Dirk Strasser’s historical fantasy novel Conquist (Roundfire Books) was published on 1 September 2024. See what all the fuss is about.
This time they invaded a new world that refused to be conquered.
Conquist is now available!
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The Apocryphal Australia Podcast
You think you know Australian history? Think again. Season 2 of Apocryphal Australia brings more results from years of research into the little known corners of this wide brown land, with bits of green.
Non Fiction needed!
Dear Aurealis Contributors (past and present)
Thank you to those who contributed non-fiction for Aurealis in 2022 and earlier.It’s time to look to 2023 – Issues 157-166. So I’d like to formally call for non-fiction submissions for 2023 and hope you will continue to write for Aurealis.Let me know if you’ve got any ideas you’d like to pitch. If you know of any fellow writers who may like to contribute non-fiction to Aurealis, I’d love to hear from them.We already have Gillian Polack continuing to write for Aurealis about early Australian SF, Lynne Green is covering pioneering female SF writers and Amy Laurens is going to dissect Discworld.
So, if you’ve got an idea for an article or even a series of articles, I’d love to hear from you.
Cheers Terry Wood Non-fiction Co-ordinator
Associate Editor, Aurealis
Clewe – The new album from Stephen Higgins
Stephen Higgins has released a new album of ten instrumental pieces. You can listen to ‘Clewe’ wherever you get your music from or you can buy it at Bandcamp. You can hear it at Spotify here
Apocryphal Australia Podcast
Apocryphal Australia brings you stories from Australia’s past that are outlandish and eye-opening, tales that have been overlooked, forgotten and neglected. We feature fiascos and deal with debacles as well as extol triumphs and acclaim achievements. No achievement is too small, no ignominy too embarrassing for us to bring them to you. Your hosts are Michael Pryor and Stephen Higgins.
Stephen Higgins New Album
The latest album of instrumental music from Stephen Higgins is available everywhere now!
‘A Kettle of Different Fish’ is the sixth album from Aurealis Co-Editor Stephen Higgins. It features 8 tracks of instrumental music ranging from the long languid ‘Lake’ to the rockier ‘Three Streets’.
‘A Kettle of Different Fish’ is available on Spotify and all other music streaming sites and is also available from Bandcamp!
Overlooked, Underrated, Forgotten 7
The past is a foreign country, all right, but it’s chock full of great SF&F titles to get us through Corona Days. Here are the latest offerings from the Aurealis Editors, complete with our pithy teasers.
- Overlooked: Darkfall by Isobelle Carmody (1997). Immersive, transfixing, interwoven.
- Underrated: The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch by Philip K. Dick (1965). Unsettling, bleak, hallucinatory.
- Forgotten: Out of the Silence by Erle Cox (1925). Ground-breaking, best-selling, Australian.
Overlooked, Underrated, Forgotten 6
What better time to read? And, as such, Aurealis is continuing our deep dive into the SF/Fantasy of the past, those books that have been sitting at the back of bookshelves for ages awaiting a re-read. Why not these give a try?
- Overlooked: The Prestige by Christopher Priest, 1995 . Imaginative, intelligent, gripping .
- Underrated: Star Gate by Andre Norton, 1958. Engaging, robust, brisk.
- Forgotten: The Devil’s Elixirs by E T A Hoffmann, 1815 in German, 2009 Oneworld Classics English translation. Macabre, disorienting, labyrinthine.
Overlooked, Underrated, Forgotten 4
Here are some more Aurealis reading suggestions, goodies from the past, perfect for pandemic reading – or re-reading. Some of these might take some finding, but they’re well worth it.
- Overlooked: Wormwood by Terry Dowling (1991). Entertaining, Enthralling, Dowlingesqe.
- Underrated: Deryni Rising, by Katherine Kurtz (1970). Thoughtful, deliberate, intricate.
- Forgotten: The Sea and Summer by George Turner (1987). Prescient, incisive, Australian.
Overlooked, Underrated, Forgotten 3
Imposing Aurealis HQ is in Melbourne, Victoria, and we’re in full-on lockdown now, so quality reading is more important than ever. Here’s our next instalment in trawling the past to bring you books that you may have overlooked, others may have underrated, and we all may have forgotten.
- Overlooked: The Luck of Brin’s Five, by Cherry Wilder (1977). Rich, detailed, knotty.
- Underrated: Alamut by Vladimir Bartol, (1938 in Slovenian; 2004 in English). Unsettling, mesmerising, profound
- Forgotten: Winter’s Tale, by Mark Helprin (1983). Inventive, imaginative thoughtful.
