Trucksong launch party

It’s always exciting to attend book launches, especially when the author is a member of one’s writing group and an all-round nice guy. So it was with a spring in my step that I trekked north to the inner Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy yesterday evening to attend the launch of Andrew Macrae’s debut novel, Trucksong, published by acclaimed Australian indie, Twelfth Planet Press.

I have not read any part of this literary SF novel yet, but it has been garnering many positive vibes from those I know who have. The official blurb goes thus:

A dystopian science fiction novel about lost love, AI trucks and the search for meaning in a post-apocalyptic Australia.

Yes, you read that right. AI trucks.

Trucksong can be purchased directly from Twelfth Planet Press, and heaps more information is to be found both there and on the dedicated Trucksong web site. This includes a sound track for the novel, composed by the author, and a download of the original version of the novel, which was initially written using experimental ‘post apocalyptic’ language as part of a doctoral thesis. Linguifiles are saying it could perhaps have stayed thus, but apparently the revised (yet still literary) version is far more accessible for those of us who don’t wish to work quite so hard.

It must be said Andy put on a fabulous launch party at Playroom, accompanied by experimental projections from Dr. Projectionists and improvised music by expert guitarist Jim Matheas and multinstrumentalist Tom Hamnett. The book was launched by editor of Overland magazine, Jeff Sparrow.

I really hope this book flies –by all accounts it’s something out of the common way and not a little bit special. I do hope international audiences dive in for a glimpse into something quintessentially Australian. Congratulations to Andy on Trucksong’s publication!

Following the launch, several of us wandered off down Brunswick street in search of Andy’s choice of ice-cream parlour — the uber-cool N2 Extreme Gelato, where they make ice cream on the spot by pouring liquid nitrogen right into the mix. Wild, with lots of vapour. Something of a gimmick, yet still delicious. I had the ‘Black lava salted caramel’ flavour.