Damien Broderick has had a major impact as an Australian SF writer since 1964. He is undoubtedly the leading Australian theorist of the SF genre' (Russell Blackford, Van Ikin, Sean McMullen, Strange Constellations). Now, Broderick draws upon his skills as both critic and novelist to analyze science fiction of the last two decades, and its earlier roots. The book proposes sf as a distinctive form of writing, the extreme narrative of difference, then closely reads authors such as John Barnes, Jamil Nasir, Wil McCarthy, Robert Grossbach and Poul Anderson. While concentrating on exciting work published in the USA and Britain, Broderick does not neglect his own country's contributions, discussing sf by George Turner and other Australians. His critical voice is wry, entertaining and occasionally scathing.

"Damien Broderick is a seeker of sayable insights about the strangeness of literature, and he gifts us with his grace and knowledge."
— George Zebrowski, Campbell Prize Winner for BRUTE ORBITS

"This is passionate, learned, open-hearted stuff . . . exhilarating to read"
— John Clute

"Broderick has for some time deservedly been recognized as the leading Australian theorist of SF in critical/practitioner terms, at least, the closest thing there is to an Australian Delany and readers familiar with his more stringent theorizing may be surprised to discover just how delightful and accessible Broderick's critical work can be, especially when he leavens it with tellingly observed bits of memoir about what it was like growing up reading the stuff."
—Gary K. Wolfe, Locus

"An extremely talented fiction writer as well as critic, Broderick brings an intimate understanding of how SF is composed, marketed and perceived to the table. Like Knight, he can be fascinating whether discussing flawed one-shot wonders... or masterpieces from Bester, Pohl, Asimov and others. And his prose is zesty and inviting, full of witty metaphors. Nothing academic or stodgy here. Is science fiction really 'the crazed biker of literature, sloppy-grinned, barreling back down the wrong side of the road into the shrieking traffic'? Read Broderick, and find out!"
—Paul Di Filippo, Asimov's