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Capture
James Mather is a psychiatrist in his sixties. He is invited to take on a new group of patients. All he knows about them is that each one claims to have been abducted by aliens.
His wife, Deborah, is sceptical, but he gets going anyway. His patients tell mesmerising stories. There’s Anthony, for instance, who was camping one night by the Aral Sea; or Mary, the owner of a beauty salon, confronted by a ball of light moving towards her in her bedroom.
James’s research assistant Lucy Cheng sits in on each session. She’s an attractive young divorcee, who has made a study of anxiety, and who takes notes about each conversation.
Capture is a strange philosophical fable about what we can believe in a post-truth world. It will beguile and baffle its readers. Amanda Lohrey is an extraordinary writer. Her novel might be full of crazy stuff, but who could deny its sanity?
Amanda Lohrey lives in Tasmania and writes fiction and non-fiction. She has taught at the University of Tasmania, the University of Technology Sydney and the University of Queensland. Amanda is a regular contributor to the Monthly magazine and a former senior fellow of the Australia Council’s Literature Board. She received the 2012 Patrick White Award. The Labyrinth (2021), her eighth work of fiction, won the Miles Franklin Literary Award, a Prime Minister’s Literary Award, a Tasmanian Literary Award and the Voss Literary Prize.
‘A deft and poetic writer.’ Guardian
‘Lohrey’s body of fiction always has philosophical foundations for its warmly human stories.’ Age
‘[Lohrey’s] storytelling is honed to pleasing plainness and assured in its measured tempo, her novels would take multiple readings to unpick her craft, which is deft to the point of invisibility at times.’ Mercury
His wife, Deborah, is sceptical, but he gets going anyway. His patients tell mesmerising stories. There’s Anthony, for instance, who was camping one night by the Aral Sea; or Mary, the owner of a beauty salon, confronted by a ball of light moving towards her in her bedroom.
James’s research assistant Lucy Cheng sits in on each session. She’s an attractive young divorcee, who has made a study of anxiety, and who takes notes about each conversation.
Capture is a strange philosophical fable about what we can believe in a post-truth world. It will beguile and baffle its readers. Amanda Lohrey is an extraordinary writer. Her novel might be full of crazy stuff, but who could deny its sanity?
Amanda Lohrey lives in Tasmania and writes fiction and non-fiction. She has taught at the University of Tasmania, the University of Technology Sydney and the University of Queensland. Amanda is a regular contributor to the Monthly magazine and a former senior fellow of the Australia Council’s Literature Board. She received the 2012 Patrick White Award. The Labyrinth (2021), her eighth work of fiction, won the Miles Franklin Literary Award, a Prime Minister’s Literary Award, a Tasmanian Literary Award and the Voss Literary Prize.
‘A deft and poetic writer.’ Guardian
‘Lohrey’s body of fiction always has philosophical foundations for its warmly human stories.’ Age
‘[Lohrey’s] storytelling is honed to pleasing plainness and assured in its measured tempo, her novels would take multiple readings to unpick her craft, which is deft to the point of invisibility at times.’ Mercury
204 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2026
About the author
Amanda Lohrey
27 books129 followersAmanda Lohrey is a novelist and essayist. She was educated at the University of Tasmania and Cambridge. She lectured in Writing and Textual Studies at the Sydney University of Technology (1988-1994), and since 2002 at the School of English, Media Studies and Art History at the University of Queensland in Brisbane.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
May 1, 2026
I'd always heard good things about Amanda Lohrey’s work – it was time I finally experienced it for myself!
James Mather is a psychiatrist who embarks on a research project to interview those claiming to have been abducted by aliens. He will attempt to give clinical explanation to what are thought to be delusions. It’s something meant to be a welcome diversion, after years working with suicidal young men – yet it turns into something more.
“If you’re not careful, you’ll end up believing them.”
Capture has a strong beginning. I was mesmerised, caught up in the unsettling vibe, one that borders on whimsical yet serious. Dialogue between James and the “experiencers” was sharp and flowed well, making me feel like a fly on the wall to their sessions. Clinical aspects felt authentic which added to the intrigue, ensuring I kept turning the pages – always a sign of talented writing!
It was ironic that in a book touching on alien abductions and zero sense of time, I would become so engrossed that I’d lose track of time myself. James has a clearly defined voice, speaking in an old-fashioned style that reminded me of John Buchan characters, yet the story never seemed dated, quite the opposite.
He hires a research assistant, Lucy. I particularly enjoyed the Café Europa chapters – conversation between James and Lucy was always good, even though James was somewhat unlikable. Capture proved quite an intellectual workout at times – best evident in Lucy’s tangents on pronatalism and genetics. It’s a book that covers plenty of ground – the blurb admits it will baffle readers!
Among those interviewed is a woman who thinks her eggs were harvested and a pilot who says he was taken from his cockpit. There are fascinating cases, yet I kept wondering what Amanda was trying to say. It’s a thought-provoking story that causes you to pause and reflect, yet despite the unique concept, I found myself disengaging towards the end.
“We have wandered a long way from the subject of alien capture…”
This isn’t for those who demand tidy endings. I wondered if it was possible to resolve everything, then accepted maybe it wasn't and perhaps that was the point. Amanda places it on the reader to interpret the novel how they see fit. The book feels as much about failure than anything else, how one grapples with it and their sense of self. Knowing what the book is about is maybe half the mystery.
“People will see what they already understand.”
If you enjoy thought-provoking works with ambiguity, open to reader interpretation, then this might be for you. Capture is a compelling and original read that will linger in my mind for days to come.
This review can also be found on my blog, where I write about books and feature author interviews. You can read it here.
Many thanks to Text Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
James Mather is a psychiatrist who embarks on a research project to interview those claiming to have been abducted by aliens. He will attempt to give clinical explanation to what are thought to be delusions. It’s something meant to be a welcome diversion, after years working with suicidal young men – yet it turns into something more.
“If you’re not careful, you’ll end up believing them.”
Capture has a strong beginning. I was mesmerised, caught up in the unsettling vibe, one that borders on whimsical yet serious. Dialogue between James and the “experiencers” was sharp and flowed well, making me feel like a fly on the wall to their sessions. Clinical aspects felt authentic which added to the intrigue, ensuring I kept turning the pages – always a sign of talented writing!
It was ironic that in a book touching on alien abductions and zero sense of time, I would become so engrossed that I’d lose track of time myself. James has a clearly defined voice, speaking in an old-fashioned style that reminded me of John Buchan characters, yet the story never seemed dated, quite the opposite.
He hires a research assistant, Lucy. I particularly enjoyed the Café Europa chapters – conversation between James and Lucy was always good, even though James was somewhat unlikable. Capture proved quite an intellectual workout at times – best evident in Lucy’s tangents on pronatalism and genetics. It’s a book that covers plenty of ground – the blurb admits it will baffle readers!
Among those interviewed is a woman who thinks her eggs were harvested and a pilot who says he was taken from his cockpit. There are fascinating cases, yet I kept wondering what Amanda was trying to say. It’s a thought-provoking story that causes you to pause and reflect, yet despite the unique concept, I found myself disengaging towards the end.
“We have wandered a long way from the subject of alien capture…”
This isn’t for those who demand tidy endings. I wondered if it was possible to resolve everything, then accepted maybe it wasn't and perhaps that was the point. Amanda places it on the reader to interpret the novel how they see fit. The book feels as much about failure than anything else, how one grapples with it and their sense of self. Knowing what the book is about is maybe half the mystery.
“People will see what they already understand.”
If you enjoy thought-provoking works with ambiguity, open to reader interpretation, then this might be for you. Capture is a compelling and original read that will linger in my mind for days to come.
This review can also be found on my blog, where I write about books and feature author interviews. You can read it here.
Many thanks to Text Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
May 18, 2026
I love Amanda Lohrey's writing and the way she thinks about things, so I'll read anything new she publishes, but I admit to being a bit perplexed when I discovered this new book was about alien abduction (or 'capture'). It seemed really leftfield, until on Day 2 of my reading, when the biggest story in the news was the declassification and release of the UFO/UAP files from the US Dept of Defense. So timely!
As for the book - I enjoyed having my beliefs challenged and stretched. There are no answers as such, but it's a very thought-provoking treatment of quite a sensational topic.
The audiobook is narrated by Michael Lindner. At first I was worried that we weren't going to get along very well, but in fact his voice and delivery were both perfect for world-weary, respectful psychiatrist, James Mather.
As for the book - I enjoyed having my beliefs challenged and stretched. There are no answers as such, but it's a very thought-provoking treatment of quite a sensational topic.
The audiobook is narrated by Michael Lindner. At first I was worried that we weren't going to get along very well, but in fact his voice and delivery were both perfect for world-weary, respectful psychiatrist, James Mather.
May 4, 2026
A light 4 stars
I enjoyed this more than I was expecting! It is very X-Files coded (which I love) and I can imagine the hypnotherapist who treats Scully and Mulder writing something like this. Essentially, this book follows a therapist who takes on a research paper looking at those who have experienced alien abductions. Each person he interviews is unique in their own story, so he struggles to find something linking them all together. He is constantly warned by his supervisor that being so open-minded will lead him to believe the patients (although I don't necessarily see an issue with this). I enjoyed the exploration of both the therapist and the patient. I also think this book was the perfect length; it didn't drag on, but it didn't feel rushed. Everything was wrapped up nicely at the end. No real complaints other than, I wish there was more time spent with the patients - they were the most interesting part for me.
I enjoyed this more than I was expecting! It is very X-Files coded (which I love) and I can imagine the hypnotherapist who treats Scully and Mulder writing something like this. Essentially, this book follows a therapist who takes on a research paper looking at those who have experienced alien abductions. Each person he interviews is unique in their own story, so he struggles to find something linking them all together. He is constantly warned by his supervisor that being so open-minded will lead him to believe the patients (although I don't necessarily see an issue with this). I enjoyed the exploration of both the therapist and the patient. I also think this book was the perfect length; it didn't drag on, but it didn't feel rushed. Everything was wrapped up nicely at the end. No real complaints other than, I wish there was more time spent with the patients - they were the most interesting part for me.
May 16, 2026
Hard to rate this because I really enjoyed reading it but have no idea what, if any, greater themes or ideas I was meant to be thinking about. Just... a few interesting tales of alien abduction? Ok!
Currently Reading
April 24, 2026The following book reviews have been shared by Text Publishing – publisher of Capture
‘Lohrey is a beautiful writer.’
Australian
‘A taut yet contemplative story whose apparent simplicity belies its scope.’
Books+Publishing
‘A serious – and seriously wonderful – novel about alien abductees…Elusive, unsettled, defiant.’
Monthly
‘Lohrey is a beautiful writer.’
Australian
‘A taut yet contemplative story whose apparent simplicity belies its scope.’
Books+Publishing
‘A serious – and seriously wonderful – novel about alien abductees…Elusive, unsettled, defiant.’
Monthly
May 17, 2026
This is not how academic research with human subjects works at all but this book captures exactly how old, white, male academics act.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Failure. It comes to us all, at some time or another, in our personal or professional lives, and though some times are harder than others, we have to learn to deal with it. That's what adulthood is.
But what if your entire professional life seemed a failure? I don't mean reputational damage or embarrassment about the occasional mistakes that we all make, I mean a private cringe or a flood of shame when looking back over a lifetime of work and recognising a failure at something that was really important.
Amanda Lohrey's thought-provoking new novel Capture is about a psychiatrist called James Mather who takes on a project to interview people who've 'been captured by aliens', to see if he can identify a pattern that explains why they believe it. He wants to develop a theory of the mind that makes sense of the phenomenon. So Mather sets up interviews, takes on a research assistant called Lucy and also consults experts such as a theologian who might shed light on reasons or motivations for these abnormal beliefs. His 'experiencers' are not oddities whose ego makes them believe that they are The Chosen, nor are they conspiracy theorists who believe the government is hiding the truth. They are not proselytisers who advertise their experience but rather people who keep it quiet because they recognise that others will judge them crazy.
So here's the thing: as we read Mather's interviews and his thoughts and discussions with Lucy and his experts, we readers start to think, how can Lohrey resolve this? Starting with the premise held by Mather and Lucy and Helena, (the instigator of the research project), and we readers as well — that there aren't really any aliens abducting people for their own purposes — what can her psychiatrist character do?
TO read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2026/04/27/c...
But what if your entire professional life seemed a failure? I don't mean reputational damage or embarrassment about the occasional mistakes that we all make, I mean a private cringe or a flood of shame when looking back over a lifetime of work and recognising a failure at something that was really important.
Amanda Lohrey's thought-provoking new novel Capture is about a psychiatrist called James Mather who takes on a project to interview people who've 'been captured by aliens', to see if he can identify a pattern that explains why they believe it. He wants to develop a theory of the mind that makes sense of the phenomenon. So Mather sets up interviews, takes on a research assistant called Lucy and also consults experts such as a theologian who might shed light on reasons or motivations for these abnormal beliefs. His 'experiencers' are not oddities whose ego makes them believe that they are The Chosen, nor are they conspiracy theorists who believe the government is hiding the truth. They are not proselytisers who advertise their experience but rather people who keep it quiet because they recognise that others will judge them crazy.
So here's the thing: as we read Mather's interviews and his thoughts and discussions with Lucy and his experts, we readers start to think, how can Lohrey resolve this? Starting with the premise held by Mather and Lucy and Helena, (the instigator of the research project), and we readers as well — that there aren't really any aliens abducting people for their own purposes — what can her psychiatrist character do?
TO read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2026/04/27/c...
May 11, 2026
I finished Capture in under five hours because I could not put it down. The premise hooked me immediately: a psychiatrist conducting a research project into people who believe that they’ve been abducted by aliens. The subject matter touches upon sci-fi, folklore, religion, memory and belief but the novel itself feels deeply human and grounded. It never tries to force answers or convince the reader of anything supernatural, it sits perfectly in that liminal space between psychology and the unexplained.
Amanda Lohrey writes inner dialogue so beautifully. The protagonist, Dr James Maher, felt intelligent, vulnerable, observant and incredibly real to me. What made this book stand out were the characters. Every single person featured in this book felt vivid and rememberable, even if we only spent a chapter with them or heard about them from a distance. There is a fascinating range of perspectives and I found myself excited every time a new character was introduced. I also appreciated how restrained the ending felt. Nothing dramatic or unrealistic for the sake of it, instead a thoughtful, subtle and emotionally satisfying close.
A five star read for me
Amanda Lohrey writes inner dialogue so beautifully. The protagonist, Dr James Maher, felt intelligent, vulnerable, observant and incredibly real to me. What made this book stand out were the characters. Every single person featured in this book felt vivid and rememberable, even if we only spent a chapter with them or heard about them from a distance. There is a fascinating range of perspectives and I found myself excited every time a new character was introduced. I also appreciated how restrained the ending felt. Nothing dramatic or unrealistic for the sake of it, instead a thoughtful, subtle and emotionally satisfying close.
A five star read for me
May 3, 2026
Review to follow
May 17, 2026
I guess I just hoped for more.
May 18, 2026
“But what if you didn't dream?”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews