James Bradley's new novel subverts the classic crime-solving trope
Landfall
James Bradley
Penguin, $34.99
The progress of Tropical Cyclone Alfred towards landfall across south-east Queensland and northern New South Wales prompted warnings and evacuations in areas not typically in the direct path of such severe weather. As communities in Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Northern Rivers braced for impact, I switched between scrolling news reports and social media updates on Alfred, and reading James Bradley's remarkably prescient novel, Landfall.
The third instalment in his critically acclaimed climate fiction series, Landfall builds on the themes of its predecessors, Clade and Ghost Species, along with Bradley's 'climate project' —long and short fiction for adults and young people, essays, journalism and non-fiction books — all centred on exploring the impacts and possible remedies to the human-induced climate crisis. While no stranger to writing eco-thrillers, this time Bradley flips the well-loved Australian trope of the missing child by transporting it from its cliched bush setting into a post-climate-apocalypse Sydney, producing a genre mash-up of cli-fi and detective fiction.
'The Melt' — a tipping point climate event — has seen the great Antarctic ice sheets crash into the ocean, sending water levels rising across the world. The Sydney of Landfall is a world inhabited by characters whose lives are irreparably transformed by climate catastrophe, a city whose flooded streets, scorchingly hot suburbs, and social divides, are both alien and unsettlingly familiar.
When five-year-old Casey Mitchell goes missing, suspected abducted, Senior Detective Sadiya Azad and her partner Detective Sargeant Paul Findlay, are dispatched to the city's margins to investigate the case. The 'Floodline', a series of half-submerged houses and apartments strung together with makeshift duckboards and pontoons, is home to Casey's mother, Emma and stepfather, Jay, who immediately becomes a suspect based on his social media links to white supremacist groups.
Bradley furnishes the novel with the requisite cast of shady characters to question and eliminate: a convicted paedophile lurking around the scene of the girl's disappearance, the head honcho of an exploitative corporation having an illicit love affair, an ex-junkie relative of a person of interest, and various other crooks and rogues operating in a web of corruption who round out the whodunit. When the body of a seemingly unrelated woman turns up in the boot of a burnt-out car, the case becomes curiouser and curiouser.
In Landfall, environmental devastation is not merely a backdrop to the action; it is a central character and driving narrative. The police investigation into Casey's disappearance is hindered by the everyday reality of living with the extreme heat and inundation of a coastal city on the brink of societal collapse. The novel's chapters are titled by days of the week, running Monday through Friday. Each passing day builds the urgency of finding the girl and is amplified by the impending landfall of Nasreem, 'a massive cyclone …building over the Pacific', which is expected to be unprecedented in scale and devastation.
Bradley's world-building in this speculative novel is never heavy-handed. Future tech feels near-at-hand: drones collecting footage of protesters, AI assistants and AR lenses, a failing power grid, and street cooling, while the tumultuous world of crop failures, fires, floods and hurricanes is an all too foreseeable future, 'created decades before catching up with the world'.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Courier-Mail
2 hours ago
- Courier-Mail
‘Preachy': The truth behind The Project and Q&A's brutal axings
Don't miss out on the headlines from TV. Followed categories will be added to My News. Once hugely influential within Australian culture, The Project and Q&A at their heights were able to make headlines and not only spark on-screen debate, but also further conversations within society. Sadly for Channel 10 and ABC, those days are long behind them, and this week, both networks finally decided to put the ageing shows out to pasture. Launched in 2009 as The 7pm Project with co-hosts Carrie Bickmore and comedians Charlie Pickering and Dave Hughes, the panel show won Gold Logies for Bickmore and for co-host Waleed Aly. By the time Covid-19 had the world in its grasps, viewership had begun to crumble, and year-after-year Network 10 was forced to deny that its once ratings behemoth would be coming to an end. Waleed Aly and Sarah Harris broke the news of the show being axed earlier this week. Picture: 10. When the news finally became official last week, it was hardly a surprise to many. But that doesn't make it any less devastating for the hundreds whose jobs are now in question at Channel 10, as well as those at ABC now that its own long-running current affairs show, Q&A, is also being axed from the airwaves. 'ABC has a fixed budget, it has to go begging to the government if it wants more,' said media analyst Steve Allen, director at Pearman Media Agency. 'It has to run everything on the smell of an oily rag, they're running multiple radio and television networks all off a smaller budget that most commercial networks, apart from maybe 10, don't have to operate off,' he told 'But the common theme here is that programs have to perform,' Mr Allen continued. 'They have to attract an audience; for entirely different reasons if we're talking Channel 10 and ABC. But at their core they have to be popular. It's more than a decade since The Project was at its height of viewership. Seven and Nine, their news shows are ratings behemoths. They're in the top five programmes every night of the week. 'It's incredibly hard for anyone to compete in that hour or hour and a half, whether that's SBS, ABC or Channel 10. And that's the problem The Project faced. Its ratings aren't going up. Since its stellar cast faded away bit by bit they've tried all sorts of personality and host combinations none of which really worked,' he added. The Project attracted almost a million nightly viewers at its height. Picture: Channel 10. As advertising dollars have continued to decrease over the years, forcing free-to-air broadcast networks around the world to tighten their purse strings and shift their entire business models to compete with streaming, Mr Allen explained that it's likely Channel 10 saw The Project's timeslot as an untapped revenue stream. 'It's contracted out to Rove Productions and one has to assume that they were making money out of it. So I would imagine that Network 10 thought if they take it in-house then they can use the profit margin that was being made to spend on something different.' Some critics have suggested that the death of shows like Q&A and The Project is down, at least in part, to audiences growing tired of having a so-called 'woke agenda' being pushed onto them. But this theory feels narrow-minded, reeks of political point-scoring and fails to look at the real issues behind their demise. After all, The Project featured Steve Price throughout almost its entire run, who regularly butted heads with the likes of Waleed Aly and Sarah Harris over hot-button issues. ABC has announced that Q&A is coming to an end. Picture: ABC And we can't forget the storming victory Labour had in the elections last month, dragging the Liberal Party over hot coals on their way to a hugely historic victory that demonstrated very clearly that social media echo chambers aren't indicative of the wider Australian culture. While shows like The Project and Q&A have floundered, more straight-news based current affairs shows like Nine's A Current Affair and ABC's Australian Story have continued to succeed within the shifting landscape. Living within a world where we're bombarded with unsolicited opinions across social media on everything from our own lives to those of celebrities, perhaps the fundamental crux is that when viewers tune into a current affairs shows, what they desire more than anything is news presented to them without any form of bias along with it, regardless of the side they personally stand on. As the demise of The Project became clear, some corners of social media blamed it on the show being 'too left-leaning' and desperate to 'push the woke agenda', while others on the polar opposite side tweeted that it was just a mouthpiece 'to push right-wing agendas to a left-wing audience'. It seems clear that this is why these shows are failing, doomed to be just another relic of TV's past. They hark back to a period in our culture when nuance was not only integral to conversation but valued. Waleed Aly is beloved to many for his style of presenting, but is it a style that still works for audiences in 2025? Picture: Channel 10 Some view The Project as 'too woke' despite the show regularly featuring conservatives like Steve Price front and centre. Picture: 10 We live in a world nowadays where everything is so black and white that it's made merely flirting with the grey area nigh impossible. Shows that attempt balance now feel doomed to try and court both sides, only to end up being abandoned by both. 'Both shows had become stale and lost the essence of what they once were,' said Rob McKnight from TV industry website TV Blackbox. 'The Project turned from a light show to a preachy show and Q&A left behind the core of what it stood for.' It seems Network 10 have come to the same realisation, with their announcement of The Project's replacement 10 News+, making very clear that one thing viewers won't get when tuning in is any form of opinion from its presenters. 'At the heart of everything we do is delivering news and current affairs that matter to you,' said the announcement. 'No filler. No opinion. Just the facts.' All that's left to see now is whether that sentiment can resonate with viewers so Channel 10 can finally bag themselves a win. As more and more legacy shows begin to fall into obscurity, all eyes are slowly turning toward morning television, an institution for many around the world, including here in Australia. Once a pioneer of the format with Good Morning Australia, Channel 10 has failed to achieve success in the timeslot since the show ended in 2005. Its follow-up show, Studio 10, was brutally axed at the end of 2023. While its rivals have continued to succeed with shows such as Today and Sunrise still regularly reaching millions every weekday, some critics have suggested that it could be the next timeslot to face struggles. Could Morning Shows be on the copping block next? Mr insisting that Australia's morning shows have 'nothing' to be concerned about, at least for the time being. 'The audiences for Sunrise, TODAY and ABC News Breakfast are very strong and both TODAY and Sunrise generate plenty of revenue,' he said. 'These shows also help the networks have local programming and connect with audiences.' While initially it may seem all doom and gloom for Channel 10 when it comes to its numerous cancellations over the years, from The Project to their failed attempts at The Traitors and bringing back Gladiators where other broadcasters like the BBC succeeded, media analyst Steve Allen says that the ailing network appears to have finally hit bottom, and now the only way is a slow climb back up. 'Peak night audience across Seven, Nine, Channel 10 and SBS has actually gone up for the first time in a decade,' he shared. 'Not by much, but that's unheard of in recent times. If it has finally bottomed out, then crucially, it means the dollars that these networks have to spend won't erode any further.' Originally published as 'Preachy': The truth behind The Project and Q&A's brutal axings
7NEWS
7 hours ago
- 7NEWS
Best activewear for winter: Shop leggings, tops and hoodies up to 40 per cent off top brands
Lorna Jane is officially entering her cool girl era. The Australian activewear label, known for its polished matching sets and studio-ready separates, has taken a fresh leap into the Gen Z fashion pool by teaming up with TikTok style star Sam Guggenheimer. Featuring roomy silhouettes, tonal sets, classics leggings and sculpted zip-ups, there's everything you need to stay cosy this cold season. Right now, you can score up to 40 per cent off select Lorna Jane pieces, including the 'must-have' lotus collection, alongside up to 50 per cent off Reebok and up to 54 per cent off Calvin Klein activewear. Below, we've rounded up some of the best buys in the sales so you can nail the look without blowing the budget. 1. All Star Active Rib Zip Through Jacket was $140, now $84 at Lorna Jane A zip-up that's made to move with you – and look great while doing it. The All Star Active Rib Zip Through Jacket is crafted from Lorna Jane's luxe ribbed fabric that wicks sweat away and adds subtle texture. It's id eal for everything from early morning runs to Sunday strolls with a coffee in hand. The slimline silhouette is flattering without being restrictive, while practical features like thumbholes and a secure zip pocket make it easy to wear all day long. This is the kind of piece that'll elevate your leggings -and-top combo instantly. 2. Reebok Lux High-Waisted Tights was $90, now $79 at Reebok When it comes to leggings that can handle your workout and your to-do list, these are a top pick. Reebok's Lux High-Waisted Tights are built with Speedwick technology to keep you dry during intense sessions, while MOTIONFRESH fabric helps fight odour so you can run errands straight after the gym. The wide waistband sits snugly without digging in, offering a flattering fit that supports you where it counts. From pilates to the school pickup line, these tights do it all. 3. Calvin Klein French Terry Hoodie was $149, now $74.95 Part of CK Sport's new activewear line, this French terry hoodie is made for movement, but looks good enough to wear to dinner. With moisture-wicking and quick-drying fabric, it's a dream for layering on cooler days without feeling heavy or damp. The cut is relaxed but still elevated, and the iconic Calvin Klein logo adds just the right amount of polish. This is the kind of hoodie that makes activewear feel sophisticated. 4. GymShark Apex Contrast Long Sleeve Top was $85, now $51 at GymShark Looking to power through your next gym sesh without overheating? This long sleeve top from GymShark is a game changer. Made with BRZE technology, it's built to keep you cool and dry even during the most intense workouts. The seamless jacquard design moves with your body, while the contour lines add shape and style. Whether you're training hard or lounging hard, this one keeps you looking sharp. 5. Luluemon Scuba Oversized Full-Zip Hoodie Taupetastic was $169, now $134 Lululemon's cult-fave Scuba Hoodie has had a tonal winter makeover, and it's just as dreamy as ever. Designed in a cloud-soft fleece with an oversized fit, this hoodie is all about comfort without compromising on shape. It hits that perfect spot between cropped and longline, making it ideal for layering over leggings or pairing with high-waisted pants. Add in the roomy hood and thumbholes, and you've got the ultimate winter throw-on.
The Advertiser
7 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Roo little beauty: meet the cuddly Aussie movie stars set to charm the world
Meet joeys Margot, Emily, Connor and Biscuit, the cuddlesome stars of Kangaroo, the first Australian movie from the studio behind the blockbuster Paddington franchise. StudioCanal has given the ACM network, publisher of this masthead, an exclusive first look at images from its upcoming family comedy as it releases a heartwarming new trailer and the film's new poster. Opening in cinemas on September 18, Kangaroo is loosely based on the life of Chris "Brolga" Barns, founder of the Alice Springs Kangaroo Sanctuary, whose escapades raising orphaned joeys were featured in the 2013 BBC-National Geographic documentary series Kangaroo Dundee. The film stars Ryan Corr as a TV weather presenter stranded in a tiny Northern Territory town who teams up with a 12-year-old Indigenous girl to rescue an orphan joey. Newcomer Lily Whiteley, chosen from more than 300 hopefuls, makes her acting debut alongside Corr and co-stars Deborah Mailman, Ernie Dingo and Brooke Satchwell. Whiteley shares much of her screen time with Margot, Emily, Connor and their on-set stand-in and snugglemate Biscuit - all real orphaned joeys in the care of the Kangaroo Sanctuary who had their own trailer on the set of the movie in Alice Springs, where Barns and his wife Tahnee would give them their bottle every three hours. By the time movie-goers see them bouncing across cinema screens in September, the cute quartet will be all grown up and already released back into the wild. Director Kate Woods, of Looking for Alibrandi acclaim, said there was "no CGI or digital trickery with the joeys". "What you see is exactly how they behave," she said. "I think most of the world associates Australia with kangaroos, but not many films have shown kangaroos in a realistic and natural way, so I hope audiences learn something about the country and see it in a slightly different way." The Kangaroo Dundee series was seen in more than 90 countries, giving StudioCanal a ready worldwide audience for Kangaroo. The French screen giant turned quaint British children's book character Paddington Bear into an $800 million box office heavyweight with three hit movies since 2014. StudioCanal Australia and New Zealand CEO Elizabeth Trotman said the first feature film from the company's Australian production arm, Cultivator Films Australia, was "sure to leave an indelible mark on the cinematic landscape". Australian film companies Brindle Films and Bunya Productions were key collaborators during filming, lending their experience and expertise in bringing First Nations stories and Red Centre vistas to the screen. Producer David Jowsey, whose credits for Bunya Productions include Warwick Thornton's Sweet Country and Iven Sen's outback crime thriller Mystery Road, expects Aussie movie-goers to feel proud when they see Kangaroo's depiction of "the deep red beauty of our vast outback". "Kangaroo embraces the best of Australia, our community, our land, our spirit and our baby roos," he said. Older generations who grew up with Skippy The Bush Kangaroo would find it fun, "full of heart and belonging, reminding us of a simpler Australia". Meet joeys Margot, Emily, Connor and Biscuit, the cuddlesome stars of Kangaroo, the first Australian movie from the studio behind the blockbuster Paddington franchise. StudioCanal has given the ACM network, publisher of this masthead, an exclusive first look at images from its upcoming family comedy as it releases a heartwarming new trailer and the film's new poster. Opening in cinemas on September 18, Kangaroo is loosely based on the life of Chris "Brolga" Barns, founder of the Alice Springs Kangaroo Sanctuary, whose escapades raising orphaned joeys were featured in the 2013 BBC-National Geographic documentary series Kangaroo Dundee. The film stars Ryan Corr as a TV weather presenter stranded in a tiny Northern Territory town who teams up with a 12-year-old Indigenous girl to rescue an orphan joey. Newcomer Lily Whiteley, chosen from more than 300 hopefuls, makes her acting debut alongside Corr and co-stars Deborah Mailman, Ernie Dingo and Brooke Satchwell. Whiteley shares much of her screen time with Margot, Emily, Connor and their on-set stand-in and snugglemate Biscuit - all real orphaned joeys in the care of the Kangaroo Sanctuary who had their own trailer on the set of the movie in Alice Springs, where Barns and his wife Tahnee would give them their bottle every three hours. By the time movie-goers see them bouncing across cinema screens in September, the cute quartet will be all grown up and already released back into the wild. Director Kate Woods, of Looking for Alibrandi acclaim, said there was "no CGI or digital trickery with the joeys". "What you see is exactly how they behave," she said. "I think most of the world associates Australia with kangaroos, but not many films have shown kangaroos in a realistic and natural way, so I hope audiences learn something about the country and see it in a slightly different way." The Kangaroo Dundee series was seen in more than 90 countries, giving StudioCanal a ready worldwide audience for Kangaroo. The French screen giant turned quaint British children's book character Paddington Bear into an $800 million box office heavyweight with three hit movies since 2014. StudioCanal Australia and New Zealand CEO Elizabeth Trotman said the first feature film from the company's Australian production arm, Cultivator Films Australia, was "sure to leave an indelible mark on the cinematic landscape". Australian film companies Brindle Films and Bunya Productions were key collaborators during filming, lending their experience and expertise in bringing First Nations stories and Red Centre vistas to the screen. Producer David Jowsey, whose credits for Bunya Productions include Warwick Thornton's Sweet Country and Iven Sen's outback crime thriller Mystery Road, expects Aussie movie-goers to feel proud when they see Kangaroo's depiction of "the deep red beauty of our vast outback". "Kangaroo embraces the best of Australia, our community, our land, our spirit and our baby roos," he said. Older generations who grew up with Skippy The Bush Kangaroo would find it fun, "full of heart and belonging, reminding us of a simpler Australia". Meet joeys Margot, Emily, Connor and Biscuit, the cuddlesome stars of Kangaroo, the first Australian movie from the studio behind the blockbuster Paddington franchise. StudioCanal has given the ACM network, publisher of this masthead, an exclusive first look at images from its upcoming family comedy as it releases a heartwarming new trailer and the film's new poster. Opening in cinemas on September 18, Kangaroo is loosely based on the life of Chris "Brolga" Barns, founder of the Alice Springs Kangaroo Sanctuary, whose escapades raising orphaned joeys were featured in the 2013 BBC-National Geographic documentary series Kangaroo Dundee. The film stars Ryan Corr as a TV weather presenter stranded in a tiny Northern Territory town who teams up with a 12-year-old Indigenous girl to rescue an orphan joey. Newcomer Lily Whiteley, chosen from more than 300 hopefuls, makes her acting debut alongside Corr and co-stars Deborah Mailman, Ernie Dingo and Brooke Satchwell. Whiteley shares much of her screen time with Margot, Emily, Connor and their on-set stand-in and snugglemate Biscuit - all real orphaned joeys in the care of the Kangaroo Sanctuary who had their own trailer on the set of the movie in Alice Springs, where Barns and his wife Tahnee would give them their bottle every three hours. By the time movie-goers see them bouncing across cinema screens in September, the cute quartet will be all grown up and already released back into the wild. Director Kate Woods, of Looking for Alibrandi acclaim, said there was "no CGI or digital trickery with the joeys". "What you see is exactly how they behave," she said. "I think most of the world associates Australia with kangaroos, but not many films have shown kangaroos in a realistic and natural way, so I hope audiences learn something about the country and see it in a slightly different way." The Kangaroo Dundee series was seen in more than 90 countries, giving StudioCanal a ready worldwide audience for Kangaroo. The French screen giant turned quaint British children's book character Paddington Bear into an $800 million box office heavyweight with three hit movies since 2014. StudioCanal Australia and New Zealand CEO Elizabeth Trotman said the first feature film from the company's Australian production arm, Cultivator Films Australia, was "sure to leave an indelible mark on the cinematic landscape". Australian film companies Brindle Films and Bunya Productions were key collaborators during filming, lending their experience and expertise in bringing First Nations stories and Red Centre vistas to the screen. Producer David Jowsey, whose credits for Bunya Productions include Warwick Thornton's Sweet Country and Iven Sen's outback crime thriller Mystery Road, expects Aussie movie-goers to feel proud when they see Kangaroo's depiction of "the deep red beauty of our vast outback". "Kangaroo embraces the best of Australia, our community, our land, our spirit and our baby roos," he said. Older generations who grew up with Skippy The Bush Kangaroo would find it fun, "full of heart and belonging, reminding us of a simpler Australia". Meet joeys Margot, Emily, Connor and Biscuit, the cuddlesome stars of Kangaroo, the first Australian movie from the studio behind the blockbuster Paddington franchise. StudioCanal has given the ACM network, publisher of this masthead, an exclusive first look at images from its upcoming family comedy as it releases a heartwarming new trailer and the film's new poster. Opening in cinemas on September 18, Kangaroo is loosely based on the life of Chris "Brolga" Barns, founder of the Alice Springs Kangaroo Sanctuary, whose escapades raising orphaned joeys were featured in the 2013 BBC-National Geographic documentary series Kangaroo Dundee. The film stars Ryan Corr as a TV weather presenter stranded in a tiny Northern Territory town who teams up with a 12-year-old Indigenous girl to rescue an orphan joey. Newcomer Lily Whiteley, chosen from more than 300 hopefuls, makes her acting debut alongside Corr and co-stars Deborah Mailman, Ernie Dingo and Brooke Satchwell. Whiteley shares much of her screen time with Margot, Emily, Connor and their on-set stand-in and snugglemate Biscuit - all real orphaned joeys in the care of the Kangaroo Sanctuary who had their own trailer on the set of the movie in Alice Springs, where Barns and his wife Tahnee would give them their bottle every three hours. By the time movie-goers see them bouncing across cinema screens in September, the cute quartet will be all grown up and already released back into the wild. Director Kate Woods, of Looking for Alibrandi acclaim, said there was "no CGI or digital trickery with the joeys". "What you see is exactly how they behave," she said. "I think most of the world associates Australia with kangaroos, but not many films have shown kangaroos in a realistic and natural way, so I hope audiences learn something about the country and see it in a slightly different way." The Kangaroo Dundee series was seen in more than 90 countries, giving StudioCanal a ready worldwide audience for Kangaroo. The French screen giant turned quaint British children's book character Paddington Bear into an $800 million box office heavyweight with three hit movies since 2014. StudioCanal Australia and New Zealand CEO Elizabeth Trotman said the first feature film from the company's Australian production arm, Cultivator Films Australia, was "sure to leave an indelible mark on the cinematic landscape". Australian film companies Brindle Films and Bunya Productions were key collaborators during filming, lending their experience and expertise in bringing First Nations stories and Red Centre vistas to the screen. Producer David Jowsey, whose credits for Bunya Productions include Warwick Thornton's Sweet Country and Iven Sen's outback crime thriller Mystery Road, expects Aussie movie-goers to feel proud when they see Kangaroo's depiction of "the deep red beauty of our vast outback". "Kangaroo embraces the best of Australia, our community, our land, our spirit and our baby roos," he said. Older generations who grew up with Skippy The Bush Kangaroo would find it fun, "full of heart and belonging, reminding us of a simpler Australia".
