AustLit

'For the white Australian writer, the question of how to portray Aboriginal history in fiction is a fraught one. Novels of this kind require the author to cross cultural boundaries in an attempt to imagine the subjectivity of someone entirely unlike themselves. This difficult task is further complicated by the gaps in the archival record that introduce a range of trade-offs and decisions into the creative process.' (Introduction)

'Many young people would love to have a superpower, although few would view themselves as superheroes or even as everyday heroes. They may in fact see themselves as antiheroes due to lack of confidence or difficult life experiences. The novels under­ ­review here suggest young adults may be able to draw on powers from within themselves, their family, friends and community to create identity and perhaps even help save their corner of the world.' (Introduction)

The Dizzying Heights, the seventh in Ross Fitzgerald’s Grafton Everest series, begins with Grafton examining his penis in the mirror through the lens of its (and his) senescence. It’s a curiously blunt self-examination, exacerbated by a failure of focus that provides a counterpoint for the far more whimsical satirical confection that follows, a political romp that thoroughly disavows itself of the restrictions of reality.' (Introduction)

'A new drama series, The Commons, set in the not-too-distant future takes a look at the moral dilemmas faced by residents of climate-catastrophe Australia.'