Book excerpt: In Far Off and Distant Times is a collection of material written by Daniel B. Thomas before his death while recovering from open-heart surgery. His collection of writing illustrates his exceptional talent. Although he never complained about his ailments, they were pronounced and perhaps more serious than he realized. It was often, then, Danny’s intention to write material that would challenge the reader in ways that made people question their own biases. This book’s first section begins with the most developed and prominent piece in the collection, “Turn to Stone a Statue's Eye,” a novella which speaks to the reality of human greed and condemns selfishness. The next section includes short stories that often touch on more complex and challenging themes. To conclude, the collection ends with a compilation of poems and songs Danny hoped to turn to music. The themes vary in much of his poetry.