New Australian Fiction 2024

by Suzy Garcia (Editor), Jumaana Abdu (Contributor), Dominic Amerena (Contributor)

New Australian Fiction 2024 is Kill Your Darlings’ sixth annual collection of short fiction and features some of Australia’s best-loved writers alongside exciting new voices.

Featuring: Jumaana Abdu, Dominic Amerena, Alice Bishop, Behrouz Boochani, Ennis Ćehić, Paige Clark, Ceridwen Dovey, Kathryn Gledhill-Tucker, Erin Gough, Lee Hana, Tracey Lien, Lucy Nelson, Daley Rangi, Josephine Rowe and Aisling Smith.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction

192 pages, Paperback

Published September 1, 2024

Reviews

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

They just keep getting better, can’t wait for 2025 edition.

[Robert Watson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A light and easy read with few stories that were challenging or memorable.

[Thomas Martiniello · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some of the short stories were really captivating and enjoyable but others I was just waiting for them to be finished. Unfortunately it felt like there were more bad than good and I was ready to finish the book. Wouldn’t go out of my way to read this again.

[Ailsa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Favourite short stories here:
- Goodbye, Blinky Bill
- You Think I Can't Do Hard Things
- Illegal Alien
- Dinner Scene

I was recently visiting Australia and realised I didn't know if I'd read any Australian authors, so I picked up this anthology for my birthday to explore some Australian literature. It didn't disappoint! I really enjoyed the variety of stories here. The editor's introduction spoke of a difficulty in defining what's different about Australian fiction, and I certainly find it hard to articulate what felt different about each of these stories, except that - as the introduction says - Australia has shaped each of them in some way. Individually, though, each was fascinating and very vivid. It's been a long time since I read so many different stories that each have such a strong voice or characters; it felt both refreshing and educational for my own creative writing.

Naturally, I enjoyed some of the stories more than others. As a sci-fi and climate fiction fan, I absolutely loved the stories that dealt with the climate crisis or were just set in the future in some way, like "Goodbye, Blinky Bill" and "Illegal Alien" - both of those stories, as it happens, spoke to migration in ways I found really powerful. Others I was more neutral toward simply because they didn't touch me, but every story was excellently written and executed. Every time one finished, I was left satisfied - or artfully unsatisfied, depending on the emotion provoked. I think some stories were weaker than others, which is why this rating is four stars instead of five, and some didn't grip me well. But this was a fantastic anthology. Hats off to all the editors and writers who put it together.

[Aran · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very uneven; some of the stories in the first half were one and two-star bad, but the second half was a lot stronger. Worth a read to explore Australian fiction, I will definitely try to read from more Australian authors after this.

My favourite stories were:
Strangler Fig (a good portrayal of an abusive relationship),
Short Shorts and Other Stories (these were very funny),
You Think I Can't Do Hard Things (delves into complex dynamics of interpersonal relationships),
Illegal Alien (a very interesting sci-fi take on immigration and human-made borders) and
It's Possible (about a mother that feels alienated by the lack of care around her).

[MEG · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this!! I picked up Kill Your Darling’s New Australian Fiction 2024 anthology at the library over Christmas, and despite not usually being drawn to short stories I was hooked from the first page! Fresh voices, funky perspectives and bite sized reads … what’s not to love? I actually think I’ll be buying my own copy, an excellent start to 2025 reads.

Some favourites; Goodbye, Blinky Bill by Tracey Lien, You Think I Can’t Do Hard Things by Lucy Nelson and Dinner Scene by Erin Gough.

[Giulia Polito · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5
I usually love short stories but none of these grabbed me, the overarching theme I guess was a bit too dystopian for comfort, as so many Australian stories seem to be. I guess it's hard for writers to avoid dystopian tropes with the world the way it is right now. But I'd still prefer my reading escapism to be less grim

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent selection of new Australian writing reflecting the richness of our literary traditions. I look forward to reading more from these writers.

[Harrison Vesey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always a delight to discover new (to me) writers, and established favourites like Alice Bishop

[Carl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Favs:
Qobad
Tamanu
Strangler Fig
You Think I Can't Do Hard Things
Illegal Alien
It's Possible
Dinner Scene

[Rachael Wilson · Rating 2 out of 5]

The stories were hit or miss this year!

[MBC · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this anthology on the whole. Sturdily neutral in my assessment.
There was one protagonist in particular that reminded me of my mother, my grandmother and my aunty. That was nice.