An author's View on Wriitng 'Faction' like the swine flu/pandemic research behind 'Outback Ferals'
Pandemic Swine & Fiction Prediction in Novels
by Hazel Edwards
Today the swine flu pandemic is major news. That’s a fact. Three years ago, I wrote about a pandemic threa... more

An author's View on Wriitng 'Faction' like the swine flu/pandemic research behind 'Outback Ferals'

Pandemic Swine & Fiction Prediction in Novels
by Hazel Edwards

Today the swine flu pandemic is major news. That’s a fact. Three years ago, I wrote about a pandemic threat to Darwin, via feral pigs. That was fiction. But so close to this week’s real life swine flu.

In my novel ‘Outback Ferals’ (the ferals were the pigs, not the locals!) infection details were carefully researched with quarantine authorities. The implications of a pandemic threat were woven into the plot. My facts were right, but the story about Kyle the young undercover, eco- scientist sleuth was fiction.

Why is my fiction prediction becoming nightly news? Perhaps it's the fiction writer's tendency to research, look at the possible conflicts and then say What if? It’s a reasoned guess based on possibilities.

Authors are often asked how they ’predict’ events in their fiction, and how close they write to life. I’ve had a few literary co-incidences.

While plotting the ‘Antarctica’s Frozen Chosen’ novel, I discarded my former anthrax plot as inappropriate after Sept 11 But now the bio-political issues of immunisation, quarantine and possible infertility are getting very close to the mutated bio contraception from animal to human in my novel of a rogue scientist and a quarantined Antarctic base.

I did my homework. As recipient of the Antarctic Division Humanities berth, I went on an expedition because I believe in participant-observer research. I consulted ‘boffins’ and ‘tradies’ on board and the medical ‘Doc’ filled me in on all the possible complications while the scientists told me about genetic crossovers. I had an ‘expert’ plot.

Now, It’s a bit alarming how fiction becomes fact. Literary coincidences have occured before, where life has mirrored my fiction, but none as extreme as recent pandemic news.

In the novel ‘ Fake ID’ (which has many hits on my website for the wrong reasons) on the day of Zoe’s grandmother’s funeral, Zoe discovers her grandmother had fake ID for years. I’ve had four people approach me since the book’s publication saying the same thing had happened in their family, but from different warzones, not Hungary as in my novel. That research I did with State Trustee genealogists during the first draft.

The fiction writer’s role is to entertain, but also to provide a different perspective. Maybe in their plots, authors gamble with probabilities rather than possibilities? Currently I’m co-writing a YA (young adult) novel ‘f2m’ about gender transitioning.

Reviews:
Outback Ferals by Hazel Edwards (Lothian)
PB RRP: $17.95
Reviewed by Jenny Mounfield
BuzzWords Nov 2006
Fresh from the Antarctic, environmentalist Kyle heads to Darwin to investigate a possible environmental threat. He lands a casual job with Quaranti... more

Reviews:

Outback Ferals by Hazel Edwards (Lothian)
PB RRP: $17.95
Reviewed by Jenny Mounfield
BuzzWords Nov 2006

Fresh from the Antarctic, environmentalist Kyle heads to Darwin to investigate a possible environmental threat. He lands a casual job with Quarantine checking properties for diseased vines, and moves into a share house where he meets the real object of his investigation, chopper pilot Ng. Housemates, Coco, Rem and Ng accept Kyle as one of the mob - as is the Top End way - and before long he is immersed in their lives in ways he didn’t expect. Kyle finds himself caring about these people and feeling more and more like a traitor for spying on Ng. But he has a job to do, one which impacts on Australia’s future.

Outback Ferals, the stand-alone sequel to, Antarctica’s Chosen
Frozen, is a refreshingly accurate slice of Northern Territory life.
Edwards’ narrative seems effortless - hardly surprising since this is her 160th book – and her characters are all wonderfully real; none more so than Aboriginal Elder, Aunty May with her troop of wayward youth.

Over the course of Kyle’s initiation into Territory life, it becomes
apparent that he attracts crocodiles the way barbeques attract flies.
He is attacked not once, but twice and herein lies my only real
criticism: Given that the narrative is written in first person present
tense, I found the drama of these scenes strangely understated.
Despite this, Outback Ferals is so original I can’t not like it. Aimed at kids 12+, this story is sure to be a hit - especially with boys.

‘Outback Ferals’ Review by Rhys Tate

Kyle and Jason are Quarantine Officers, patrolling the mean outskirts of Darwin for illegal and diseased plants. Kyle has two problems. The first: these plants are often locked away in homemade forts owned by people from the Quarantine Office... more

‘Outback Ferals’ Review by Rhys Tate


Kyle and Jason are Quarantine Officers, patrolling the mean outskirts of Darwin for illegal and diseased plants. Kyle has two problems. The first: these plants are often locked away in homemade forts owned by people from the Quarantine Office’s ‘Nutters File’ – like Mr A.N. Zac and his feral bush dog Nick.

The second: Kyle’s secret job, watching the mysterious chopper pilot Ng, who is suspected of importing illegal goods. Kyle’s boss wants him to get close to Ng – so close that Kyle moves into Ng’s sharehouse. He meets the gorgeous, streetwise Coco and comedian Rem, and finds out it’s hard to spy on people he’s fast becoming friends with.

Hazel Edwards is best-known for her Hippopotamus... series of picture books, but is also a prolific writer of teenage fiction. Outback Ferals works because it feels real. Kyle isn’t an action superhero – he’s a confused young bloke torn by the pressure of his snooping. Edwards writes a convincing action-thriller that doesn’t rely on fireworks, but presents Darwin as a semi-tamed frontier town full of eccentric folk, all bursting with stories. As long as Kyle can keep his head together, win the Darwin Regatta in a boat made of beer cans and keep his limbs out of crocodile jaws, he’ll do very well there.

OUTBACK FERALS by HAZEL EDWARDS
Hachette/ Lothian Books
Feral animals can carry disease. Their habits can also destroy our flora and fauna. Deceased ferals threaten our environment and agricultural industry. The issue is serious. Australia regards it as serious. Darwin is a city on the fro... more

OUTBACK FERALS by HAZEL EDWARDS
Hachette/ Lothian Books
Feral animals can carry disease. Their habits can also destroy our flora and fauna. Deceased ferals threaten our environment and agricultural industry. The issue is serious. Australia regards it as serious. Darwin is a city on the frontline in this battle against introduced disease.
This is the background to Hazel Edwards' new YA novel, 'Outback Ferals'. Set in Darwin and the Northern Territory, 'Outback Ferals' is a story of young people who reflect Darwin, the Outback and its frontier environment. Environmental activist Kyle is on a mission to expose the possibility of an illegal trade in infected and illegal goods.
A great strength of 'Outback Ferals' is it's revelation of the life of Darwin and the Northern Territory. Crocodiles, the bush, eccentric local characters, the beer can regatta, the weather, sailing on the sand dunes, the cultural mix within the Territory, create a living community inside 'Outback Ferals'. Hazel Edwards has obviously intimate knowledge of this outback life. She reveals the quirky humour of the Territory through characters. A.N.Zac the wild farmer who won't let the inspectors in to check for rust on his vines, is truly Territorian. The crocodiles dominate the newspapers, mixing fear and humour. Hazel Edwards has captured the great energy in Darwin as people create new businesses, activities and relationships in a challenging landscape. There is a feeling that it is the Wild West.
While 'Outback ferals' is an adventure story which will have YA appeal, it also provides invaluable information on the real dangers of introduced species and diseases to Australia and information on methods used to stop this.
'Outback Ferals' is timely. It is a companion book to Hazel Edwards' 'Antarctica's Frozen Chosen' which advocates protection of this fragile environment.
Susanne Gervay www.sgervay.com