Nightsiders

In a future world of extreme climate change, Perth, Western Australia’s capital city, has been abandoned. Most people were evacuated to the East by the late ’30s and organised infrastructure and services have gone.

A few thousand obstinate and independent souls cling to the city and to the southern towns. Living mostly by night to endure the fierce temperatures, they are creating a new culture in defiance of official expectations. A teenage girl stolen from her family as a child; a troupe of street actors who affect their new culture with memories of the old; a boy born into the wrong body; and a teacher who is pushed into the role of guide tell the story of The Nightside.

Table of Contents

    Introduction by Marianne de Pierres
    The Painted Girl
    Nation of the Night
    Paper Dragons
    The Schoolteacher’s Tale

Drawing on her local knowledge of Perth, Sue Isle reimagines the Western Australian landscape in a confronting and plausible future. Appealing to both YA and adult readers, Nightsiders is a collection of four interlinked short stories exploring issues of climate change, gender identity, multiculturalism and community. Featuring complex and diverse characters, this collection is aimed at a YA audience looking for fresh and empowering science fiction.

“Nation of the Night” – winner of the 2012 Aurealis Award for Best Young Adult Short Story

Longlisted for the Tiptree Award

Shortlisted for Best Collected Work, Aurealis and Ditmar Awards, 2012

Honourable Mention, Norma Hemming Award