Gadfly Books

Books by and for gadflies who wish they were polymaths.

A Bird’s Life is an experiment in writing from an animal’s point of view.  Its five vignettes make up a fantasy based on animal facts as distinct from fantasies (such as Jonathan Livingston Seagull) based on animal nonsense.

You'd appreciated these data more if you had lived them or had even just observed them.  Here at least is your chance to live vicariously.  Isn't that why you read almost anything about other people and about animals?  But which human story gives a character with enough clarity, in enough detail, to identify his body and actions as yours?  Which animal story presents the creatures as more than men in fur, feathers, or scales?    

The Australian Grey-crowned Babbler is an intensely social bird, living in family groups of normally four to ten birds.  It was of particular interest to ornithology for a short time because of its altruistic behavior---which was another kind of nonsense.

The Joy of Sisyphus.  A paradox to inspire.  

A Dreamtime Story is based on the Aboriginal legend of Little Brolga, the Dancing Girl.  Aboriginal societies before the coming of white men supposedly had no class structure or authoritarian leaders; and although women were excluded from some sacred ceremonies, they had their own. Many legends of the Dreamtime were about powerful and intelligent women---indeed, the addition of the boy is fabrication on my part.  In both story and reality, jabiru storks neither sing nor call.  

The Outback presents a glimpse of outback life in Queensland in the 70s.

From Australia:

Miscellany:

Free Short Stories