Tobby Hagler of Phase 2 Prepares to Launch Sci-Fi Novel The Grove of Tau Ceti

Staff Reporter

Tobby Hagler, Director of Engineering at Phase2, will publish his debut novel The Grove of Tau Ceti on October 23, marking a personal milestone years in the making and a creative turn beyond his established role in the Drupal community.

In a recent LinkedIn post, Tobby Hagler reflected on the long road to publication. He began writing the story in earnest in August last year, completing the manuscript by May. While agents initially expressed interest, he ultimately chose to move forward with self-publishing, feeling the time was right to bring the book directly to readers.

The novel takes place aboard the ESS Demeter, a once-prized vessel en route to the Tau Ceti system. But when a mysterious alien signal disrupts the ship’s organic systems, a telepathic technician and her crewmates must fight to understand what they’re facing before it's too late. The book explores psychological and existential themes against a backdrop of speculative biology and deep space exploration.

Hagler isn’t the first member of the Drupal community to take a creative detour. Timothy Lehnen, Chief Technology Officer at the Drupal Association, published a children's fantasy novel titled Fog and Fireflies in 2024. Hagler’s announcement adds to a quiet but notable thread of Drupal professionals exploring personal projects beyond their technical work.

“It’s a strange and wonderful feeling knowing that the voices who’ve lived in my head for so long will soon live in the heads of others,” Hagler wrote.

The book will be available in paperback and Kindle editions, with cover art by Nik Wilets. Further details are available on the official site, thegroveoftauceti.com.

Visit thegroveoftauceti.com to learn more or pre-order The Grove of Tau Ceti before its October 23 release.

Source: LinkedIn Post by Tobby Hagler, published on 10 October 2025.

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