Deucalion

Deucalion

by Brian Caswell

Beneath the twin moons of the planet Deucalion revolution is in the air. Is Deucalion fated to repeat the errors of the past, or is it really a new beginning? Frozen in cryogenic sleep inhabitants of Old Earth have travelled across time and space to start a new life on the planet Deucalion. But what does it all mean for the Elokoi who lived there first? Can Saebi pass her Dream to the clans and set The Returning in motion before it is too late, and they are lost forever?

Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction

247 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 1995

About the author

Brian Caswell was born in Wales and moved to Australia at the age of twelve. He began his working life as a teacher, resigning in 1990 to become a full-time writer.
His first novel, Merryll of the Stones, was Honour Book (Older Readers) in the 1990 Children's Book Council Book of the Year Awards. He has since published three more books, A Dream of Stars (1991), A Cage of Butterflies (1992), which was short-listed in the 1993 Children's Book Council Awards, and Mike (1993) his first novel for younger readers. Two further novels, Dreamslip and Lisdalia, are scheduled for publication in 1994.

Reviews

[Jaslyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh em gee. Where do I start with this book? It’s very short, and so the story isn’t particularly in depth and the characters aren’t overly well developed. But it is still a story we can learn a lot from.

Caswell is an Australian author and I can see, in this story, parallels between Deucalion’s colonisation, and Australia’s colonisation. Ok, let’s be real, in both cases, they were invasions. Anyway, Deucalion and Australia had peoples native to the land and other humans came along and took their land from them, murdered them for no reason other than being in their way and being different. Casting them to the side and telling them what they can and can’t do, that they don’t even have a say in what happens on their own land. Stole their historical drawings and paintings and sold them off overseas.

To drive this point home there is even an Australian Aboriginal man in the story who shares a special connection with one Elokoi in particular.

The story appears to very much be trying to help people understand that what white people did in ‘settling’ in foreign lands, murdering native peoples is wrong. When I say it like that, obviously it sounds terrible! But the victors write the history books, and for too long history has brushed all of that under the rug. It’s time to change all that and people need to understand that being different isn’t bad, and isn’t wrong. Books like this can help spread that message.

My only wish for this book is that it had been a little more developed, long enough so the complexities of colonisation / invasion, and racism can be truly appreciated, and how it takes a lot more than just a couple of riots to start making things right.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

[SBC · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book for the first time some years ago. As an adult reader, I didn't find it as interesting, I think because the science fiction, the postcolonial messages and the story outcome seemed a bit simplistic (i.e. the idea that everyone of a second generation on the planet was no longer racist). However, it is a good solid read and has some interesting elements and techniques which should still appeal to teen readers.

[Jade · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sci fi story discussing colonialism. Very much a middle grade book. This was assigned reading in school, and for some reason this resulted in me writing a parody song:

"Deucalion" sung to the theme tune of "Neighbours"
Deucalion
where all your neighbours are alien
Saebi and Cael are Elokoi
and Jane has her eye on Danny-boy
Deucalion
where politicians rig elections
cos on Deucalion
aliens
become
good friends.

The fact that I can still remember this, is a point in this book's favour.

[Bex]

Slow and boring, I’ve read what is done here in many different books and it just didn’t do it very well. This was especially present in the changing characters all sounding like they are the Sam person when you read it.
DNF April 2021.

[Mandy Partridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Australian "Avatar".

[Sky · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book slow and a bit confusing, the constant switching between character didn't help and it left me wondering what just happened. I liked the idea behind the book and it wasn't a bad book to read.