FICTION

<h3>'A rich and complex story of friendship and love' GUARDIAN<p></p><p></p>'It's a giant thought experiment that's also a cracking good read about gender' Neil Gaiman</h3><p></p><p></p>'Love doesn't just sit there, like a stone, it has to be made, like bread; remade all the time, made new' <p></p><p></p>Two people, until recently strangers, find themselves on a long, tortuous and dangerous journey across the ice. One is an outcast, forced to leave his beloved homeland; the other is fleeing from a different kind of persecution. What they have in common is curiosity, about others and themselves, and an almost unshakeable belief that the world can be a better place. <p></p><p></p>As they journey for over 800 miles, across the harshest, most inhospitable landscape, they discover the true meaning of friendship, and of love.<p></p><p></p>Readers love The Left Hand of Darkness:<p></p><p></p>'This book overwhelmed me with how good it was, and how different it ended up from what I expected . . . a deep story of humanity, love, betrayal, alienation, and acceptance' Goodreads reviewer, &#11088; &#11088; &#11088; &#11088; &#11088;<p></p><p></p>'The world is so rich in detail that it becomes an adventure to explore it, and the nuanced character dynamics keep the pages turning . . . a fabulous exploration of fluid gender and sexuality' Goodreads reviewer, &#11088; &#11088; &#11088; &#11088; &#11088;<p></p><p></p>'This novel is just the right balance of nuance, world-building and philosophical musings that culminate into a staggeringly empathetic work . . . a great work of feminism' Goodreads reviewer, &#11088; &#11088; &#11088; &#11088; &#11088;<p></p><p></p>'A masterful and visionary story, one of the most beautiful SF novels I have read' Goodreads reviewer, &#11088; &#11088; &#11088; &#11088; &#11088;<p></p><p></p>'A landmark in the field of science fiction literature . . . This is a story about loneliness and need for closeness as well' Goodreads reviewer, &#11088; &#11088; &#11088; &#11088; &#11088;<p></p><p></p> 'Ursula K. Le Guin asks, what if gender were not fixed, but serially changeable? . . . The Left Hand of Darkness is a book about journeys, both literal and metaphorical. It is that rare and precious thing: an original and mind-opening book' Goodreads reviewer, &#11088; &#11088; &#11088; &#11088; &#11088;

<p><strong>From award-winning journalist and writer Rick Morton comes <em>Mean Streak</em>, a gripping and horrifying account of how, over the course of four and a half years, Australia's government turned on its most vulnerable citizens.</strong></p> <p>Robodebt was a new debt-creation system that was used to illegally pursue close to half a million Australian welfare recipients for fake debts generated by the thousands. It was described by the Royal Commission's report as a 'massive failure of public administration' caused by 'venality, incompetence and cowardice'. Essentially, Australians were gaslit by their own government, which doggedly and knowingly concocted a program that was both mathematically wrong and illegal, just to shake down innocent people for money, then lied about it for four and a half years. Robodebt is a historic and appalling political tragedy, a scheme created deliberately and sustained by institutional cowardice, clearly displaying the systematic contempt that a government had for its own citizens.</p><p>Powerfully moving, deeply compelling and utterly enraging, <em>Mean Streak</em> reveals disturbing truths about the country we have become and the government that was. In the mode of a corporate thriller, this is a scouring cautionary tale of morality in public life gone badly awry - a story that is bigger than robodebt, and far from over.</p><p>'Searing, forensic and moving .. fuelled with rage and sorrow in equal measure, [Morton] walks us through one of the most shameful episodes in recent Australian politics, taking in prime ministers, pressured public servants, a whistleblower and case studies of the poor sods who were hunted down by their own government. A morality tale for our times.' <em>Sydney Morning Herald</em></p><p>'A must read' <em>Canberra Weekly</em></p><p>'Thoroughly researched, passionately written' <em>Inside Story</em></p><p>'I strongly advise you all to go out and buy a copy' Australian Independent Media Network</p><p>'A comprehensive analysis of Robodebt's architects, its implementers and protagonists, its victims and its demise ... Lucid and engaging ... We should be grateful that journalists like Morton exist to help keep us honest and well-informed; he has demonstrated immense journalistic skill in this detailed expose. For people interested in our political system and in social justice, this book is a must.' ArtsHub</p><p>'A powerful read' Riotact</p><p><strong>Praise for Rick Morton:</strong></p><p>'A crack storyteller ... his words and stories are infused with genuine compassion' Christos Tsiolkas</p><p>'Morton is an intelligent, funny, endearing writer' <em>Australian Book Review</em></p><p>'Morton is fresh ... He's brilliant' <em>The Monthly</em></p><p>'Wonderfully readable ... Morton is a national treasure' <em>Books+Publishing</em></p>

<p>Godzilla emerged from the sea to devastate Tokyo in the now-classic 1954 film, produced by Th Studios and directed by Ishir Honda, creating a global sensation and launching one of the world's most successful movie and media franchises. Awakened and transformed by nuclear weapons testing, Godzilla serves as a terrifying metaphor for humanity's shortsighted destructiveness: this was the intent of Shigeru Kayama, the science fiction writer who drafted the 1954 original film and its first sequel and, in 1955, published these novellas.</p><p>Although the Godzilla films have been analysed in detail by cultural historians, film scholars, and generations of fans, Kayama's two Godzilla novellas - both classics of Japanese young-adult science fiction - have never been available in English. This book finally provides English-speaking fans and critics the original texts with these first-ever English-language translations of Godzilla and Godzilla Raids Again. The novellas reveal valuable insights into Kayama's vision for the Godzilla story, feature plots that differ from the films, and clearly display the author's strong antinuclear, proenvironmental convictions.</p><p>Kayama's fiction depicts Godzilla as engaging in guerrilla-style warfare against humanity, which has allowed the destruction of the natural world through its irresponsible, immoral perversion of science. As human activity continues to cause mass extinctions and rapid climatic change, Godzilla provides a fable for the Anthropocene, powerfully reminding us that nature will fight back against humanity's onslaught in unpredictable and devastating ways.</p><p>&#x27;At long last, the pathbreaking novellas by Shigeru Kayama that launched the Godzilla franchise are finally available in English. It was well worth the wait: Jeffrey Angles's lively translation captures all the action, emotion, and political edge of the original Japanese texts. This engaging volume will be a revelation for Godzilla fans, a rich resource for students of Japan, and a rewarding read for anyone who enjoys classic tales of science fiction and adventure.&#x27; - William M. Tsutsui, chancellor of Ottawa University and author of Godzilla on My Mind: Fifty Years of the King of Monsters</p><p></p>

'An enjoyable, richly imagined, space-faring adventure populated with intriguing characters' Guardian'Come to The Stardust Grail for Indiana Jones-style outer space heist adventure, stay for the sensitively drawn characters and thoughtful exploration of other forms of life far beyond our own' Veronica RothSAVE ONE WORLD. DOOM HER OWN. Maya Hoshimoto was once the best art thief in the galaxy. For ten years, she returned stolen artifacts to alien civilizations – until a disastrous job forced her into hiding. Now she just wants to enjoy a quiet life as a graduate student of anthropology, but she's haunted by persistent and disturbing visions of the future.Then an old friend comes to her with a job she can't refuse: find a powerful object that could save an alien species from extinction. Except no one has seen it in living memory, and they aren't the only ones hunting for it.Maya sets out on a breakneck quest through a universe teeming with strange life and ancient ruins. But the farther she goes, the more her visions cast a dark shadow over her team of friends new and old. Someone will betray her along the way. Worse yet, in choosing to save one species, she may condemn humanity and Earth itself.Readers love The Stardust Grail:'With its quirky characters, impeccable world-building, and deep themes of friendship and understanding, it offers a compelling narrative that will keep you hooked from start to finish''Kitasei is quickly proving to be one of my new favourite authors in the sci-fi space, and I can't wait to see what her brilliant mind cooks up next''Yes, I shed a tear or two because I didn’t want to say goodbye to these characters''It’s really easy to fall in love with this book'