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y separately published work icon The White Abacus single work   novel   science fiction  
Issue Details: First known date: 1997... 1997 The White Abacus
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description

'Long before William Shakespeare, tales were told of the Dane Ameleth whose noble father was murdered by the uncle who swiftly weds new widow Gerutha. Must Ameleth repay this crime by killing his uncle? The White Abacus dares to reconfigure the best known version of the classic tale, Shakespeare's Hamlet, to create a futuristic revenge drama with an entirely different outcome. Telmah is an inventive genius. Ophelia is no sobbing suicide but rather the impressive Warrior Rose, who shockingly revises the fate of her lover.

'In this exotic future history, the galaxy is open to anyone who passes through a hex gate, whether hu (augmented human) or ai (artificial mind). Telmah's close friend is the ai Ratio, newly embodied to the Real. Like all members of his asteroid tribe, Telmah is forbidden to use the hex transport system, since that would doom his rebirth.

'Out of this agonizing dilemma comes a feverish pursuit of truth and duty, love and near-madness, in an endlessly startling future where nothing turns out the way you expect.

Source: Publisher's blurb.

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

    • New York (City), New York (State),
      c
      United States of America (USA),
      c
      Americas,      :       Avon Books ,       1997 .
      image of person or book cover 6587767163187645152.jpg
      This image has been sourced from online.
    • London,
      c
      England,
      c
      c
      United Kingdom (UK),
      c
      Western Europe, Europe,      :       Orion ,       2020 .
      image of person or book cover 6891604666882400450.jpg
      Image courtesy of publisher's website.
      Extent: 334p.p.
      Note/s:
      • Published 7 May 2020.
      ISBN: 9781473230149
      Series: y separately published work icon Gateway London : Orion , 2011- 19458199 2011 series - publisher novel science fiction

      Inaugurated by Orion in 2011, Gateway originally republished significant works of science fiction. By 2015, it had a catalogue of nearly three thousand titles, by over two hundred authors. Latterly, it has extended its catalogue to classic works of fantasy, horror, and crime, as well as science fiction.

      It is a companion series to SF Masterworks.

      Only works on the list by Australian authors are included on AustLit.

      Sources include https://www.thebookseller.com/news/more-hachette-authors-join-gateway.
VIEW PUBLICATION DETAILS FOR ALL VERSIONS ()

Works about this Work

The Fiction of the Future : Australian Science Fiction Russell Blackford , 2012 single work criticism
— Appears in: Sold by the Millions : Australia's Bestsellers 2012; (p. 128-140) 'According to Russell Blackford 'commercial science fiction is the most international of literary forms.' He observes that 'Australian SF continues to flourish, even if it trails heroic fantasy in mass-market appeal.' Australian SF writers although published internationally, with a dedicated fan followings in USA, UK and Europe, were overlooked for a very long time by Australian multinational publishers. The international editions had to be imported and were then distributed in Australia (Congreve and Marquardt 8). Blackford in his chapter throws light on the history of Australian SF and observes how Australian SF writers, with their concern for the future, achieved a powerful synthesis in form and content. The progress of Australian SF, maturity of style in the work of younger writers, and massive worldwide sales make Blackford optimistic as he asserts that 'the best Australian writers in the genre will be prominent players on the world stage.' (Editor's foreword xii-xiii)
'Tragedy, Comedy, History'? : Romanversionen des Hamlet-Stoffes bei John Updike und Damien Broderick Annegret Maack , 2002 single work criticism
— Appears in: Zeitschrift fur Anglistik und Amerikanistik , vol. 50 no. 1 2002; (p. 54-64) Author's abstract: Probably Hamlet is the literary text which has produced the largest number of critical interpretations as well as creative adaptations which themselves have become the object of literary criticism. The following essay concentrates on variations of Hamlet in novels which - different from discussions of Shakespeare's drama in well-known novels like Joyce's Ulysses - choose to situate the plot either in history or in the future. In his Gertrude and Claudius the American author John Updike uses different sources (from Saxo Grammaticus and Belleforest) and is thus able to write a novel situated in historic times. Though he ends his novel where Shakespeare's drama begins, Updike presents an interpretation of the central characters of Shakespeare's play. [In his novel The White Abacus] the Australian author Damien Broderick situates the Hamlet-plot in space, where his main character Telmah is accompanied by a robot named Ratio (i.e. Horatio). Broderick retains the essential elements of Shakespeare's plot, but decides on a different ending. He structures his novel according to Harold Bloom's terminology of literary tropes in 'The Map of Misprision'. While he adapts Shakespeare's conflict of father and son, his structure refers to the conflict of predecessor and successor formulated in Bloom's Anxiety of Influence. His novel thus is an example of the postmodern conviction that we live in a huge library in which we rearrange old texts. Both novels represent appropriations of Shakespeare by fitting the original text into their own parameters.
Untitled Bill Congreve , 1998 single work review
— Appears in: Aurealis : Australian Fantasy & Science Fiction , no. 20-21 1998; (p. 170-171)
— Review of The White Abacus Damien Broderick , 1997 single work novel
Human, Transhuman, Posthuman Russell Blackford , 1998 single work review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , April no. 199 1998; (p. 44-45)
— Review of The White Abacus Damien Broderick , 1997 single work novel
Tears in the Template Alan Olding , 1998 single work review
— Appears in: The Australian's Review of Books , March vol. 3 no. 2 1998; (p. 23-24)
— Review of The White Abacus Damien Broderick , 1997 single work novel
Future in the Flesh Van Ikin , 1998 single work review
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 3 October 1998; (p. 12)
— Review of Diaspora Greg Egan , 1997 single work novel ; The White Abacus Damien Broderick , 1997 single work novel
A Voyage Into the Far Future Terry Dowling , 1997 single work review
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 26-27 July 1997; (p. rev 9)
— Review of Winter Simon Brown , 1997 single work novel ; The White Abacus Damien Broderick , 1997 single work novel
Tears in the Template Alan Olding , 1998 single work review
— Appears in: The Australian's Review of Books , March vol. 3 no. 2 1998; (p. 23-24)
— Review of The White Abacus Damien Broderick , 1997 single work novel
Human, Transhuman, Posthuman Russell Blackford , 1998 single work review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , April no. 199 1998; (p. 44-45)
— Review of The White Abacus Damien Broderick , 1997 single work novel
Untitled Bill Congreve , 1998 single work review
— Appears in: Aurealis : Australian Fantasy & Science Fiction , no. 20-21 1998; (p. 170-171)
— Review of The White Abacus Damien Broderick , 1997 single work novel
'Tragedy, Comedy, History'? : Romanversionen des Hamlet-Stoffes bei John Updike und Damien Broderick Annegret Maack , 2002 single work criticism
— Appears in: Zeitschrift fur Anglistik und Amerikanistik , vol. 50 no. 1 2002; (p. 54-64) Author's abstract: Probably Hamlet is the literary text which has produced the largest number of critical interpretations as well as creative adaptations which themselves have become the object of literary criticism. The following essay concentrates on variations of Hamlet in novels which - different from discussions of Shakespeare's drama in well-known novels like Joyce's Ulysses - choose to situate the plot either in history or in the future. In his Gertrude and Claudius the American author John Updike uses different sources (from Saxo Grammaticus and Belleforest) and is thus able to write a novel situated in historic times. Though he ends his novel where Shakespeare's drama begins, Updike presents an interpretation of the central characters of Shakespeare's play. [In his novel The White Abacus] the Australian author Damien Broderick situates the Hamlet-plot in space, where his main character Telmah is accompanied by a robot named Ratio (i.e. Horatio). Broderick retains the essential elements of Shakespeare's plot, but decides on a different ending. He structures his novel according to Harold Bloom's terminology of literary tropes in 'The Map of Misprision'. While he adapts Shakespeare's conflict of father and son, his structure refers to the conflict of predecessor and successor formulated in Bloom's Anxiety of Influence. His novel thus is an example of the postmodern conviction that we live in a huge library in which we rearrange old texts. Both novels represent appropriations of Shakespeare by fitting the original text into their own parameters.
The Fiction of the Future : Australian Science Fiction Russell Blackford , 2012 single work criticism
— Appears in: Sold by the Millions : Australia's Bestsellers 2012; (p. 128-140) 'According to Russell Blackford 'commercial science fiction is the most international of literary forms.' He observes that 'Australian SF continues to flourish, even if it trails heroic fantasy in mass-market appeal.' Australian SF writers although published internationally, with a dedicated fan followings in USA, UK and Europe, were overlooked for a very long time by Australian multinational publishers. The international editions had to be imported and were then distributed in Australia (Congreve and Marquardt 8). Blackford in his chapter throws light on the history of Australian SF and observes how Australian SF writers, with their concern for the future, achieved a powerful synthesis in form and content. The progress of Australian SF, maturity of style in the work of younger writers, and massive worldwide sales make Blackford optimistic as he asserts that 'the best Australian writers in the genre will be prominent players on the world stage.' (Editor's foreword xii-xiii)
y separately published work icon Hyperdreams: Damien Broderick's Space/ Time Fiction Russell Blackford , New Lambton : Nimrod Publications , 1998 Z422966 1998 single work criticism
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Awards

VIEW ALL AWARDS (3)
Last amended 1 Jun 2020 09:58:28
Subjects:
Influenced by:
Hamlet
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