Wonders of a Godless World

Wonders of a Godless World is a 2009 novel by Andrew McGahan. Described as "a kind of modern fable" that "verges on fantasy", it won the 2009 Aurealis Award for best science fiction novel.

Wonders of a Godless World
First edition cover
AuthorAndrew McGahan
LanguageEnglish
GenreScience fiction
PublisherAllen & Unwin
Publication date
October 2009
Publication placeAustralia
Media typePrint (Paperback)
Pages260 (first edition)
ISBN978-1-74175-809-2

It follows the story of an orphan girl who is working in the wards of the insane and incapable, but the inhabitants are thrown into turmoil after a series of strange murders following the arrival of a new patient.[1]

Background

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Wonders of a Godless World was first published in Australia in October 2009 by Allen & Unwin in trade paperback format.[1] It was released in the United Kingdom in May 2010 by Blue Door.[2] Wonders of a Godless World won the 2009 Aurealis Award for best science fiction novel.[3]

Synopsis

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"Set on an unnamed island in the near present, it is told from the perspective of a simple young woman, an orphan, mute, reared in a mental hospital and an orderly there, who forms a bond with a mysterious coma patient, a man with telepathic powers who claims to be immortal..."[4]

Throughout the book the reader can never be sure that the mute orphan narrator is a reliable narrator. The possibility that her telepathic bond with the patient is in fact a figment of her imagination is always left open. So rather than science fiction, the book could instead be read as an insight into delusion.[5]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Wonders of a Godless World". Allen & Unwin. Retrieved 2010-02-01.
  2. ^ "Wonders of a Godless World by Andrew McGahan". Fantastic Fiction. Retrieved 2010-02-01.
  3. ^ "Aurealis Awards 2009: Science Fiction Novel Judges' Report" (PDF). Aurealis Awards. Retrieved 2010-02-01.
  4. ^ Geordie Williamson, chief literary critic, The Australian
  5. ^ Andrew McGahan, Interviewed by Jo Case, Readings