AustLit

'The Director and the Daemon follows the director of a big budget Australian sci-fi TV show grappling with the dilemma of corporate sponsorship, and their infatuation with their beautiful but selfish lead star, Kit; and an unnamed young radical struggling to find themselves as their political movement―and the found family derived from it―implodes around them. The two characters’ worlds become increasingly interconnected as they’re forced to make big decisions, and take action, in the face of civil unrest.

'The Director and the Daemon is a character-driven novel of ideas that is beautiful, funny, provocative, and deeply felt. It pokes fun at the arts industry, even as it values creativity and art-making, while asking difficult questions about action without ideology and ideology without action. It challenges all of us to think about how we can move from passivity to change, especially in the face of climate change.' (Publication summary)

'‘Before I go into my grave,’ she says out loud, ‘I will kill that man.’

'A brilliant new novel from the author of Real Differences. A family favour their son over their daughter. Shan attends university before making his fortune in Australia while Yannie must find menial employment and care for her ageing parents. After her mother’s death, Yannie travels to Sydney to become enmeshed in her psychopathic brother’s new life, which she seeks to undermine from within …

'This is a novel that rages against capitalism, hetero-supremacy, mothers, fathers, families – the whole damn thing. It’s about what happens when you want to make art but are born in the wrong time and place. 

'S. L. Lim brings to vivid life the frustrations of a talented daughter and vengeful sister in a nuanced and riveting novel that ends in the most unexpected way. It will not be easily forgotten.' (Publication summary)

'This is a story of a friendship so connected that without it one is not whole but lost.

'Middle-class, clever and white, Nick is a child of privilege while his best friend Andie is the daughter of Indo-Chinese refugees. Despite their very different backgrounds, they share a conviction they can change the world for the better.

'At the outset, Nick is pushing papers in a dead-end job while Andie is embarking on a secular crusade against world poverty. This generates conflict with her white husband Benjamin, who feels that Australians should come first. Meanwhile, Andie’s cousin, the teenage Tony is burdened by his parents’ traumatic past and impossible expectations. To their dismay, he finds solace in  radical faith.

'S.L. Lim acutely captures the dreams and disaffections of a millennial generation. Real Differences is an emotionally resonant novel about idealism, ethical ambition, and love, filled with unforgettable characters. It ultimately asks us the most important question of all: What is our life for?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.