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Terra Nullius

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Terra Nullius

By: Claire G. Coleman
Narrated by: Mark Coles Smith, Tamala Shelton
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About this listen

Highly Commended in the Victorian Premier's Literary Awards 2017

Longlisted for the Indie Book Award for Debut Fiction 2018

Longlisted for the Stella Prize 2018

Jacky was running. There was no thought in his head, only an intense drive to run. There was no sense he was getting anywhere, no plan, no destination, no future. All he had was a sense of what was behind, what he was running from. Jacky was running.

The natives of the colony are restless. The settlers are eager to have a nation of peace, and to bring the savages into line. Families are torn apart, reeducation is enforced. This rich land will provide for all.

This is not Australia as we know it. This is not the Australia of our history. This Terra Nullius is something new, but all too familiar.

This is an incredible debut from a striking new Australian-Aboriginal voice.

©2018 Claire G. Coleman (P)2018 Hachette Australia Audio Dystopian Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction Thought-Provoking

Critic Reviews

"The truth that lies at the heart of this novel is impossible to ignore." (Books+Publishing)
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Liked the idea, but I felt it missed in execution, especially being such a short book. Some good themes and likeable characters, but holes in the narrative that were distracting

Good concept

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On so many levels it shouldn’t work. As science fiction, it’s adequate, although it’s not really trying to be science fiction. As allegory, it’s a bit heavy-handed, yet it doesn’t feel preachy. As history… well, that’s where it really shines. It helped me see how the invasion of Australia by the British was perceived by Aboriginal people and British settlers alike.

I can’t really add much without giving major spoilers. The first few chapters felt a little slow, but once the characters and storylines are set up, things start moving and head towards an unexpectedly moving finish.

I was really impressed by the narration as well. Top work.

I really, really enjoyed this book.

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This is a story all Australians should take the time to acknowledge. I appreciate your words, Claire Coleman. Thank you for putting this into the world.

I'm going to miss this book. I'm sad already.

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Great plot, great characters and the narration is one of my favourites. An all round amazing boom and performance.

Brilliant.

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While I found the story slow for the first half of the book the later half had me fully engaged. I came across this book as a science fiction fan but leave it as a true fan of the author. At times the truths told through fiction were hard for me to hear but the perspective of the colonised is something White Australia desperately needs to listen to.

A slow start to a much needed story

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How do you tell stories in the digital age. Terra Nullius is an great way on how to tell a young and in fact any modern audience what happened in Australia during 18th, 19th and beginning of 20th centuries. Humanity has come a long way since then. But how do you engage audiences with these type of historical topics? Terra Nullius is the answer.

Great way to tell the story of Australia

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Clever, beautiful use of vocabulary, evocative, chilling and so smart. Claire G Coleman is masterful and brave in telling of a difficult history through the creative lens of an imagined future - One of the most effective ways to tell the truth is to fictionalise it and she does it very well.

Artful telling of a deeply engaging tale.

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The History, which is also present, is written so beautifully and narrated with beautiful voice. Time and again the attempts to suppress the aborigines and the denial of genocide told so beautifully.

Profound, Confronting, and Shocking Truth!

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This is not my normal type of pick, but the twists and turns kept it entertaining and thought provoking.

Not my normal type of story but enjoyable

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This book had come highly recommended by multiple people and I now know why. Though fiction it provides a pretty clear picture of colonisation and really makes a person, like myself, from a European heritage, put themselves in the place of First Nations people. To think, maybe it could happen to me.
Highly recommended.

An amazing novel

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