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The Back of the Back of Beyond
BACK OF THE BACK OF BEYOND Come and join the Party!
Through her short stories 'No Pets Allowed', 'Get Me to The Worldcon on Time' , 'My Sweet 286' and 'Party', Edwina Harvey introduced her readers to a world where flatmates discover the difficulties of raising young dragons in small suburban apartments, where “flying” to a science fiction convention takes on a whole new meaning, and where “the next door neighbours” on an Australian rural backblock are out of this world, but the parties are legendary.
Now collected here for the first time, these stories are interwoven with seven new tales set in the same universe.
Come and be introduced to a rural Australian landscape you never knew existed somewhere out in the back of the back of beyond.
Through her short stories 'No Pets Allowed', 'Get Me to The Worldcon on Time' , 'My Sweet 286' and 'Party', Edwina Harvey introduced her readers to a world where flatmates discover the difficulties of raising young dragons in small suburban apartments, where “flying” to a science fiction convention takes on a whole new meaning, and where “the next door neighbours” on an Australian rural backblock are out of this world, but the parties are legendary.
Now collected here for the first time, these stories are interwoven with seven new tales set in the same universe.
Come and be introduced to a rural Australian landscape you never knew existed somewhere out in the back of the back of beyond.
198 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 8, 2013
8 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 14, 2017
Originally, I thought this book was an anthology of short stories, but it turned out to be a novella. Not that I was disappointed in the slightest. The story follows a woman who has taken a redundancy package and bought a remote farm out the back of the back of beyond. Her story is one of how to survive as a city slicker in a rural place. Thankfully she is helped by a friend who drops in on his dragon with supplies, artists who intended to have a retreat and aliens who use the property next door as a landing site for their spaceship.
The book is funny if you understand subtle dry Australian humour. It is easy to read with a good mix of characters. At times it is scientifically inaccurate and a little implausible but I didn’t care, I assumed it was meant to be that way. I also liked the fact that the book didn’t follow a ridged formula nor did it have gratuitous drama for the sake of tension. In fact, it was a pleasure to read because it didn’t have these things. If you can handle a light-hearted book with puns and humour I can seriously recommend this one.
The book is funny if you understand subtle dry Australian humour. It is easy to read with a good mix of characters. At times it is scientifically inaccurate and a little implausible but I didn’t care, I assumed it was meant to be that way. I also liked the fact that the book didn’t follow a ridged formula nor did it have gratuitous drama for the sake of tension. In fact, it was a pleasure to read because it didn’t have these things. If you can handle a light-hearted book with puns and humour I can seriously recommend this one.
April 24, 2017
An light hearted romp through suburbia and the Australian outback - featuring dragons, aliens, horses, donkeys and the best hot chips around!
May 15, 2014
I thoroughly enjoyed this book from Edwina. I read it because I like to read books by people I know (even vaguely) and because unicorns dragons and aliens sound like a great combination.
This is a series of short stories that weave together nicely. They are easy to read, have an amused, conversational style, and speak to the sci-fi con nerd in all if us.
Good stuff, give it a shot.
This is a series of short stories that weave together nicely. They are easy to read, have an amused, conversational style, and speak to the sci-fi con nerd in all if us.
Good stuff, give it a shot.
May 18, 2014
The Back of the Back of Beyond by Edwina Harvey is an unusual collection. Somewhere between a collection of stories set in the same universe and short novel. I would say that in general each story/chapter (they are called chapters in the book) feels most like an episodic instalment. It put me in mind of a TV show in that respect.
I started off commenting on each story as I usually do, but some of them were more like chapters/instalments than self contained stories, so I was a bit haphazard in doing so. I think, ultimately, this is a collection best considered as a whole rather than on a story-by-story basis.
Written as a sort of alternate-reality autobiography, the stories deal with the mundanities of life made more exciting by the addition of dragons or aliens (usually). The opening story, "No Pets Allowed" recounts the story of a troublesome past flatmate who left, not because of the weird parties he used to throw, but because of the pet dragon he acquired. The same ex-flatmate causes difficulties in getting to the Melbourne Worldcon on time, and so forth. The stories are fannish in the sense that they deal with SFF fans and geeks and more or less tell a story of geeky wish-fulfilment. I mean, who doesn't want a friend with a dragon (so long as you don't have to deal with the dragon poop yourself) or to make friends with aliens?
The Back of the Back of Beyond was a fun read. It wasn't laugh-out-loud hilarious, but it definitely had me sniggering or chuckling on several occasions. I am intrigued by the serialised/episodic form of the storytelling and, in general, would like to see more of that sort of think around.OK so maybe I'm biased because I'm working on something like that myself, but that's beside the point. This is the first substantial work I've read by Harvey (not counting her editing, I might have read a short story somewhere, but I'm not entirely certain) and based on this I would definitely consider reading more. I recommend this book to fans of "odd" humorous SFF and anyone looking for a light-hearted read, especially if the idea of stories with strong influences from Aussie fan culture appeals.
~
No Pets Allowed — a snigger-worthy story, told in the form of a housemate interview. As in, the narrator is telling you, the reader/prospective renter, about the previous housemate and, in particular, why there’s a giant scorch mark on the wall of your would-be room.
Get Me To The Worldcon On Time — How one gets to the Worldcon when one’s crazy dragon-riding friend drops by to delay you. A bit of recapping of the previous story at the start was annoying (but understandable since it was originally published by itself), but otherwise, another amusing and enjoyable story.
The ‘R’ Word — The main character is made redundant and buys a property out west (no, further west, further than that, no not as far as Perth). This place is the titular back of the back of beyond. Moving shenanigans ensue.
Seeing The Light (When The Fridge Door’s Open) — Bean, the one with the dragon, helps her set up solar panels in the middle of nowhere.
Move Your Ass — in which our protagonist attempts not to purchase equines.
Meet The Neighbours — in which our protagonist discovers something odd on the neighbours' property.
Painters And Decorators — in which our protagonist plays host to artist friends on retreat
Party With My Sweet 286 — in which aliens upgrade our protagonists 286 laptop (in a world where farmers have iPads), but we never learn how it was able to connect to the internet before the aliens came along. Also there's a large party. An enjoyable read and one of the longer instalments.
Dragoncats — in which our protagonist tires of having young dragons around.
Neighbourhood Watch — in which a journalist attempts to write a story on UFOs sighted near our protagonist's property.
A Cast Of Thousands!!! — not a story, but it explains how some of the characters correspond to the author's family and friends. Apparently, she sold appearances to fund the production of the book. A neat idea, especially for these sorts of stories.
4 / 5 stars
You can read more of my reviews on my blog.
I started off commenting on each story as I usually do, but some of them were more like chapters/instalments than self contained stories, so I was a bit haphazard in doing so. I think, ultimately, this is a collection best considered as a whole rather than on a story-by-story basis.
Written as a sort of alternate-reality autobiography, the stories deal with the mundanities of life made more exciting by the addition of dragons or aliens (usually). The opening story, "No Pets Allowed" recounts the story of a troublesome past flatmate who left, not because of the weird parties he used to throw, but because of the pet dragon he acquired. The same ex-flatmate causes difficulties in getting to the Melbourne Worldcon on time, and so forth. The stories are fannish in the sense that they deal with SFF fans and geeks and more or less tell a story of geeky wish-fulfilment. I mean, who doesn't want a friend with a dragon (so long as you don't have to deal with the dragon poop yourself) or to make friends with aliens?
The Back of the Back of Beyond was a fun read. It wasn't laugh-out-loud hilarious, but it definitely had me sniggering or chuckling on several occasions. I am intrigued by the serialised/episodic form of the storytelling and, in general, would like to see more of that sort of think around.
~
No Pets Allowed — a snigger-worthy story, told in the form of a housemate interview. As in, the narrator is telling you, the reader/prospective renter, about the previous housemate and, in particular, why there’s a giant scorch mark on the wall of your would-be room.
Get Me To The Worldcon On Time — How one gets to the Worldcon when one’s crazy dragon-riding friend drops by to delay you. A bit of recapping of the previous story at the start was annoying (but understandable since it was originally published by itself), but otherwise, another amusing and enjoyable story.
The ‘R’ Word — The main character is made redundant and buys a property out west (no, further west, further than that, no not as far as Perth). This place is the titular back of the back of beyond. Moving shenanigans ensue.
Seeing The Light (When The Fridge Door’s Open) — Bean, the one with the dragon, helps her set up solar panels in the middle of nowhere.
Move Your Ass — in which our protagonist attempts not to purchase equines.
Meet The Neighbours — in which our protagonist discovers something odd on the neighbours' property.
Painters And Decorators — in which our protagonist plays host to artist friends on retreat
Party With My Sweet 286 — in which aliens upgrade our protagonists 286 laptop (in a world where farmers have iPads), but we never learn how it was able to connect to the internet before the aliens came along. Also there's a large party. An enjoyable read and one of the longer instalments.
Dragoncats — in which our protagonist tires of having young dragons around.
Neighbourhood Watch — in which a journalist attempts to write a story on UFOs sighted near our protagonist's property.
A Cast Of Thousands!!! — not a story, but it explains how some of the characters correspond to the author's family and friends. Apparently, she sold appearances to fund the production of the book. A neat idea, especially for these sorts of stories.
4 / 5 stars
You can read more of my reviews on my blog.
February 15, 2014
The Back of the Back of Beyond is a collection of linked stories by Edwina Harvey. Beginning with the story No Pets Allowed it’s been a twenty year journey to get to this unique collection. I say unique, because Edwina hasn’t written your run of the mill urban fantasy. It’s a cross between the tone of Cyrano de Bergerac’s proto-science fiction and something like The Secret Life of Us, only with role-players instead of trendy 20-somethings living in Saint Kilda.
The stories trace the fantastical life of the author from living in share house to moving to the back of the back of beyond.
I think comedy is one of the hardest forms to attempt in any genre so how you will find Harvey’s work will depend on if you like fannish references and in-jokes, meshed with situational comedy and dry wit.
As an example of the type of gags your likely to encounter here’s the author recalling an incident with her flatmate Bean:
It’s very light reading and could be devoured in one sitting or story by story. The book was funded through selling guest appearances in the various stories, the list of friends and supporters are listed, as well as which stories they appear in, at the end of the book. Some stalwarts of the Australian scene have been immortalised here.
I think this collection certainly has more value for those readers who have a prolonged attachment to science fiction and fantasy in the Australian scene, there will be some cross over with our geek tribes from the northern hemisphere, but the book has a definite antipodean flavour.
This book was a review copy.
The stories trace the fantastical life of the author from living in share house to moving to the back of the back of beyond.
I think comedy is one of the hardest forms to attempt in any genre so how you will find Harvey’s work will depend on if you like fannish references and in-jokes, meshed with situational comedy and dry wit.
As an example of the type of gags your likely to encounter here’s the author recalling an incident with her flatmate Bean:
I was having trouble breathing—and not the usual having trouble breathing from sinus either.
Something square had insinuated itself into my right nostril.
“Nean … Nean, I’m snuck …”
Ex-flatmate Dragon Warlord, Pig Hunter of the Fifth Dimension must have been napping as well. I heard him awaken with a start, coughing and spluttering indignantly because someone had caught him napping, no doubt a throwback to his days spent dozing through Uni lectures.
“I’m snuck, Nean …”
“Oh dear—let me see what I can do …”
He bent, he gawked, he put a reassuring hand on my right shoulder and endeavoured to pull me away from the keyboard.
I squealed in pain, probably not unlike all those feral pigs in his game. And after all of the chocolate and Coke he’d been feeding me, I probably looked like one as well.
He got up close and personal with my keyboard. I could see him out of the corner of my eye, and I couldn’t help wondering if he intended to join me in an unholy state of nostril/keyboard union out of a misplaced sense of loyalty, or empathy, or sympathy … or anything else ending in ‘athy’, but no, he was merely studying my predicament.
“You’ve got the letter H stuck up your nose,” he observed unhelpfully.
“Elp me,” I gasped.
It’s very light reading and could be devoured in one sitting or story by story. The book was funded through selling guest appearances in the various stories, the list of friends and supporters are listed, as well as which stories they appear in, at the end of the book. Some stalwarts of the Australian scene have been immortalised here.
I think this collection certainly has more value for those readers who have a prolonged attachment to science fiction and fantasy in the Australian scene, there will be some cross over with our geek tribes from the northern hemisphere, but the book has a definite antipodean flavour.
This book was a review copy.
December 15, 2013
Edwina Harvey’s The Back of the Back of Beyond is like watching an episode of that UK TV show Escape to the Country only it’s uproariously funny and involves aliens and unicorns and dragons. So, not like Escape to the Country at all really, although there are some occasional references to toilets, packing boxes, and property inspections as hapless Ed starts her dream life somewhere at the eastern edge of Beyond. With its overriding themes of relocation and reflection, The Back of the Back of Beyond is a marvellous collection of interlinking short stories to be dipped into story by story, or read as I did, in a single afternoon by the pool. Really quite doable. The Best Character with a non-speaking role is awarded jointly to Alice and Cooper, a pair of donkeys whose ability to express themselves with just the flick of an ear far outshines the talent of any current Hollywood startlet (even those capable of flicking their ears). And I love the way Harvey has borrowed the names of her friends, some well-known and much-loved personalities from the New Zealand and Australian science fiction community, and bestowed them upon her characters. While those of us who know the true owners are tempted to add our own layers to that zany bunch, readers meeting them for the first time will no doubt feel like they’re at their first Con: slightly grossed out and yet strangely fascinated. I really enjoyed my afternoon at The Back of the Back of Beyond: it's a terrific read for people who love fantasy, friends, and faraway places. Lee Murray, author of A Dash of Reality, Battle of the Birds - Te pakanga o nga manu, and Misplaced.
January 4, 2014
This book started as one short story which I've added to over the years.
Written in the first person (that'd be me), it starts with the story of Bean, a role-playing, war-gaming D&D obsessed flatmate who buys a dragon egg at a gamers convention. A dragon hatchling emerges from the egg, and merry hell ensues until Bean finally accepts that trying to keep a fast-growing young fire-breathing dragon in the confines of a small suburban flat (apartment) close to a large Sydney university is not going to happen and heads way out west.
It goes on to tell the tale of the chocaholic SF fan (yep, that still sounds like me) who ends up missing her plane to Melbourne for the Worldcon, only to arrive in style (well *a* style at any rate) as the pillion passenger on a dragon.
When the narrator gets a redundancy from her day job she intends to buy a farm and live the childhood dream of breeding horses - only the land prices around Sydney have sky-rocketed in the interim and the only thing she can afford is a run down place out the back of the back of beyond, where the skies are wide, but the fast-food restaurants she knew and loved are few and far between.
Self-sufficiency is all well and good, but how do you grow a plant that will make you a cappuccino? And what do you mean, there's no internet connection?
A Clydesdale and a couple of donkeys saved from the knackers yard become her new best friends, and the back door neighbours turn out to be "out of this world", but the parties are legendary.
Yes, I wrote it, so I'm biased. Yes, there's a fair bit of name-dropping of well-known American, Australian and NZ SF fans going on. Yes, there's a bit of fact mixed in with the fiction - but can you tell which is which?
Go on, have a laugh or two at my expense...you know you want to. Find out what happens in the Back of the Back of Beyond! : - )
Written in the first person (that'd be me), it starts with the story of Bean, a role-playing, war-gaming D&D obsessed flatmate who buys a dragon egg at a gamers convention. A dragon hatchling emerges from the egg, and merry hell ensues until Bean finally accepts that trying to keep a fast-growing young fire-breathing dragon in the confines of a small suburban flat (apartment) close to a large Sydney university is not going to happen and heads way out west.
It goes on to tell the tale of the chocaholic SF fan (yep, that still sounds like me) who ends up missing her plane to Melbourne for the Worldcon, only to arrive in style (well *a* style at any rate) as the pillion passenger on a dragon.
When the narrator gets a redundancy from her day job she intends to buy a farm and live the childhood dream of breeding horses - only the land prices around Sydney have sky-rocketed in the interim and the only thing she can afford is a run down place out the back of the back of beyond, where the skies are wide, but the fast-food restaurants she knew and loved are few and far between.
Self-sufficiency is all well and good, but how do you grow a plant that will make you a cappuccino? And what do you mean, there's no internet connection?
A Clydesdale and a couple of donkeys saved from the knackers yard become her new best friends, and the back door neighbours turn out to be "out of this world", but the parties are legendary.
Yes, I wrote it, so I'm biased. Yes, there's a fair bit of name-dropping of well-known American, Australian and NZ SF fans going on. Yes, there's a bit of fact mixed in with the fiction - but can you tell which is which?
Go on, have a laugh or two at my expense...you know you want to. Find out what happens in the Back of the Back of Beyond! : - )
August 27, 2016
A warm and funny set of stories that juxtapose the world of SF/fantasy fandom with backblocks Australia.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews