Michael Pryor – författare

When an intense electromagnetic pulse strikes, the world grinds to a halt. No power, no light, no transport. Governments break down. The cities fall silent.When Holly Andrews wakes in the wreckage of a smashed car next to the unconscious form of her older brother, Alex, she sets out on a dangerous quest to find her parents. Tony, and his younger brother Paulie, have escaped the clutches of an abusive and terrifying father, only to find themselves prisoners of the equally dangerous New Order, a movement that threatens to take the flickering flame of civilisation and snuff it out completely. Holly, Alex, Tony and Paulie try to cope in a dangerous and harsh world, searching for ways to create a better one. But first they must survive the chaos that comes with the collapse—misery, disease, violence. There are no longer any rules. Everything they have taken for granted is gone. Can they keep the flame alive?

In the fantastical world of Michael Pryor’s new novel, humans live alongside elves, dwarves, werewolves and ogres. Bruno Trask is a human boy with a very boring job: he has to parade around the local shopping mall dressed as Roger, the Smiley Dragon. One day at the mall a fabulous collection of enchanted jewellery is on display. It is presided over by the Dark Lady, the most famous, rich and influential Dark Elf in the world. Just as she’s unveiling the main attraction—an old family heirloom called the Black Star—Bruno accidentally knocks it out of her hand in a spectacular collision. It soars high into the air and Bruno, again accidentally, puts out his hand and catches it. In a flash of light, the Black Star merges with his hand and becomes embedded in the middle of his palm.Suddenly, Bruno is the centre of attention. The Dark Lady wants her Black Star back and she’ll do anything to get it. With two of her bodyguard ogres after him, Bruno very quickly finds himself on the run.Will Bruno stay out of the Dark Lady’s clutches? And what is the secret behind the Black Star?

Australia, many years in the future. A place of darkness, overpopulation and environmental degradation. A rigidly stratified society controlled by Artificial Intelligences.Caliban, a street person and petty thief is given the chance to create a new life for himself. Drawn into a complex game by the Artificial Intelligences, Caliban suddenly discovers that he is not only fighting for his identity, but for his life…A finalist for the 1997 Aurealis Award for best young-adult novel, The Mask of Caliban was Australian speculative fiction master MICHAEL PRYOR’s breakthrough novel.