Craig Cormick

In the lead-up to #IndigLitWeek 2020 in July, here's a most unusual novel to pique your interest!

On a Barbarous Coast is a collaborative work of speculative fiction. It tells an alternative history of Lieutenant James Cook's landing in far north Queensland in 1770.

Craig Cormick is an Australian science communicator and rel="nofollow" target="_top">author of 30+ books of fiction and non-fiction. His co-writer is Harold Ludwick, a Bulgun Warra man from the Guugu Yimidhirr & Kuku Yalandji nations, and a Fellow of the National Museum of Australia. Together, they have woven a story that revisits the landing from two perspectives...

Magra is a midshipman on the Endeavour, and Garrgiil is a boy from the Guugu Yimidhirr people. The story departs from history when the Endeavour comes to grief on the Great Barrier Reef. The real-life Cook beached the badly damaged ship for repairs for seven weeks and then continued his voyage; in this novel the ship breaks up and Cook is washed up insensible along with other survivors. Magra is a disaffected man of failed ambitions, while Garrgiil is on the cusp of manhood. Both fear the Other, but both are curious as well.

In alternating narratives, the reader sees the catastrophe from the observations of the Indigenous people and from the British PoV. Puzzled by the behaviour of people they think are spirits returned from the dead, the Guugu Yimidhirr people keep their distance, but maintain a watch on events, while — deprived of authoritative leadership — the survivors are divided amongst themselves. The marines take off with the only weapons and build themselves a fort, while Magra and the rest of them are focussed on shelter from the elements and finding food and water. The botanists Joseph Banks and Mr Solander are invaluable for identifying edible plants as a food supply, but the marines, led by a ruffian called Judge, kidnap Solander to help them when they fail to catch and kill wildlife. Garrgiil, watching unobserved, notes however that none of the survivors are following laws and customs about where and when to gather food. As the survivors soon find out, their food sources are not sustainable, and malnutrition and sickness are the result.

To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2020/06/11/on-a-barbarous-coast-by-craig-cormick-and-ha...… (mer)

In an alternate Renaissance (one that’s not so re-birth-y), one city holds out against the hordes of desperate plague victims outside its walls. Within, two families vie for power – each employing a rival scientist. Leonardo and Galileo put their minds and science (which looks a lot like magic) to work on holding back the dread plague, and inventing gadgets. So far, both have refused to create weapons of war. The balance of power is delicate, the remedies that hold back the disease are losing efficacy, and it looks like humanity may well be doomed.

Against this backdrop, a scientist's apprentice, Lorenzo, falls in love with the daughter of the rival family, Lucia. Lucia becomes a pawn in a plot involving control of the city. Lorenzo is distraught – but a mysterious assassin-like figure who seems to be possessed of great knowledge and skills appears and tells him that in order to save Lucia he must first save civilization…

The background setting for this was original and entertaining. I liked the whole steampunk-renaissance-with-plague-hordes concept. However, I felt like it didn’t live up to its full potential. The story itself was rather prosaic, with a few too many familiar tropes. However, it was still pretty entertaining – up until the end. It felt like the author got to the home stretch, suddenly said, “Wait! I didn’t explain anything! I have bits in here that don’t make much sense!” and went to extreme lengths to quickly cobble together a far-fetched and ridiculous excuse for the whole scenario which involves bringing in whole new levels of plot that weren’t previously even hinted at – and still don’t really make that much sense.
Still – it’s pretty decent up until the very end.

Copy provided by NetGalley! Thanks to Angry Robot for allowing me to read this book!… (mer)

You would think that a book that starts off with a character saying "Tar my bung hole and use me for a keg!" would be epic. The beginning of this book is. There is a plague that is hitting the countryside and everyone is dying. Inside the walls of this kingdom though the scientist/apothecarists have discoved some spices that can be brewed as tea that staves off the plague. Two main families control that trade. Enter Romeo/Juliet type scenario.
The first 45% of this book was just so fun. There was even talk of making a huge iron man to fight the other family.

Enter into the second half. I have no clue where this story wanted to go. I did finish it and still don't really understand it. The ending was just..well I finished it.

I recieved a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.… (mer)

I think it may be more like 2.5 stars for me.

Full review: http://www.tenaciousreader.com/2014/05/19/the-shadow-master-by-craig-cormick/

The Shadow Master by Craig Cormick was a different read for me. It is a bit steam punk (Prepare yourself for a plethora of devices consisting of cogs! Everything and anything can be made, if you just have some cogs and a bit of wire) with some humor thrown in, and a central romance of star crossed lovers. The central premise of the story is interesting. The land has been ravaged by plague, with no one safe or immune from its devastating effects. No one that is, outside of the Walled City. Within these walls they hold the secret to keeping the plague at bay, so the fortunate people within live unmarred and healthy. But of course, that does not mean they live in harmony.

Within this oasis from the plague, the people are divided between two households (the Medicis and the Lorraines) to the degree that a brief glimpse at a man’s facial hair will speak of his allegiance, which house he supports. Oh, and of course, this is a Romeo/Juliet love story, so our star-crossed lovers are from the different houses. (Brief confession here, I kept expecting to hear songs from West Side Story break out while reading).

Our star crossed lovers have seemingly always caught each others eye and seek each other out from across their church or anywhere else they may cross paths. You know the, love and infatuation that is just created by some unseen chemistry that pulls these two into a tide where they are always reaching, searching, rarely finding one another. They have never even spoken, but yet they are drawn to one another. At least the attraction is mutual and not stalker-y. My main comment with the characters is that they are rather 2 dimensional. But I also think that is typical of this type of story, and really all that uncommon. Kind of like Disney movies where a maiden fair is drawn to a dashing prince; The story is more about the evolution of the magical relationship rather than the characters themselves. You get the basics, some feel for them, but nothing much beyond that.

I will say I like the introduction of the Shadow Master, some mysterious figure whose allegiance is either unknown or non-existent. Without knowing his side or motivation, it keeps us guessing why he takes the actions he does and what he may do next.

I also feel the second half of the book was lacking a clear focus or direction. Things kept happening, but I really didn’t get a good feel for motivations which made it just feel random. It involved ‘madmen’, and I did feel that was rather apt. Once again, I left wondering how much of what I found humorous about this book was by design. Some of his humor was too blunt for my taste, the kind of satirical humor you would find in a prime time comedy TV Show. Most people like it, but it tends to fall flat for me, not just in this, but anything like that I read (Dresden Files being a very popular example).

This is a fast read, so if you are in the mood for a quick light read with a bit of steampunk Romeo/Juliet and humor, then give you could give it a shot, maybe it will work for you.

… (mer)