The Buddha’s World
The Buddha’s World Harvey Weir A winged buddha sits among empty plates and full cups of tea, watching the world. His world is grand, it is colourful, it spans across the stars, holding in it the laughter and loss of his gods. If you ask him about his world, he will tell you everything, should […]
The City and the Autumnal City
The City and the Autumnal City by Sage Hunter I’ve heard, recently, in a few discussions of China Miéville, people assert that the conclusions of his novels are generally incompetent. The City and the City, particularly, has been pointed out to me as a novel lacking any sort of satisfying resolution. There’s a convention, in […]
Roundtable: Piranesi
Roundtable: Piranesi Words by Harvey Weir Image by Giovanni Battista Piranesi Use of voice in Piranesi Piranesi is a 2020 novel by Susanna Clarke. Narrated by the title character through his journal entries, it describes Piranesi’s life in the House, a strange marble structure of twisting corridors and imposing statues. the House floods periodically, during […]
With Apologies to the Sea Nymph Thetis
With Apologies to the Sea Nymph Thetis Sage Hunter Crouching on the floor, the sergeant said, ‘This is it, lad. On my mark it all goes ahead. No second chances.’ He raised his hand above his head, ready to signal his troops into action. I huddled behind my toy box, looming over the foot-high figure […]
Ignited My Blood: A Personal Essay
Ignited My Blood: A Personal Essay Words by Andrew Nathan Roberts ‘You like fantasy, yeah?’ It was a question my seven-year-old self did not know how to answer. My friend was holding a slim book in front of a pop-up library in the outer western suburbs of Melbourne, circa mid-90s. The library was a […]
Giant Skeleton
Giant Skeleton Hazel Astell Stygian snow. I try to see the blackness in all the whiteness. Tar slick. Asphalt through endless planes of blank-snowed silence. Tick. ‘You know, not many people choose Alaska.’ ‘It wasn’t our first choice.’ ‘Not scared of the bears?’ ‘No. Animals don’t faze me. They’re just eating like the rest of […]
Roundtable: Lanny
Roundtable: Lanny Words by Harvey Weir Max Porter’s Lanny was published in 2019. A poet long before he was a prose author, Porter has infused his second novel with the beauty of his verse, as well as the disregard of form often seen in contemporary poetry. This essay is intended as a writer’s aid, and […]