award, and the PEN/Hemingway Award. He serves as Executive Director of Writers & Books, a literary arts nonprofit and independent bookstore in Rochester, NY, and is an active member of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA), where he co-chairs the MG/YA Committee.
For nearly two decades, Michael worked in development and humanitarian action across Kenya, Sierra Leone, and Latin America. A graduate of Princeton University, he also holds master’s degrees in Human Rights Law and Gender Studies.
Drawing from his queer identity and global humanitarian work, Michael’s stories explore power, belonging, and transformation. Beyond the page, he enjoys teaching yoga and creating spaces where people can connect through story.
Michael also shares essays and reflections on writing, creativity, and life on his Substack, Journeys & Words.
S. Craig Rooney, PhD joined the University of Rochester Medicine as its inaugural Chief Wellbeing Officer in February 2024 where he is an associate professor of Psychiatry and Family Medicine. He is also a licensed psychologist in the University Mental Health Practice.
Rooney earned his PhD in counseling psychology from the University of Missouri in Columbia, MO in 2000. He completed his internship in psychology at the University of Utah Counseling Center in Salt Lake City, UT. His career has included academia, private psychology practice, leadership in collegiate health, and wellbeing positions at two academic health centers. He is involved in national collaborative networks on healthcare worker wellbeing.
Because reading is a key component of his personal wellbeing, Rooney has co-founded science fiction book clubs both in Columbia, MO and here in Rochester, NY. The Missouri chapter has been meeting for 9 years and the Rochester chapter continues to grow and is in its second year. He enjoys walks with his husband and their rescue, Ivy, and loves exploring western NY since moving here just over 2 years ago.
Buy your books at Ampersand and join the conversation!
This event is hybrid. It will take place in-person at Writers & Books and will be livestreamed on Zoom.
When you reserve your ticket today, a link to the Zoom livestream will be sent to you.
Though we hope you can join us in-person, the virtual link is there if you need it!
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