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Bird Deity
David is a scout. For ten years he has plundered the ruins of an alien civilisation about which he knows nothing. Now his contract is ending, and he’s ready to go home, a wealthy, successful man.
Except that everything seems to be slipping out of his control. His mentor Tom vanished on a recent expedition. David doesn’t know what has happened to him. And, as he waits for the ship that will take him away, he begins to question the choices he has made.
That’s when he is visited by a researcher, a specialist in non-human societies. She has travelled far to learn about this strange world and wants to hire David as her guide. One more expedition, one more trip to the rainswept wasteland of the plateau—and he can go home at last, rich beyond his dreams.
But he comes to realise that he may yet lose everything, as he is drawn inexorably towards an encounter with the terrifying soul of this world. John Morrissey’s Bird Deity is a novel like no other. At once disconcerting and eerily familiar, it’s a cosmic horror story about power, theft, love, loss, and destiny.
Except that everything seems to be slipping out of his control. His mentor Tom vanished on a recent expedition. David doesn’t know what has happened to him. And, as he waits for the ship that will take him away, he begins to question the choices he has made.
That’s when he is visited by a researcher, a specialist in non-human societies. She has travelled far to learn about this strange world and wants to hire David as her guide. One more expedition, one more trip to the rainswept wasteland of the plateau—and he can go home at last, rich beyond his dreams.
But he comes to realise that he may yet lose everything, as he is drawn inexorably towards an encounter with the terrifying soul of this world. John Morrissey’s Bird Deity is a novel like no other. At once disconcerting and eerily familiar, it’s a cosmic horror story about power, theft, love, loss, and destiny.
203 pages, Paperback
First published February 3, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 3, 2026
I am too fond of reading at whim to participate much in challenges, but John Morrissey's debut novel Bird Deity is a serendipitous addition both to Kaggsy's Reading Independent Publishers Month, and also to the #SpeecyFicChal hosted at Book'd Out. It qualifies for two of Bec's categories: it's published in 2026 and it's a speculative novella of less than 250 pages. But it's more than just speculative fiction...
Contemporary authors keen to revisit history via a less familiar perspective on the past while sidestepping historical or cultural baggage are using two forms of genre fiction to explore it: historical fiction and speculative fiction, often blending the two.For example, African authors of historical fiction who've written what I've labelled 'hidden history' include Fred Khumalo who introduced me to this hybrid genre with his article about how contemporary historical fiction is being written in South Africa as an activist’s tool and with attitude and a breathless literary intensity; a fire in its belly. I read his novel Dancing the Death Drill (2017) which uses the sinking of a ship carrying Black South African soldiers during WW1 to explore other issues. Amongst others that I've categorised as 'hidden history', I've also read:
Eyes in the Night, an Untold Zulu Story (2016), by Nomavenda Mathiane, telling the story of war and dispossession from the perspective, not of the British victors nor the defeated Zulu warriors, but from a woman’s point of view;
She Would Be King (2018), by Wayétu Moore; blending historical fact with magic realism to trace the emergence of modern Liberia on the West African coast;
The Shadow King (2019), by Maaza Mengiste, revealing the role of women soldiers in the Ethiopian war against Mussolini’s Italy in 1935; and
The Detective Emmanuel Cooper series by Malla Nunn, set in Apartheid South Africa.
First Nations Australian authors have used historical fiction in this way too:
Every Secret Thing (2009) by Marie Munkara, a sharp satire set in Mission Era Arnhemland
Barbed Wire and Cherry Blossoms (2017) by Anita Heiss, bringing together an escaped Japanese POW and local Aborigines during WW2;
That Deadman Dance (2010), by Kim Scott, exploring what might have been if First Contact had been different.
I don't read much speculative fiction and what I have read is mostly dystopian climate-change fiction, but some Australian authors that I've categorised as 'genre-benders' have used speculative fiction to cast a different light on history:
On a Barbarous Coast (2020), by Craig Cormick and Harold Ludwick, a reimagining of the Captain Cook landing;
Songwoman (2018), by Ilka Tampke, exploring the impacts of Roman colonisation of Britain; and
Terra Nullius (2017), by Claire G Coleman, telling a colonisation story of from the perspective of the settlers and the people they dispossess in an utterly unexpected way.
John Morrissey's Bird Deity is another example of speculative fiction being used to shed light on the impacts of colonialism.
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2026/02/03/b...
Contemporary authors keen to revisit history via a less familiar perspective on the past while sidestepping historical or cultural baggage are using two forms of genre fiction to explore it: historical fiction and speculative fiction, often blending the two.For example, African authors of historical fiction who've written what I've labelled 'hidden history' include Fred Khumalo who introduced me to this hybrid genre with his article about how contemporary historical fiction is being written in South Africa as an activist’s tool and with attitude and a breathless literary intensity; a fire in its belly. I read his novel Dancing the Death Drill (2017) which uses the sinking of a ship carrying Black South African soldiers during WW1 to explore other issues. Amongst others that I've categorised as 'hidden history', I've also read:
Eyes in the Night, an Untold Zulu Story (2016), by Nomavenda Mathiane, telling the story of war and dispossession from the perspective, not of the British victors nor the defeated Zulu warriors, but from a woman’s point of view;
She Would Be King (2018), by Wayétu Moore; blending historical fact with magic realism to trace the emergence of modern Liberia on the West African coast;
The Shadow King (2019), by Maaza Mengiste, revealing the role of women soldiers in the Ethiopian war against Mussolini’s Italy in 1935; and
The Detective Emmanuel Cooper series by Malla Nunn, set in Apartheid South Africa.
First Nations Australian authors have used historical fiction in this way too:
Every Secret Thing (2009) by Marie Munkara, a sharp satire set in Mission Era Arnhemland
Barbed Wire and Cherry Blossoms (2017) by Anita Heiss, bringing together an escaped Japanese POW and local Aborigines during WW2;
That Deadman Dance (2010), by Kim Scott, exploring what might have been if First Contact had been different.
I don't read much speculative fiction and what I have read is mostly dystopian climate-change fiction, but some Australian authors that I've categorised as 'genre-benders' have used speculative fiction to cast a different light on history:
On a Barbarous Coast (2020), by Craig Cormick and Harold Ludwick, a reimagining of the Captain Cook landing;
Songwoman (2018), by Ilka Tampke, exploring the impacts of Roman colonisation of Britain; and
Terra Nullius (2017), by Claire G Coleman, telling a colonisation story of from the perspective of the settlers and the people they dispossess in an utterly unexpected way.
John Morrissey's Bird Deity is another example of speculative fiction being used to shed light on the impacts of colonialism.
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2026/02/03/b...
February 16, 2026
I really struggled with this book. For a 200 page book to get to page 140 with barely any plot progression was really tough. That, along with no chapters (only parts) really made it hard for me to stay invested and I kept losing interest.
It’s not that it’s necessarily a bad book, it just truly wasn’t for me.
I do want to thank Text Publishing for sending me a finished copy.
It’s not that it’s necessarily a bad book, it just truly wasn’t for me.
I do want to thank Text Publishing for sending me a finished copy.
January 6, 2026
Speculative fiction has been a powerful tool for exploring real world issues for Australian indigenous authors. Claire G Coleman focussed on invasion and colonialisation in her novel Terra Nullius. Mykayla Saunders took on a range of topics in her book Always Will Be and curated a fabulous collection of Australian indigenous speculative fiction in This All Come Back Now. One of the authors in that collection, John Morrissey, has now released his debut science fiction novel Bird Deity.
Bird Deity is set on an unnamed planet where there is a human outpost. People are sponsored to go to the planet and essentially work off their debt in various ways. David was a scout for ten years. His job was to go up to the mysterious tableland that looms above the settlement to hunt for artefacts created by the local indigenous species, known as the parasapes. Those artefacts need to be handled with care as they can effect the human brain. David’s contract is finished and he has earned enough to go home. But despite this he agrees to take on one more mission, an illegal trip in which he will take an anthropologist to the tableland.
There are strong analogies here to the actions of colonial invaders. The indigenous species on the planet, despite clearly having some technological knowhow are treated as if they are just annoying animals. Towards the end of the book, Morissey starts to give readers some glimpses into the parasape culture which is far richer than humans can comprehend. The artefacts are raided and taken to Earth to be studied.
Alongside this Bird Deity is also about a flawed, conflicted individual. David is a scout, so he has been taught to see the parasapes as lower than human, an understanding that will be challenged on this journey. David is in love with Eliza, his best friend’s wife, who has had a child that might be his. That friend, Tom, has been missing for weeks. David is scheduled to return but is conflicted about this choice, the alternative being to stay for another five year contract.
Bird Deity holds its secrets close. Some of the key scenes have a dreamlike quality that can be interpreted in numerous ways. But what Morissey successfully does with this technique is to give the reader the feeling of those who first came in contact with Indigenous Australians – of their lack of understanding or appreciation of what was and still is a deep culture. As with Coleman, Morissey is able to put readers in a position to think about these issues in a science fiction context without the historical or cultural baggage that they might otherwise bring to this issue.
Bird Deity is set on an unnamed planet where there is a human outpost. People are sponsored to go to the planet and essentially work off their debt in various ways. David was a scout for ten years. His job was to go up to the mysterious tableland that looms above the settlement to hunt for artefacts created by the local indigenous species, known as the parasapes. Those artefacts need to be handled with care as they can effect the human brain. David’s contract is finished and he has earned enough to go home. But despite this he agrees to take on one more mission, an illegal trip in which he will take an anthropologist to the tableland.
There are strong analogies here to the actions of colonial invaders. The indigenous species on the planet, despite clearly having some technological knowhow are treated as if they are just annoying animals. Towards the end of the book, Morissey starts to give readers some glimpses into the parasape culture which is far richer than humans can comprehend. The artefacts are raided and taken to Earth to be studied.
Alongside this Bird Deity is also about a flawed, conflicted individual. David is a scout, so he has been taught to see the parasapes as lower than human, an understanding that will be challenged on this journey. David is in love with Eliza, his best friend’s wife, who has had a child that might be his. That friend, Tom, has been missing for weeks. David is scheduled to return but is conflicted about this choice, the alternative being to stay for another five year contract.
Bird Deity holds its secrets close. Some of the key scenes have a dreamlike quality that can be interpreted in numerous ways. But what Morissey successfully does with this technique is to give the reader the feeling of those who first came in contact with Indigenous Australians – of their lack of understanding or appreciation of what was and still is a deep culture. As with Coleman, Morissey is able to put readers in a position to think about these issues in a science fiction context without the historical or cultural baggage that they might otherwise bring to this issue.
January 30, 2026
Bird Deity is a science fiction novel that brings to mind classics such as Heart of Darkness; it’s a short novel in which the mystical gradually takes over from the concrete. It’s a novel which demands a slow and thoughtful reading.
This is a challenging novel which threads a path between mysticism and the concrete. David is incurious about most things, so we learn little about the world he left behind or how humans came to be looting the stars. This is a very close up novel, concerned very much with what’s in front of David. Even later, as the novel opens up to other perspectives, David remains quite limited.
It's as the novel opens to other perspectives on the world and the aliens that mysticism creeps in. This is where thoughtful reading becomes increasingly rewarding. Some things are open to interpretation, and Morrissey rarely says anything straight out.
I did have some minor problems with this later part of the novel. There are a few pages where a character’s name changes from Arthur to Alfred and then back again; I couldn’t tell if this was an error or if it had some deep significance I’d overlooked. Because this is where a good deal of mysticism, and perhaps time jumping, is introduced, some readers may find the logic jumps a bit uncomfortable.
Still, I found this worthwhile. It makes you think about how you see and interact with the world, your values, and the extent of your own engagement with the world around you. It provokes thought, rather than giving answers.
If you enjoyed this review, please visit www.otherdreamsotherlives.home.blog to read more.
This is a challenging novel which threads a path between mysticism and the concrete. David is incurious about most things, so we learn little about the world he left behind or how humans came to be looting the stars. This is a very close up novel, concerned very much with what’s in front of David. Even later, as the novel opens up to other perspectives, David remains quite limited.
It's as the novel opens to other perspectives on the world and the aliens that mysticism creeps in. This is where thoughtful reading becomes increasingly rewarding. Some things are open to interpretation, and Morrissey rarely says anything straight out.
I did have some minor problems with this later part of the novel. There are a few pages where a character’s name changes from Arthur to Alfred and then back again; I couldn’t tell if this was an error or if it had some deep significance I’d overlooked. Because this is where a good deal of mysticism, and perhaps time jumping, is introduced, some readers may find the logic jumps a bit uncomfortable.
Still, I found this worthwhile. It makes you think about how you see and interact with the world, your values, and the extent of your own engagement with the world around you. It provokes thought, rather than giving answers.
If you enjoyed this review, please visit www.otherdreamsotherlives.home.blog to read more.
February 4, 2026
I was so intrigued by the premise of Bird Deity by Indigenous author John Morrissey.
In an unknown world, David has spent ten years contracted to be a scout, plundering the ruins of a civilisation which is still populated by a strange species called parasapes who are so diminished they can barely communicate or survive. At the end of his contract, he is going home on the next ship a wealthy man.
But things are starting to become strange. One of his colleagues Tom has gone missing on an expedition. And then a researcher arrives hoping for a guide to help her study the strange world David has spent years depleting. So, he agrees to take her to plateau for one last trip.
This book is billed as a cosmic horror story. I think it is more in the speculative fiction vein. I found it eerie and unsettling. It was a strange world that wasn’t easily placed. But the meaning was clear – there are always colonisers and always others being colonised and destroyed in the process.
By positioning the story from the point of view of the colonisers the reader is given a perspective that is uncomfortable. The parasapes are initially barely acknowledged or described. They are voiceless and put up little resistance to the scouts who simply take treasures directly from them without thought. But as the story goes on we are transported to a different timeline of an advanced species with a culture and structure built around a bird as its deity. As this history starts to intertwine with the current timeline there was mystical quality to the story and writing that I loved.
I was wholly engaged in Bird Deity. It was so unusual but compelling. Real life is uncomfortably close but it leaves many things unanswered so you are left wondering but in a good way.
Bird Deity came out yesterday and I’d really encourage you to pick up this debut fiction.
Thank you @text_publishing for my #gifted copy.
In an unknown world, David has spent ten years contracted to be a scout, plundering the ruins of a civilisation which is still populated by a strange species called parasapes who are so diminished they can barely communicate or survive. At the end of his contract, he is going home on the next ship a wealthy man.
But things are starting to become strange. One of his colleagues Tom has gone missing on an expedition. And then a researcher arrives hoping for a guide to help her study the strange world David has spent years depleting. So, he agrees to take her to plateau for one last trip.
This book is billed as a cosmic horror story. I think it is more in the speculative fiction vein. I found it eerie and unsettling. It was a strange world that wasn’t easily placed. But the meaning was clear – there are always colonisers and always others being colonised and destroyed in the process.
By positioning the story from the point of view of the colonisers the reader is given a perspective that is uncomfortable. The parasapes are initially barely acknowledged or described. They are voiceless and put up little resistance to the scouts who simply take treasures directly from them without thought. But as the story goes on we are transported to a different timeline of an advanced species with a culture and structure built around a bird as its deity. As this history starts to intertwine with the current timeline there was mystical quality to the story and writing that I loved.
I was wholly engaged in Bird Deity. It was so unusual but compelling. Real life is uncomfortably close but it leaves many things unanswered so you are left wondering but in a good way.
Bird Deity came out yesterday and I’d really encourage you to pick up this debut fiction.
Thank you @text_publishing for my #gifted copy.
February 17, 2026
A melancholy and ethereal cosmic horror. I love novels with a pervasive sense of dread and unspecified unease. This is for you if you love Roadside Picnic and Solaris.
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February 27, 2026The following book reviews have been shared by Text Publishing – publisher of Bird Deity
‘An original novel that rewards close reading...compelling.’
Guardian
‘Morrissey…has fantastic tonal and stylistic control, balancing abstraction with emotional clarity in elegant prose. Bird Deity is a beautifully written book.’
NZ Listener
‘Speculative fiction at its thought-provoking, incisive best...evocative and deeply unsettling.’
Better Read Than Dead
‘An intriguing, subtle novel from the acclaimed short-story writer.’
Age
‘Fascinating...delivering a strange new world sometime in the distant future while also asking readers to reflect on the one in which they live.’
Pile By the Bed
‘An incredible achievement: Morrissey has created a familiar yet alien world, densely storied and dripping in dark, delicious mystery. Beautiful, gripping and grotesque.’
Mykaela Saunders
‘Bird Deity is a cosmic-horror-tinged story about purpose, loss and exploitation…A compelling read for fans of Ray Nayler and Claire G Coleman.’
Books+Publishing
‘Intriguing… Definitely recommended.’
Through the Biblioscope
‘An original novel that rewards close reading...compelling.’
Guardian
‘Morrissey…has fantastic tonal and stylistic control, balancing abstraction with emotional clarity in elegant prose. Bird Deity is a beautifully written book.’
NZ Listener
‘Speculative fiction at its thought-provoking, incisive best...evocative and deeply unsettling.’
Better Read Than Dead
‘An intriguing, subtle novel from the acclaimed short-story writer.’
Age
‘Fascinating...delivering a strange new world sometime in the distant future while also asking readers to reflect on the one in which they live.’
Pile By the Bed
‘An incredible achievement: Morrissey has created a familiar yet alien world, densely storied and dripping in dark, delicious mystery. Beautiful, gripping and grotesque.’
Mykaela Saunders
‘Bird Deity is a cosmic-horror-tinged story about purpose, loss and exploitation…A compelling read for fans of Ray Nayler and Claire G Coleman.’
Books+Publishing
‘Intriguing… Definitely recommended.’
Through the Biblioscope
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews