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Terra Nullius
by
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. ...more
The Natives of the Colony are restless. The Settlers are eager to have a nation of peace, and to bring the savages into line. ...more
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Paperback, 294 pages
Published
August 29th 2017
by Hachette Australia
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This deceptively simple novel offers a powerful and damning examination of Australia's colonial history and the price paid by the continent's diverse first peoples. It is also impossible to discuss or review this book without destroying the source of its impact, so I will offer a very short, non-spoiler review followed by a proper one that you should absolutely not read if you intend to read this book. Let's not make the same mistake they made with Never Let Me Go, people!
The title Terra Nullius ...more
The title Terra Nullius ...more

3.5★ (rounded up for a promising debut novel)
“The Settlers would be afraid of the bush, of the deep woodland, so different from their Home. That would be the safest place for him in whatever tangled, green and brown, scratchy and dirty, trackless and untidy scrub he could find.”
That’s Jacky, absconded and on the run.
“A sun like that, heat like that – it bleached the entire sky yellowwhite, nothing like the blue sky one was used to from Home. It was that sky that was a warning, the yellow light a ...more
“The Settlers would be afraid of the bush, of the deep woodland, so different from their Home. That would be the safest place for him in whatever tangled, green and brown, scratchy and dirty, trackless and untidy scrub he could find.”
That’s Jacky, absconded and on the run.
“A sun like that, heat like that – it bleached the entire sky yellowwhite, nothing like the blue sky one was used to from Home. It was that sky that was a warning, the yellow light a ...more

Terra Nullius, Coleman's (an indigenous Australian Noongar writer) debut novel, is impossible to rate, but I'm going with 5/5 because I think this work should become required high school reading, at least in places like Europe, or the US, or Australia (places with a legacy of colonization and extermination/genocide of local cultures and peoples).
At first I picked up this book because it was billed as sci-fi, a tale of the colonization of the Earth by an alien race. Instead, I found myself immer ...more
At first I picked up this book because it was billed as sci-fi, a tale of the colonization of the Earth by an alien race. Instead, I found myself immer ...more

I had been looking forward to this book since it won the black&write! Fellowship last year, as it sounded like an absolute game changer. Even knowing the twist/spoiler that was coming halfway through, I was really keen to read it.
Unfortunately it just didn't hold up for me. I didn't love the style, didn't connect with any of the characters, and I felt the messaging was much too overt - the book could have been done much more subtly without the chapter-starters explicitly comparing the colonisati ...more
Unfortunately it just didn't hold up for me. I didn't love the style, didn't connect with any of the characters, and I felt the messaging was much too overt - the book could have been done much more subtly without the chapter-starters explicitly comparing the colonisati ...more

Nov 29, 2018
Britta Böhler
rated it
it was ok
Shelves:
debuts,
2poc,
2018bw-read,
2018,
kindle-scribd,
femlit,
fiction,
2indiginous,
aussie-lit,
scifi-fantasy
Nope. Even the best twist is just a quirk if there is not enough story coming with it.
And Hachette: how about employing editors who actually, you know, edit?
1.5*
And Hachette: how about employing editors who actually, you know, edit?
1.5*

A searing story of colonisation informed by Australia's own colonial past and the subjugation of Aboriginal peoples by European settlers.
The story begins with what modern eyes recognize as the true horror experienced by colonised people who were oppressed and barely acknowledged as people by their colonisers, let alone as having a culture with a long and rich history. However, as the book synopsis indicates, this recognition of history is not the story of Australia's past. It is, instead, the st ...more
The story begins with what modern eyes recognize as the true horror experienced by colonised people who were oppressed and barely acknowledged as people by their colonisers, let alone as having a culture with a long and rich history. However, as the book synopsis indicates, this recognition of history is not the story of Australia's past. It is, instead, the st ...more

Jacky was terrified but determined not to be caught again. The Settlers were brutal with anyone caught running away – they were brutal anyway. At best, he’d be thrown in jail, and worst, a bullet in the back. But he was so hungry; he could find water, brackish though it might be – but finding food without a weapon was nigh on impossible. Stealing was his only option, but with stealing came immense danger.
Sister Bagra, Mother Superior of the mission, was charged with educating the Native childre ...more
Sister Bagra, Mother Superior of the mission, was charged with educating the Native childre ...more

Striking SF fable set in Australia. We read about the grotesque cruelties inflicted on the indigenous population by colonisers who don't even see them as people, and it takes several chapters for it to emerge that (view spoiler)
...more

Addressing a blind spot in my Australian author diet which till now consisted of Jane Harper and Liane Moriarty (huge fan of both btw) Claire G. Coleman is a Noongar Aboriginal, a people who have traditionally occupied the south-west corner of Western Australia long before history started being recorded there.
Terra Nullius is the story of Settler arrogance and their disdain for the Natives. Bending them to their language, their rules, their religion only to offer them a life of enslavement. Jac ...more
Terra Nullius is the story of Settler arrogance and their disdain for the Natives. Bending them to their language, their rules, their religion only to offer them a life of enslavement. Jac ...more

The next war will be about resilience and survival, culture and art. When that war begins you will discover you are not well-armed. You have no art, your stories have no power.”
This just didn't work for me. I feel like the entire first half hinges on surprising you with a plot twist which wasn't surprising to me because I realised what was going on early, and it just didn't have a writing style that drew me into the story. That said, I did like the parallels Coleman drew between her story an ...more

I was torn between 4 and 5 stars, because it is written in a rather plain prose. But on the other hand the prose suits the topic.
I went for 5 stars in the end:
- for a newcomer this is a very strong one
- the setup idea of the novel totally convinced me
- I just love the spirit of the Noongar in the narration
- through the palpable description the desert land of the Australian outback felt like a character on its own
The problem with this story is that one cannot say much about it, without ruining ...more
I went for 5 stars in the end:
- for a newcomer this is a very strong one
- the setup idea of the novel totally convinced me
- I just love the spirit of the Noongar in the narration
- through the palpable description the desert land of the Australian outback felt like a character on its own
The problem with this story is that one cannot say much about it, without ruining ...more

Loved the themes in this, a very interesting read.

Quick review:
Relentlessly mediocre, mendaciously obfuscatory, totally overrated.
Slightly longer:
No plot, no story. The first half of the book is forced, is made, to hide the sophomoric twist to the point of being unable to describe, to paint, about 80% of the setting, the world. The characters, the individuals, are basic, with no complex motivations, no desires. Key elements, key parts, are hand-waved. The voice, the style, is gratingly repetitive.
The core ‘twist’ that everyone on this site is g ...more
Relentlessly mediocre, mendaciously obfuscatory, totally overrated.
Slightly longer:
No plot, no story. The first half of the book is forced, is made, to hide the sophomoric twist to the point of being unable to describe, to paint, about 80% of the setting, the world. The characters, the individuals, are basic, with no complex motivations, no desires. Key elements, key parts, are hand-waved. The voice, the style, is gratingly repetitive.
The core ‘twist’ that everyone on this site is g ...more

An under-realised haunting aspect of Terra Nullius is the fact that no one is coming to save us. In that respect, it’s not only a metaphor for invasion – it’s climate change, it’s capitalism, it’s even a global pandemic. I think it might have worked better had the metaphor been explicit from the beginning, but I still respect its haunting premise.
My full review of Terra Nullius can be found on Keeping Up With The Penguins. ...more
My full review of Terra Nullius can be found on Keeping Up With The Penguins. ...more

“ ‘Stealing something to eat, that is a crime that would get me flung into jail. Stealing everything, that is just good government.’ ”
Ooh ok, I will say that the concepts that were explored here and the connection with colonialism, especially of the Aboriginal Australians by the British were superb, but I wanted the characters to have popped off the page more. So, Terra Nullius is a novel about weird space aliens coming to Earth and conquering and from what I can deduce, it takes place a few de ...more
Ooh ok, I will say that the concepts that were explored here and the connection with colonialism, especially of the Aboriginal Australians by the British were superb, but I wanted the characters to have popped off the page more. So, Terra Nullius is a novel about weird space aliens coming to Earth and conquering and from what I can deduce, it takes place a few de ...more

Trigger warnings: death, violence, colonisation, genocide, child abuse.
I strongly suggest that you go into this book knowing literally nothing but the title and the fact that it's EXCELLENT. Coleman's writing is spectacular and it's an incredible story from start to finish. It's a tense and atmospheric story and I strongly recommend that every Australian read it.
(view spoiler) ...more
I strongly suggest that you go into this book knowing literally nothing but the title and the fact that it's EXCELLENT. Coleman's writing is spectacular and it's an incredible story from start to finish. It's a tense and atmospheric story and I strongly recommend that every Australian read it.
(view spoiler) ...more

A unsettling tale of an invasion and colonization of Australia by Settlers. Natives are imprisoned, reeducated, abused and killed. The narrative could take place in any part of the world where an indigenous population was targeted and gradually eradicated, and if that was all it was, this would still be a difficult narrative to read. Claire Coleman takes the story further, giving it an interesting twist, informing her protagonists' experiences and sentiments with those of her own ancestors, whil
...more

.
.
**********************
SPOILERS BELOW, I GUESS
**********************
Physicist Stephen Hawking was always cautioning us about contact with extraterrestrial aliens, as far back as the 80s and 90s, but his opinion really exploded into general awareness about a decade ago when he said on one of his TV series, “If aliens ever visit us, I think the outcome would be much as when Christopher Columbus first landed in America… which didn’t turn out very well for the Native Americans.” Because it dramatic ...more
.
**********************
SPOILERS BELOW, I GUESS
**********************
Physicist Stephen Hawking was always cautioning us about contact with extraterrestrial aliens, as far back as the 80s and 90s, but his opinion really exploded into general awareness about a decade ago when he said on one of his TV series, “If aliens ever visit us, I think the outcome would be much as when Christopher Columbus first landed in America… which didn’t turn out very well for the Native Americans.” Because it dramatic ...more

I am rather numb now.
A speculative colonisation story that is more than the reader initially imagines.
Set in the near future and we see another wave of colonisation.
I cannot say anything else without spoilers.
The writing was so taut. So compelling.
I was torn between devouring the book in two sittings and being terrified of where the story was heading.
I will definitely pick up anything else Ms Coleman writes.
A speculative colonisation story that is more than the reader initially imagines.
Set in the near future and we see another wave of colonisation.
I cannot say anything else without spoilers.
The writing was so taut. So compelling.
I was torn between devouring the book in two sittings and being terrified of where the story was heading.
I will definitely pick up anything else Ms Coleman writes.

This book was not what I was expecting at all. While the idea was interesting and message important, the transition in the story was executed poorly - it felt very forced. I also thought there was a lot of ‘telling’ of the characters’ thoughts and feelings rather than ‘showing’ and that is not an engaging writing style for me.

Oct 26, 2021
Jenny (Reading Envy)
marked it as did-not-finish
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
sword-and-laser
Picked this up for the September Sword and Laser but (view spoiler)
...more
...more

A book that has a message but one that might get lost to many people. It's a SF book for sure, but it takes a lot of time getting there. I could see a lot of readers giving up before they get to the interesting twist in the story and the actual science fiction part.
Depending on what part of the world you live in the historical background may be unfamiliar but everyone should be able to relate to the message here. It's a great story, but unfortunately, for me, the author did not do a very good j ...more
Depending on what part of the world you live in the historical background may be unfamiliar but everyone should be able to relate to the message here. It's a great story, but unfortunately, for me, the author did not do a very good j ...more

A visceral speculative take of the invasion and colonization of Australia. Deeply rooted in historical realities, Coleman's debut is a powerful and vital book.
...more

Research has shown that reading novels improves empathy. Terra Nullius certainly does just that. If you want to understand – on an emotional level – the history and current plight of modern-day Australian aboriginals, this is a good place to start.
The first half of Claire G Coleman’s award-winning debut novel is written in such a way that you’d be forgiven for thinking that this is a story of the 1788 British invasion of Australia.
Except it’s not the past. And the British are not the invaders.
Th ...more
The first half of Claire G Coleman’s award-winning debut novel is written in such a way that you’d be forgiven for thinking that this is a story of the 1788 British invasion of Australia.
Except it’s not the past. And the British are not the invaders.
Th ...more

The only thing that stopped this book from being 5 stars was just a little bit of inexperience in the writing. I could tell this was a debut novel. The flow and pace of the dialogue was sometimes just a little bit off, and some of the descriptions were a little repetitive and not necessarily as evocative as they could have been. I think Coleman will definitely benefit from a bit more experience and I expect future novels from her to overcome these small gripes.
Otherwise, this book was brilliant ...more
Otherwise, this book was brilliant ...more

Very difficult to review this book without spoilers, but I think most people will pick it up knowing that Terra Nullius is cross-genre; at first, reading like historical fiction as we follow the stories of a cast of characters: Jacky on the run from the household where he works as a slave/servant; Johnny Star, a trooper sickened by the massacres of the Natives; Sister Bagra, the Mother Superior of a mission where Native children are re-educated, punished, and starved; Devil (AO Neville), the Chi
...more

I truly wanted to love this book, but it just didn't hold my attention. To be completely transparent I just couldn't find the energy to bother finishing it so keep that in mind when reading the review.
For me, the prose itself was like slogging through mud. I felt, even from the very beginning, I was being beaten over the head with a great big stick. Good characters, totally good. Bad characters, totally bad. I don't know if it improved, but I couldn't hold my attention when reading it.
Also, I ha ...more
For me, the prose itself was like slogging through mud. I felt, even from the very beginning, I was being beaten over the head with a great big stick. Good characters, totally good. Bad characters, totally bad. I don't know if it improved, but I couldn't hold my attention when reading it.
Also, I ha ...more

Dec 16, 2018
Deborah
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
australian-author-or-editor,
grief,
library-copy,
cultures-sociology,
harrowing,
debut,
spec-fic
Woah! This is such a powerful book.
I'd seen comments about it being a great science fiction novel, but as I was reading it, it seemed like historical fiction - it was so clearly based on white Australians' mistreatment of Aboriginal Australians in the early 20th century.
The change of perspective turns Terra Nullius from a harrowing historical novel into a powerful speculative fiction novel. When I reached the point where it became clear who the Settlers and Natives were I went back and re-read ...more
I'd seen comments about it being a great science fiction novel, but as I was reading it, it seemed like historical fiction - it was so clearly based on white Australians' mistreatment of Aboriginal Australians in the early 20th century.
The change of perspective turns Terra Nullius from a harrowing historical novel into a powerful speculative fiction novel. When I reached the point where it became clear who the Settlers and Natives were I went back and re-read ...more

This book took me a while to get into, but once I did I was glad I persevered. For the first half of the book, I thought I knew exactly the story I was reading, then bam, one sentence changed that completely. I understand why most reviews don't like to give too much away. Definitely a story that makes you think about the past and the future, very well done on the authors part for telling the story she has
...more
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
---|---|---|---|---|
The Sword and Laser: TN: Wait, what? (Spoilers - do not read until at least chapter 10 if you don’t want to be spoiled (but still use tags y’all)) | 43 | 126 | Oct 30, 2021 04:14AM | |
The Sword and Laser: #420 - Spoopy Spoilers | 37 | 82 | Oct 08, 2021 03:10PM | |
The Sword and Laser: #419 - Trust Me, It's SciFi | 13 | 79 | Sep 11, 2021 10:40PM | |
The Sword and Laser: TN: Does anyone else prefer to go in totally cold? | 26 | 87 | Sep 10, 2021 01:53PM | |
The Sword and Laser:
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41 | 197 | Sep 01, 2021 01:37PM | |
Reading Women: March - Terra Nullius | 28 | 96 | Mar 23, 2019 10:43AM |
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“You think you are smarter than us, you think your brains are bigger, you think we can't learn. We know more than you, we have stories and songs, we have art and culture. What do you have? You have guns and fury and hate. The war has so far been about guns and death. When you think we are defeated, the war will change.
The next war will be about resilience and survival, culture and art. When that war begins you will discover you are not well armed. You have no art, your stories have no power.”
—
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The next war will be about resilience and survival, culture and art. When that war begins you will discover you are not well armed. You have no art, your stories have no power.”
“We have always been here
We are still here
We are not going anywhere”
—
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More quotes…
We are still here
We are not going anywhere”