There's no shortage of fiction about the HIV/AIDS crisis, but GS Johnston's For A Moment More proves there are still stories from those years waiting to be told – especially ones set on our own streets.
And Johnston knows those streets better than most. Before he was a published author, he worked as a pharmacist on Oxford Street, in an area with one of Australia's highest HIV caseloads.
His new novel, published by Broadcast Books, follows Chris Roberts. It's 1993, Chris is 33 and has been HIV positive for eight years.
He's working at a hardware store on Oxford Street while funerals, fear and failing health threaten to destroy him and the people around him.
Then, one night in Darlinghurst, everything changes.
At a dance party in the heart of Sydney's gay scene, midway through a performance of Something's Coming by a life-size Barbra Streisand puppet, Chris has an epiphany: effective treatments will come, and he will be around when the future arrives.
From there, his daily routine becomes an act of resilience and resistance. We follow this along with him, fuelled by his refusal to disappear quietly.
I adored this book. It's special, it's informative and, crucially, it's hyper-local in a way I haven't come across before.
Reading about places I know so well was a genuine thrill: the National Art School, the Midnight Shift and Cafe 191, the "Tragic Express" or the "Paris Express".
There's even a nod to Clover Moore, who incredibly was already part of the local landscape back in 1993. She’s still the Lord Mayor or Sydney today.
And then there's JBF – "Just Been Fucked" – the kind of gallows humour that runs right through the book.
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At the heart of the novel is Chris's relationship with Gino, a young, attractive and mysterious man who ends up moving in with him.
Gino has a habit of going missing, and slowly learning his story and the reasons behind his elusiveness is one of the book's great pleasures (and heartbreaks).
One of the loveliest scenes is when Chris tells Gino about his status and how he contracted HIV from an ex. It's tender, honest and beautifully handled.
Meanwhile, Chris's friend Tom meets Ryan, who has a very different perspective on the crisis.
It's a fascinating dynamic, and it opens a window into Chris's own mindset and the choices in front of him.
The detail around medication is fascinating too, and it makes sense given Johnston's background behind the pharmacy counter.
One element I'd never really considered – and which scared the hell out of me – is the drug trials. Many men were taking placebos, with no idea whether they were actually receiving the treatment being tested.
Imagine fighting for your life and not knowing if the pills in your hand were doing anything at all.
Johnston doesn't shy away from loss, either. Chris volunteers on a hotline helping people living with HIV and AIDS, and we're with him at the funerals of people around him, including Bruce's.
There's a line from that part of the book I think about a lot: "When will this fucking end? Will it simply end with my death? The point that I finally escape."
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Without spoiling anything, the final stretch sees Chris lead his own personal war against the disease, and it's both inspiring and heartbreaking to read.
There's also a wonderful chapter near the end in which Chris delivers a speech to a group of young children. It's harrowing, sad and inspiring, and it lifts up everything our community is.
Look, I know the common criticism of a book like this: we've had a lot of fiction about this time in our community's life. Isn't that enough?
For A Moment More shows that it isn't. There's still so much to empathise with and learn from this chapter of our history – and so much joy, wit and defiance to celebrate alongside the grief.
It's a story about love, farewells, friendship and laughing in the face of fear. I'm so glad I read it, and I'd recommend it in a heartbeat.
For A Moment More by GS Johnston (Broadcast Books, $34.99) is out now.