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Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Works about this Work
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The Matter of Fact : Science and Identity in Contemporary Australian Literature
2019
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Australian Humanities Review , November no. 65 2019;'To pursue ‘knowledge per se’, to unlock ‘the secrets of the organism’ and to act as an explorer ‘not of untrodden lands, perhaps, but of the mysteries of nature’—these are the reasons why the naturalist William Caldwell travels to Australia in Nicholas Drayson’s 2007 novel Love and the Platypus (9, 59, 144). Caldwell’s research is ‘purely platypusical’ (98): he aims to determine whether the platypus really does lay eggs. The ‘spirit of discovery—that was why he was here, was it not?’ (3) The spirit of discovery and the obsessive nature of his scientific enquiry appear to characterise Drayson’s protagonist as a scientist. However, as I hope to show in this paper, the definition of the literary scientist-protagonist—or its stereotype, in the words of Roslynn Haynes—is open for debate when it comes to the practice of science in fiction. To prove my point, I investigate how the practice of science in contemporary Australian fiction intertwines with identity narratives. As shown in the following, these narratives revolve around the reasons and ambitions of fictional protagonists to engage with science.' (Introduction)
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Eight Great Australian Fictional Scientists Worth Reading about
2019
single work
— Appears in: The Conversation , 12 February 2019;'Australian scientists have led many crucial scientific breakthroughs – from the manufacturing and processing of penicillin, to the first in-vitro fertilisation pregnancy. Yet there is still a need for science to be more widely appreciated in our broader culture.' (Introduction)
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The Widening of Horizons as Australian Literature Expands
2000
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Writing in Australia : Perceptions of Australian Literature in Its Historical and Cultural Context 2000; (p. 127-151) -
Blanche d'Alpuget
1998
single work
criticism
biography
— Appears in: An Eloquent Sufficiency : 50 Writers Talk about Life and Literature Over Lunch 1998; (p. 94-98) -
Thriller Explores the Perils of Science
1995
single work
review
— Appears in: Antipodes , December vol. 9 no. 2 1995; (p. 147-148)
— Review of White Eye 1993 single work novel
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Home-Grown Crime: New Mysteries
1993
single work
review
— Appears in: The Sun-Herald , 21 November 1993; (p. 126)
— Review of Killing Women : Rewriting Detective Fiction 1993 anthology criticism biography ; White Eye 1993 single work novel ; Stranglehold 1993 single work novel ; Case Reopened 1993 anthology short story ; Deathdeal : A Wyatt Novel 1993 single work novel -
Flashbacks
1994
single work
review
— Appears in: The Canberra Times , 11 September 1994; (p. 22)
— Review of Coda 1994 single work novel ; White Eye 1993 single work novel -
Amid Skulduggery, a Question of Genetics and Ethics
1993
single work
review
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 6 November 1993; (p. 11A)
— Review of White Eye 1993 single work novel -
Thriller with One Eye on the Movie
1993
single work
review
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 6-7 November 1993; (p. 9)
— Review of White Eye 1993 single work novel -
Much More than Just a Thriller
1993
single work
review
— Appears in: The Canberra Times , 6 November 1993; (p. C10)
— Review of White Eye 1993 single work novel -
Misogny Now, But an Understanding Age Within Sight
1993
single work
criticism
— Appears in: The Canberra Times , 18 November 1993; (p. 1) -
The Babe, the Book and the Answer
1993
single work
criticism
biography
— Appears in: The Australian Magazine , 6-7 November 1993; (p. 18-24) -
The Ice Maiden Cometh
1994
single work
criticism
— Appears in: 24 Hours , January 1994; (p. 66-68) -
Just Good Mates
1994
single work
biography
— Appears in: The Independent Monthly , September vol. 6 no. 3 1994; (p. 21-23) -
The Life of the Public Mouse
1994
single work
biography
— Appears in: The Canberra Times , 3 September 1994; (p. C5)
Awards
- 1994 winner National Library of Australia National Audio Book-of-the-Year Award The TDK Australian Audio Book Awards — TDK Australian Audio Book Awards — Overall Winner and Unabridged Fiction Category
- 1994 winner The TDK Australian Audio Book Awards — Overall Winner and Unabridged Fiction
- Bush,
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cThailand,cSoutheast Asia, South and East Asia, Asia,
- Far West NSW, New South Wales,
- Sydney, New South Wales,
- Country towns,
- 1990s