Australia has been a frequent choice as the location for narratives about the end of the world in science fiction and speculative works, ranging from pre-colonial apocalyptic maps to key literary works from the last fifty years. This critical volume explores the role of Australia in both apocalyptic literature and film. Topics covered include On the Beach and Mad Max, as well as children's literature, Indigenous writing, and cyberpunk. The text explores how apocalypse is used to undermine complacency, foretell environmental disasters, critique colonization, and act as a protest for minority...

In recent years, shapeshifting characters in literature, film and television have been on the increase. This has followed the increased use of such characters as metaphors, with novelists and critics identifying specific meanings and topics behind them. This book aims to unravel the shapeshifting trope. Rather than pursue a case-based study, the works are grouped around specific themes--adolescence, gender, sexuality, race, disability, addiction, and spirituality--that are explored through the metaphor of shapeshifting. Because of its transformative possibilities and its flexibility, the...