From the Bookshelf of Club Drunk But Not Too Drunk To Read The Book…

Terra Nullius

Claire G. Coleman

Start date: February 26, 2023

Finish date: March 24, 2023

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Mar 17, 2023 Evan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This was a really impressive and fresh view on colonialism and invasion of indigenous countries. Seriously, do not read the spoiler tag parts until you've read the book!

(view spoiler) This was a really impressive and fresh view on colonialism and invasion of indigenous countries. Seriously, do not read the spoiler tag parts until you've read the book!

(view spoiler)[ The first 40% of the book follows the characters within what appears to be early European colonial period of Western Australia. This is obviously very difficult to read because it is a part of our history and is shameful. There is also essentially no hope. Knowing the history of Aboriginal Australians, even if Jacky is successful in escaping the colonial government, his future will be one of continued subjugation and suffering as the violence, slavery and the Stolen Generation continued for decades.

Something changed in my emotions when it was revealed that the Settlers were an alien species and the Natives were all humans. I think the difference is that there is hope, because we don't know their future. In the end, that hope was unfounded. The book ends in much the same way as Australia's history: with some hope of self-determination for the Natives, and perhaps repercussions for Settler atrocities, but probably everything will just continue as is. But it is much easier to read after this revelation, which is interesting.

There's also something psychologically interesting about the revelation. I grew up amongst colonial propaganda (though have actively tried to counteract that as an adult), and I feel like this narrative decision is targeted towards white Australians with that history.

There is a tendency amongst white Australians to assume a certain benefit-of-the-doubt towards early colonial Australians. We diminish the Aboriginal experience and fear whilst also diminishing our own ancestor's role. "Perhaps it was a minority of European settlers who perpetrated these atrocities".

The use of H.G. Wells-type aliens, capable of overtaking the entire planet, helps to clarify the sheer scale of what we did in Australia. Every piece of arable land was taken. This cannot be achieved through a minority. This cannot be achieved without a top-down drive towards genocide. Which is what it was.

My main fear is that the people who need to read this most, and for whom the alien/coloniser analogy would be most convincing, won't be able to get through the first 40% of the book. But there's not much that can be done about that. (hide spoiler)] ...more

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Mar 30, 2023 Ying rated it really liked it

3.5 rounded up to 4.

Up until about 1/4 of the book I was quite frustrated with the story. It felt like so many books I had read before, having read so much about forced captivity and slavery. It was a little misery porn-y.

However, something that happens at around the 35-40% mark did make the book much more compelling and interesting.

(view spoiler) ...more

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