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AbstractHistoryArchive Description
'Long before William Shakespeare, tales were told of the Dane Ameleth whose noble father was murdered by the uncle who swiftly weds new widow Gerutha. Must Ameleth repay this crime by killing his uncle? The White Abacus dares to reconfigure the best known version of the classic tale, Shakespeare's Hamlet, to create a futuristic revenge drama with an entirely different outcome. Telmah is an inventive genius. Ophelia is no sobbing suicide but rather the impressive Warrior Rose, who shockingly revises the fate of her lover.
'In this exotic future history, the galaxy is open to anyone who passes through a hex gate, whether hu (augmented human) or ai (artificial mind). Telmah's close friend is the ai Ratio, newly embodied to the Real. Like all members of his asteroid tribe, Telmah is forbidden to use the hex transport system, since that would doom his rebirth.
'Out of this agonizing dilemma comes a feverish pursuit of truth and duty, love and near-madness, in an endlessly startling future where nothing turns out the way you expect.
Source: Publisher's blurb.
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Works about this Work
-
The Fiction of the Future : Australian Science Fiction
2012
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Sold by the Millions : Australia's Bestsellers 2012; (p. 128-140) 'According to Russell Blackford 'commercial science fiction is the most international of literary forms.' He observes that 'Australian SF continues to flourish, even if it trails heroic fantasy in mass-market appeal.' Australian SF writers although published internationally, with a dedicated fan followings in USA, UK and Europe, were overlooked for a very long time by Australian multinational publishers. The international editions had to be imported and were then distributed in Australia (Congreve and Marquardt 8). Blackford in his chapter throws light on the history of Australian SF and observes how Australian SF writers, with their concern for the future, achieved a powerful synthesis in form and content. The progress of Australian SF, maturity of style in the work of younger writers, and massive worldwide sales make Blackford optimistic as he asserts that 'the best Australian writers in the genre will be prominent players on the world stage.' (Editor's foreword xii-xiii) -
'Tragedy, Comedy, History'? : Romanversionen des Hamlet-Stoffes bei John Updike und Damien Broderick
2002
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Zeitschrift fur Anglistik und Amerikanistik , vol. 50 no. 1 2002; (p. 54-64) Author's abstract: Probably Hamlet is the literary text which has produced the largest number of critical interpretations as well as creative adaptations which themselves have become the object of literary criticism. The following essay concentrates on variations of Hamlet in novels which - different from discussions of Shakespeare's drama in well-known novels like Joyce's Ulysses - choose to situate the plot either in history or in the future. In his Gertrude and Claudius the American author John Updike uses different sources (from Saxo Grammaticus and Belleforest) and is thus able to write a novel situated in historic times. Though he ends his novel where Shakespeare's drama begins, Updike presents an interpretation of the central characters of Shakespeare's play. [In his novel The White Abacus] the Australian author Damien Broderick situates the Hamlet-plot in space, where his main character Telmah is accompanied by a robot named Ratio (i.e. Horatio). Broderick retains the essential elements of Shakespeare's plot, but decides on a different ending. He structures his novel according to Harold Bloom's terminology of literary tropes in 'The Map of Misprision'. While he adapts Shakespeare's conflict of father and son, his structure refers to the conflict of predecessor and successor formulated in Bloom's Anxiety of Influence. His novel thus is an example of the postmodern conviction that we live in a huge library in which we rearrange old texts. Both novels represent appropriations of Shakespeare by fitting the original text into their own parameters.
-
Untitled
1998
single work
review
— Appears in: Aurealis : Australian Fantasy & Science Fiction , no. 20-21 1998; (p. 170-171)
— Review of The White Abacus 1997 single work novel -
Human, Transhuman, Posthuman
1998
single work
review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , April no. 199 1998; (p. 44-45)
— Review of The White Abacus 1997 single work novel -
Tears in the Template
1998
single work
review
— Appears in: The Australian's Review of Books , March vol. 3 no. 2 1998; (p. 23-24)
— Review of The White Abacus 1997 single work novel
-
Future in the Flesh
1998
single work
review
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 3 October 1998; (p. 12)
— Review of Diaspora 1997 single work novel ; The White Abacus 1997 single work novel -
A Voyage Into the Far Future
1997
single work
review
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 26-27 July 1997; (p. rev 9)
— Review of Winter 1997 single work novel ; The White Abacus 1997 single work novel -
Tears in the Template
1998
single work
review
— Appears in: The Australian's Review of Books , March vol. 3 no. 2 1998; (p. 23-24)
— Review of The White Abacus 1997 single work novel -
Human, Transhuman, Posthuman
1998
single work
review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , April no. 199 1998; (p. 44-45)
— Review of The White Abacus 1997 single work novel -
Untitled
1998
single work
review
— Appears in: Aurealis : Australian Fantasy & Science Fiction , no. 20-21 1998; (p. 170-171)
— Review of The White Abacus 1997 single work novel -
'Tragedy, Comedy, History'? : Romanversionen des Hamlet-Stoffes bei John Updike und Damien Broderick
2002
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Zeitschrift fur Anglistik und Amerikanistik , vol. 50 no. 1 2002; (p. 54-64) Author's abstract: Probably Hamlet is the literary text which has produced the largest number of critical interpretations as well as creative adaptations which themselves have become the object of literary criticism. The following essay concentrates on variations of Hamlet in novels which - different from discussions of Shakespeare's drama in well-known novels like Joyce's Ulysses - choose to situate the plot either in history or in the future. In his Gertrude and Claudius the American author John Updike uses different sources (from Saxo Grammaticus and Belleforest) and is thus able to write a novel situated in historic times. Though he ends his novel where Shakespeare's drama begins, Updike presents an interpretation of the central characters of Shakespeare's play. [In his novel The White Abacus] the Australian author Damien Broderick situates the Hamlet-plot in space, where his main character Telmah is accompanied by a robot named Ratio (i.e. Horatio). Broderick retains the essential elements of Shakespeare's plot, but decides on a different ending. He structures his novel according to Harold Bloom's terminology of literary tropes in 'The Map of Misprision'. While he adapts Shakespeare's conflict of father and son, his structure refers to the conflict of predecessor and successor formulated in Bloom's Anxiety of Influence. His novel thus is an example of the postmodern conviction that we live in a huge library in which we rearrange old texts. Both novels represent appropriations of Shakespeare by fitting the original text into their own parameters.
-
The Fiction of the Future : Australian Science Fiction
2012
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Sold by the Millions : Australia's Bestsellers 2012; (p. 128-140) 'According to Russell Blackford 'commercial science fiction is the most international of literary forms.' He observes that 'Australian SF continues to flourish, even if it trails heroic fantasy in mass-market appeal.' Australian SF writers although published internationally, with a dedicated fan followings in USA, UK and Europe, were overlooked for a very long time by Australian multinational publishers. The international editions had to be imported and were then distributed in Australia (Congreve and Marquardt 8). Blackford in his chapter throws light on the history of Australian SF and observes how Australian SF writers, with their concern for the future, achieved a powerful synthesis in form and content. The progress of Australian SF, maturity of style in the work of younger writers, and massive worldwide sales make Blackford optimistic as he asserts that 'the best Australian writers in the genre will be prominent players on the world stage.' (Editor's foreword xii-xiii) -
y
Hyperdreams: Damien Broderick's Space/ Time Fiction
New Lambton
:
Nimrod Publications
,
1998
Z422966
1998
single work
criticism
Awards
- 1998 winner Ditmar Awards — Best Novel
- 1997 winner Aurealis Awards for Excellence in Australian Speculative Fiction — Science Fiction Division — Best Novel
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