Brian Caswell (1) (1954–)

Deucalion is an extremely inventive novel, and while it may seem a little slow at times, it is amazing to see the thought that Caswell has put into creating the races, governments and people of the planet Deucalion. His theory on how matter can be transmitted by warp is also quite original. This is probably a good novel for more scientifically literate people who are keen on a more ‘interesting’ read, rather than an ‘exciting’ one. It’s true that Deucalion does have its exciting moments, but they do not really serve to make it an exciting book.

Any Australian worth his salt will pick the parallels between the Elokoi and the Aboriginals in about two seconds flat – they are even unnecessarily made too obvious by reference to an Aboriginal boomerang – so at first, the entire book can seem like a comment on how it was unfair that we pushed the Aboriginals out of their ‘uninhabited land’. When the real plot is introduced, it can seem somewhat arbitrary. Once the reader gets into the new story, however, they are likely to find the parallels in the latter half of the novel – the ones about republics and loyalty owed to a ‘mother nation’ – much more interesting.

Although Caswell’s writing style is commendable, it doesn’t necessarily fit the story of Deucalion very well. At times, this book needs to decide what type of novel it wants to be – fast paced chapters of excitement with assassinations and conspiracies followed by sections of slow politics and elections can leave readers bored by comparison. This book would probably work better if it were all fast or all slow – and in my opinion, Caswell’s writing style would better complement a slower book.

Deucalion is good, but not great – a book to read once, but not twice. Recommended for technology-literate people who don’t mind a novel that’s quite different from most other novels.… (mere)

If Caswell’s aim was to write a book about art, then he has succeeded beyond any expectations. Each individual chapter of this book is a work of art in itself. The descriptive language is beautiful and unique – (there is no way to really describe just what it is about the imagery in this book that makes it so mind blowing.) The phrase ‘creative writing’ could have been invented to describe this novel.

The centrepiece of the art in this story is the picture that Chris paints of Abby, which is coupled with an original photograph of her to create an artistic contrast. There might as well be a full colour picture at the centre of the book; such is the skill with which Caswell describes it. I’m no expert in the field of art, but I would say that he has done some serious research into art and design theory in preparation for this novel. There are gems of artistic wisdom and information scattered throughout the pages, as well as countless morals and bits of food for thought. Reading Double Exposure is a rich experience that will exercise the mind – this is not the sort of novel you find everyday.

Without a doubt, the twist at the end is the most unexpected, phenomenal, unpredictable twist that I have ever read in any book. This is the kind of twist that makes your jaw drop and your conscious mind think, “No way!” and then makes you want to reread the entire book looking for the clues that you missed – (how on earth could you have missed them?) A stroke of pure genius – the twist alone makes this novel worth reading.

I would recommend this book to most anyone aged twelve or older who enjoys reading, although fans of more action packed, fast-paced stories may become bored. Highly recommended for art teachers especially!… (mere)