Adrian Deans

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Sharon
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Adrian Deans

Goodreads Author


Born
in Sydney, Australia
Website

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Member Since
March 2012

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Adrian Deans is a lawyer, journalist and novelist. He has been writing seriously for 30 years and in that time has seen his darkly comic speculative fiction stories gradually morph into darkly comic crime - then back to spec fiction. His novels, Mr Cleansheets (Vulgar Press, 2010) and Straight Jacket (High Horse, 2013) received some critical acclaim and Straight Jacket was optioned by Ealing Studios in the UK. The Fighting Man was his debut historical novel (High Horse, 2017), but in 2020 he blended offbeat crime with spec fiction to produce Welcome to Ord City. His latest novel, Asparagus Grass (2023), sees Adrian on the edge of science fiction and firmly entrenched among Australia's more original storytellers.

Adrian is represented by Gol
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Popular Answered Questions

Adrian Deans I think I'd most like to go to the Battle of Hastings (Senlac Hill) to try and understand exactly what went wrong for Harold. I still don't get why he…moreI think I'd most like to go to the Battle of Hastings (Senlac Hill) to try and understand exactly what went wrong for Harold. I still don't get why he lost.

I'd also love to experience the early part of the hundred years war (with Thomas of Hookton); the Cromwell years as described by Hilary Mantel; and the Wellington years with Sharpe.

It would also be very cool to share Eric Judd's journey.(less)
Adrian Deans Hi Anne, thanks for asking. That's a really difficult question as my three published novels are all so different.

I really do love them all for differe…more
Hi Anne, thanks for asking. That's a really difficult question as my three published novels are all so different.

I really do love them all for different reasons but it's probably a close tie between Straight Jacket and The Fighting Man. They're both complicated plots with complex characters doing interesting things. I think for depth and texture I'd have to go for SJ but for weaving the intricacies of story into research, TFM stands very proud.

What do you think?(less)
Average rating: 4.11 · 190 ratings · 102 reviews · 8 distinct worksSimilar authors
Straight Jacket

4.09 avg rating — 64 ratings — published 2013 — 3 editions
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The Fighting Man

4.19 avg rating — 48 ratings2 editions
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Welcome to Ord City

3.93 avg rating — 27 ratings2 editions
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Asparagus Grass

4.05 avg rating — 19 ratings2 editions
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Mr Cleansheets

4.25 avg rating — 16 ratings — published 2010 — 4 editions
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THEM

4.11 avg rating — 9 ratings — published 2012
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Political Football: Lawrie ...

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4.14 avg rating — 7 ratings2 editions
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The Fighting Man: AD 1066

0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings
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More books by Adrian Deans…

Hastie’s Dangerous High Horse

So, despite everything, Andrew Hastie has threatened to leave the Coalition front bench if the leader (Sussan Ley) and her cabinet commit to the Net Zero policy.

There are numerous aspects to this – in particular, party political and culture wars. But these issues are blended in a very weird power struggle.

I’ll try to unpack this from the general political before I get to the specific political.

The Read more of this blog post »
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Published on September 23, 2025 02:27

Adrian’s Recent Updates

Adrian Deans wrote a new blog post

Hastie’s Dangerous High Horse

So, despite everything, Andrew Hastie has threatened to leave the Coalition front bench if the leader (Sussan Ley) and her cabinet commit to the Net Z Read more of this blog post »
Adrian Deans made a comment in the group World, Writing, WealthFavorite Book topic
" Just been on a couple of longhaul fights and watched a bunch of films.

The best one was Deep Cover - both gripping and hilarious.
"
Adrian Deans made a comment in the group World, Writing, WealthMy new DNF rule topic
" Barbara wrote: "I know a lot of people used to talk about the 30 page rule or the 3 chapter rule - how much of a book you have to read before you deci ...more "
Adrian Deans made a comment in the group World, Writing, WealthTensions with Iran topic
" Scout, do you have any idea of the conflagration you are wishing upon the world?

The US bombing Iran will cause the worst conflagration the world has e
...more "
Welcome to Ord City by Adrian Deans
" Thank you so much. Please tell everyone.

AD
"
Adrian Deans rated a book really liked it
Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh
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This is a novel I've been meaning to read for about 30 years and finally got around to it.

First published in 1945, it is set mainly in the 1920s in a fading Britain at the end of her imperial glory. The characters are mainly people of great fortune a
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Adrian Deans rated a book really liked it
Enigma by Robert   Harris
Enigma
by Robert Harris (Goodreads Author)
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Absolutely brilliant, with the caveat that there was probably too much detail re the code-breaking. The story didn't need it.

A breathtaking piece of work though.

4.5 stars.
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Adrian Deans rated a book it was ok
Absynthe by Brendan P. Bellecourt
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DNF at about 50%

Some decent ideas but the writing was poor and I couldn't bring myself to care about the characters.

Needed a proper edit to get rid of lines where the ground is both snowy and grassy within the same sentence.
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Adrian Deans rated a book liked it
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
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Pretty disappointed with this and amazed by all the hype.

I was enjoying the first 50 - 100 pp (despite the hand-wavium re time travel) but... it just seemed to peter out and get lost in its own trackless North.

Apart from Gore, and the other "expats",
...more
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