By this author
Books April 08, 2017
The Silent Invasion
James Bradley’s novel The Silent Invasion – the first in a trilogy for young adults – is set precisely 10 years from now, but Bradley’s 2027 doesn’t feel at all futuristic. Rather, it’s a world in which the anxieties of the current …
Books November 05, 2016
Storm in a Teacup
[TOC:ul In this story] Science communication’s star has risen over recent years – witness the popularity of the Facebook page “I fucking love science”, Neil deGrasse Tyson’s high-profile stoush with rapper B.o.B over the question of the Earth’s …
Books February 11, 2017
Last Words
[TOC:ul In this story] Barry Dickins’ latest book, Last Words: The Hanging of Ronald Ryan, implicitly poses a critical question: Does the world need yet another book about the death of Ryan, the last person to be legally executed in Australia? …
Books September 17, 2016
The Phoenix Years
[TOC:ul In this story] The cover of Madeleine O’Dea’s remarkable history of contemporary Chinese art, The Phoenix Years, might seem at first blush to be a little underwhelming: it depicts a cupped hand cradling a black-and-white photo of …