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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.
208 pages, Paperback
Published February 3, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
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.
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October 17, 2025The following book reviews have been shared by Text Publishing – publisher of Bird Deity
‘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
‘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
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews