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'Discover the mystery of the island of Teranesia, where peculiar biological evolution has created a world both beautiful and deadly. On the small uninhabited island of Teranesia, Prabir and his younger sister Madhusree live with their biologist parents, who are there to study the strange signs of evolutionary mutation in the island's butterfly population. But their peaceful time on Teranesia is cut short when a civil war breaks out in Indonesia, forcing Prabir and his family to flee. Twenty years pass, and Madhusree is now studying biology. She wishes to follow in the path of her parents, hoping to pick up where their research had been halted. Prabir, still feeling a great responsibility over his sister, highly advises her not to go back to Teranesia. But the mutations that happened during their time on the island overpower Madhusree's curiosity, and she goes against her brother's wishes. Struck with overwhelming feelings of responsibility, Prabir finds it as his duty to follow his sister, and travels back to Teranesia for the first time in twenty years. Not knowing what to expect, Prabir discovers the island to be more enchanting, and dangerous, than he could have ever imagined' (Publication summary)
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Other Formats
- Sound recording.
Works about this Work
-
Greg Egan's Quarantine and Teranesia : Contributions to the Millennial Reassessment of Consciousness and the Cognitive Nonconscious
2015
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Science Fiction Studies , 31 March vol. 42 no. 1 2015; (p. 56-77) 'The broader landscape in which Greg Egan's two symmetrically themed novels, Quarantine and Teranesia, unfold includes new research in neuroscience on the cognitive nonconscious (or proto-self) in humans. The cognitive nonconscious, which emerges from underlying neuronal processes, interacts with consciousness and the unconscious through its superior information-processing abilities. Egan links this new research with von Neumann's suggestion in the 1950s that the “wave collapse” in quantum mechanics, in which the superposition of particles creates indeterminacies through the particle's eigenstates, “collapses” so that, upon measurement, only one value is observed. While Quarantine explores the ways in which human consciousness is complicated by its interaction with quantum processes, Teranesia, in remarkable symmetry, investigates the possibility that the cognitive nonconscious may also emerge from and interact with quantum processes. Thus Egan plays with realigning into different configurations the three categories of consciousness/unconsciousness, the cognitive nonconscious, and material processes. As a result, the two novels constitute an important contribution to the millennial reassessment of the costs of consciousness and the rise of the cognitive nonconscious, serving as narratives to think with and through the recursive paradoxes and conceptual complexities inherent in this paradigm shift.' (Publication abstract) -
Geopolitics in Greg Egan's Science Fiction
2014
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Southerly , vol. 74 no. 1 2014; (p. 186-198) -
The Fiction of the Future : Australian Science Fiction
2012
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Sold by the Millions : Australia's Bestsellers 2012; (p. 128-140) 'According to Russell Blackford 'commercial science fiction is the most international of literary forms.' He observes that 'Australian SF continues to flourish, even if it trails heroic fantasy in mass-market appeal.' Australian SF writers although published internationally, with a dedicated fan followings in USA, UK and Europe, were overlooked for a very long time by Australian multinational publishers. The international editions had to be imported and were then distributed in Australia (Congreve and Marquardt 8). Blackford in his chapter throws light on the history of Australian SF and observes how Australian SF writers, with their concern for the future, achieved a powerful synthesis in form and content. The progress of Australian SF, maturity of style in the work of younger writers, and massive worldwide sales make Blackford optimistic as he asserts that 'the best Australian writers in the genre will be prominent players on the world stage.' (Editor's foreword xii-xiii) -
Scanners
2010
single work
review
— Appears in: SF Commentary : The Independent Magazine About Science Fiction , August no. 80 2010; (p. 71-72)
— Review of Teranesia 1999 single work novel -
Books Books Books
2000
single work
review
— Appears in: Scratch Pad 37 , March 2000; (p. 10-16)
— Review of George Turner : A Life 1999 single work biography ; South of My Days : A Biography of Judith Wright 1998 single work biography ; Stuck in Fast Forward 1999 single work novel ; The Book of Revelation 1999 single work novel ; Teranesia 1999 single work novel ; Centaurus : The Best of Australian Science Fiction 1999 anthology short story ; The Spike : Accelerating into the Unimaginable Future 1997 single work non-fiction
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Scanners
2010
single work
review
— Appears in: SF Commentary : The Independent Magazine About Science Fiction , August no. 80 2010; (p. 71-72)
— Review of Teranesia 1999 single work novel -
Books Books Books
2000
single work
review
— Appears in: Scratch Pad 37 , March 2000; (p. 10-16)
— Review of George Turner : A Life 1999 single work biography ; South of My Days : A Biography of Judith Wright 1998 single work biography ; Stuck in Fast Forward 1999 single work novel ; The Book of Revelation 1999 single work novel ; Teranesia 1999 single work novel ; Centaurus : The Best of Australian Science Fiction 1999 anthology short story ; The Spike : Accelerating into the Unimaginable Future 1997 single work non-fiction -
Hugo Winner of the Golden Age
2000
single work
review
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 15-16 January 2000; (p. 14)
— Review of Teranesia 1999 single work novel ; Centaurus : The Best of Australian Science Fiction 1999 anthology short story ; Strange Constellations : A History of Australian Science Fiction 1999 reference criticism -
A More Rounded Egan
2000
single work
review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , February-March no. 218 2000; (p. 47)
— Review of Teranesia 1999 single work novel -
[Review] Teranesia
2000
single work
review
— Appears in: Aurealis : Australian Fantasy & Science Fiction , no. 25-26 2000; (p. 162-164)
— Review of Teranesia 1999 single work novel -
The Fiction of the Future : Australian Science Fiction
2012
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Sold by the Millions : Australia's Bestsellers 2012; (p. 128-140) 'According to Russell Blackford 'commercial science fiction is the most international of literary forms.' He observes that 'Australian SF continues to flourish, even if it trails heroic fantasy in mass-market appeal.' Australian SF writers although published internationally, with a dedicated fan followings in USA, UK and Europe, were overlooked for a very long time by Australian multinational publishers. The international editions had to be imported and were then distributed in Australia (Congreve and Marquardt 8). Blackford in his chapter throws light on the history of Australian SF and observes how Australian SF writers, with their concern for the future, achieved a powerful synthesis in form and content. The progress of Australian SF, maturity of style in the work of younger writers, and massive worldwide sales make Blackford optimistic as he asserts that 'the best Australian writers in the genre will be prominent players on the world stage.' (Editor's foreword xii-xiii) -
Geopolitics in Greg Egan's Science Fiction
2014
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Southerly , vol. 74 no. 1 2014; (p. 186-198) -
Greg Egan's Quarantine and Teranesia : Contributions to the Millennial Reassessment of Consciousness and the Cognitive Nonconscious
2015
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Science Fiction Studies , 31 March vol. 42 no. 1 2015; (p. 56-77) 'The broader landscape in which Greg Egan's two symmetrically themed novels, Quarantine and Teranesia, unfold includes new research in neuroscience on the cognitive nonconscious (or proto-self) in humans. The cognitive nonconscious, which emerges from underlying neuronal processes, interacts with consciousness and the unconscious through its superior information-processing abilities. Egan links this new research with von Neumann's suggestion in the 1950s that the “wave collapse” in quantum mechanics, in which the superposition of particles creates indeterminacies through the particle's eigenstates, “collapses” so that, upon measurement, only one value is observed. While Quarantine explores the ways in which human consciousness is complicated by its interaction with quantum processes, Teranesia, in remarkable symmetry, investigates the possibility that the cognitive nonconscious may also emerge from and interact with quantum processes. Thus Egan plays with realigning into different configurations the three categories of consciousness/unconsciousness, the cognitive nonconscious, and material processes. As a result, the two novels constitute an important contribution to the millennial reassessment of the costs of consciousness and the rise of the cognitive nonconscious, serving as narratives to think with and through the recursive paradoxes and conceptual complexities inherent in this paradigm shift.' (Publication abstract)
Awards
- 2000 winner Ditmar Awards — Best Novel Award declined.
- 1999 winner Aurealis Awards for Excellence in Australian Speculative Fiction — Science Fiction Division — Best Novel
- 1999 longlisted James Tiptree, Jr Award
- 2000-2099