Subversive Activity

Dave Luckett

Captain Nemo meets Tuesday Next in the Aegean in 1875. Except that Captain Horatio Anson de la Terre, Royal Navy, isn’t exactly Captain Nemo, because it’s the Sisters Makiniri who have invented the submarine, not him. He just wants to sink the thing. Reddon, the spy, isn’t exactly James Bond either, despite his dinner jacket and diving suit. And, oh dear, the Russians are coming. 

“Subversive Activity is immense fun to read - it’s a gem of sf humour, adventure, and extrapolation. Dave Luckett never clobbers the reader with his research - yet he put so much effort into understanding his subject that it makes your eyes burn to think about it. The result is an outstandingly credible and authentic What If? scenario, executed with a pleasingly light touch. Enjoy!” - Professor Van Ikin, UWA.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dave Luckett has twice won the Australian Aurealis Award for his science fiction and fantasy for young adults. He has been twice short-listed for the WA Premier’s Book Award, and five times mentioned as notable by the Children’s Book Council of Australia. This is his first novel for an adult readership. He is married, with one son, and lives in Perth, Western Australia.

Published by Dave

• Fourteen pieces of short fiction, notably in "The Patternmaker" ed.


• Lucy Sussex, 1995 and "Childhood at Camelot" ed Sophie Masson, 2002, and "Oceans of the Mind", anthology, Trantor Publications, USA.
  


• The Adventures of Addam Children’s story, 1995, Omnibus Books. Fantasy.
  


• Night Hunters Novella, 1995, Omnibus Books. SF. Published in USA by Scholastic Ltd.
  


• The Best Batsman in the World Children’s story, February 1996, Omnibus Books. Fantasy.
  


• The Wizard and Me Novella, May 1996, Omnibus Books. Fantasy. Published in Italy by Edizioni El as Il Mago ed Io.
  


• The Last Eleven Childrens story, October 1997, Omnibus Books. Fantasy.
  


• A Dark Winter Novel, April 1998, Omnibus Books. (first of a trilogy) Fantasy.
  


• A Dark Journey Novel, February 1999, Omnibus Books. Fantasy.
  


• A Dark Victory Novel, July 1999, Omnibus Books. Fantasy.
  (The last three books were published in translation in 2001 by Heyne Verlag, Germany)
  


• Rhianna and the Wild Magic Children's novel, September 2000, Omnibus Books. Fantasy
  


• Rhianna and the Dogs of Iron Children's novel, May 2002, Omnibus Books. Fantasy.
  


• Rhianna and the Castle of Avalon Children's novel, October 2002, Omnibus Books, Fantasy
  (The last three books were published in the USA by Scholastic, under different titles.)
  


• The Truth About Magic Children’s novel, Omnibus Books, 2005
  


• The Return of Rathalorn Children’s novel, Omnibus Books, 2006
  


• Howzat! Cricket stories. Omnibus Books, December 2005.
  


• Iron Soldiers Non-fiction, on the development of medieval armour. March 2005, Omnibus Books.
  


• Eagle of the East Historical novel, February 2007, Omnibus Books. (Writing as "L. S. Lawrence")
  


• Escape by Sea Historical novel, March 2008, Omnibus Books. (Writing as “L. S. Lawrence”) Also published under the same title by Holiday House, New York.

 

Awards and Critical Attention

• Night Hunters made the CBC list of notable works for 1995.
  


• The Wizard and Me was honourably mentioned for the Aurealis Awards (Fantasy section), 1996.
  


• A Dark Winter was favourably reviewed by The Age, The Australian, and the West Australian newspapers, and received feature coverage and a favourable review from Viewpoint, and also from Locus. The same book was short-listed for the WA Premier’s Book Award and won (shared) the Aurealis (Australian) Award for Best Fantasy Novel 1999 and won the WA SFF Award for Best Novel, 1999. It was also listed in the CBC list of notable works, 1999.
  


• A Dark Victory won the Aurealis for Best Young Adult SF in Australia, 2000. (A Dark Journey was short-listed, and both were also short-listed in the General category.)
  


• Rhianna and the Dogs of Iron was short-listed for the Aurealis (Children's section) in 2003.
  


• Iron Soldiers was a CBC Notable Book in 2006 and short-listed for the Eve Pownall Award.
  


• Eagle of the East was a CBC Notable Book in 2008.
  


• Escape by Sea was favourably reviewed by Kirkus Reviews.