Clare Rhoden is an Australian sci-fi author. Her trilogy, Chronicles of the Pale, imagines a future ravaged by climate change and conflict. BELINDA: Tell us about Mashtuk. CLARE: Mashtuk is one of the canini, who are genetically-modified wolf-dogs with prolonged lives, enhanced mindspeaking powers and an augmented dew-claw that acts as an opposable thumb – … Read more
BELINDA: Tell us about Voice of the Sword. JOHN: Voice of the Sword is Book One of the “Sword, Mirror, Jewel” trilogy, starring Japanese-American teenager Reiko Furukawa Bergman, based on updated characters and stories from Japanese mythology, legend and folklore. It’s for an age range for twelve upwards, and I call it Science Fantasy, not … Read more
Antiheroines. You might not have heard the term, but, like good art, you know them when you see them. A few years ago I started interviewing various authors about antiheroines and why they’d been drawn to write them. Now it’s my turn. Before I get started, I want to clarify what an antiheroine is. During … Read more
Usi Nosa is the 16-year-old author of Enigma, a story about love, war and magic. BELINDA: Do you think love is killing the teenage heroine? USI: Yes. The teenage heroine is now an important part of a YA romance novel because without her there would be no romance, unless the hero is gay. But most … Read more
BELINDA: Tell us about the science in the Dreamer Trilogy, Secrets of Aurora, and Skywatchers. LJ: In the Dreamer Trilogy everyone has a microchip implanted in their wrists which holds their personal and banking information. When it’s partnered with a Wristcuff (Device worn around the implant area) the wearer is promised pleasant dreams, better health … Read more
BELINDA: Hot topic first. Do you think love is killing the teenage heroine and why? ANGELINA: A really good question, and almost impossible to answer in one sentence or two. The question I ask myself is: What is a teenage heroine? What expectations do we have toward a teenage girl; or teenage girls toward themselves? … Read more
Russell Nohelty’s Invasion is a sci-fi coming-of-age story about a boy (Johny) meeting a girl (Debra) in the midst of an alien invasion. And the kicker? Debra’s not human. BELINDA: Tell us about Debra. RUSSELL: Debra is an alien that has spent her entire life on Earth. Her parents came to Earth to start a … Read more
Jules Fox is the author of Little Big Brother, a contemporary YA coming-of-age story about Alex, a dwarf who wants to stay invisible through his senior year of high school. When his little brother is accidentally outed as gay, Alex needs to take a stand to protect him from a rough, homophobic community. BELINDA: Tell … Read more
As a publicist, editor and occasional slush-pile reader, Jenna O’Connell doesn’t just know books, but the ins and outs of getting them on bookstore shelves and into readers’ hands.
BELINDA: Hot topic first. Do you think love is killing the teenage heroine and why?
JENNA: Killing is such a strong word! We’re certainly not seeing an absence of teenage heroines because of the current focus on love/romance. But is it killing originality in the YA genre? I think there’s an argument to support that.
Sue Parritt is an Australian science fiction author. Her first trilogy tells the tale of a futuristic Australia ravaged by climate change, and racial oppression.
BELINDA: Tell us about Sannah, what makes her strong?
SUE: Sensuous, emotional and dramatic, Sannah, 39, a descendant of Environmental Refugees from the drowned Pacific Islands, is the Storyteller for Village 10. Storytellers–one for each Brown Zone village–are trained to deliver a distorted version of history to ensure compliance and reinforce White superiority. An articulate speaker, Sannah employs both voice and body to weave a spell around her audience. She also plays the role of ‘lover’ to many White men, to gain information useful to the Women’s Line, an undercover group that assists political prisoners on the run to flee the country and find sanctuary in egalitarian Aotearoa. Intelligent and savvy, Sannah knows what it takes to survive in an oppressive apartheid society ruled by tyrannical troopers, but willingly risks her life to ensure clandestine truth-telling continues. In twenty-fourth century Australia, she is a third-class citizen, but despite her low status, she believes in the power to effect change. This, plus the determination to engage in seditious activities whatever the consequences, makes and keeps her strong.