New Books / Reviews
Reviews of New Books Spring 2025
Ghost Cities – inspired by the vacant, uninhabited megacities of China – follows multiple narratives, including one in which a young man named Xiang is fired from his job as a translator at Sydney’s Chinese Consulate after it is discovered he doesn’t speak a word of Chinese and has been relying entirely on Google Translate for his work. How is his relocation to one such ghost city connected to a parallel odyssey in which an ancient Emperor creates a thousand doubles of Himself? Where a chess-playing automaton hides a deadly secret? Or a tale in which every book in the known Empire is destroyed then re-created, page by page and book by book, all in the name of love and art? Allegorical and imaginative, Ghost Cities will appeal to readers of Haruki Murakami and Italo Calvino.
Deep Listening to Nature is an invitation to open our ears to the natural world. Beginning by tuning in to the sounds of creatures around us, Andrew discusses how to identify species by call, interpret their communications and find empathy for their sentience. Part reflection, part nature and travel diary, Andrew asks what does listening reveal about how the living systems of nature function, and why do birds in particular negotiate their interactions in such lyrical and extraordinary ways? He concludes by suggesting we not only listen to learn about nature, but learn from nature. He asks how, in our current environmental crisis, we may mimic what the biosphere has achieved in sustaining life as we move toward an ecological future and in doing so, form a deeper and more personal connection to Country. Andrew encourages us to be still and listen. Extend our senses. Let nature get to know us, and in its own way, to welcome us. The book is accompanied by an online soundtrack with 300 audio recordings, which bring the text to life.