Deucalion (novel)
{{Short description|1995 novel by Brian Caswell}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Use Australian English|date=September 2011}}
{{Infobox book|
| name = Deucalion
| image = File:DeucalionNovel.jpg
| caption = First edition
| author = Brian Caswell
| cover_artist = Hans De Haas
| country = Australia
| language = English
| series =
| genre = Young adult, science fiction
| publisher = UQP
| pub_date = 1 September 1995
| media_type = Print (Paperback)
| pages = 216 (first edition)
| isbn = 0-7022-2865-6
| oclc =
| preceded_by =
| followed_by = The View from Ararat
}}
{{Portal|Children and Young Adult Literature}}
Deucalion is a 1995 young adult science fiction novel by Brian Caswell. It follows the story of many settlers who have travelled across space to build a new future on the planet Deucalion. However the future is uncertain for the Elokoi or Icarus people who were settled on the planet first.{{Cite web | url = http://www.penguin.com.au/lookinside/spotlight.cfm?SBN=9780702228650 | title = Deucalion by Brian Caswell | publisher = Penguin Books | access-date = 22 January 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080803115846/http://www.penguin.com.au/lookinside/spotlight.cfm?SBN=9780702228650 | archive-date = 3 August 2008 | url-status = dead }}
Background
Deucalion was first published in Australia on 1 September 1995 by the University of Queensland Press in trade paperback format.{{Cite web| url = http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?8697 | title = Bibliography: Deucalion | publisher = ISFDB | access-date = 22 January 2010}} In 1996 it was published as an audiobook by Louis Braille Books and in 2002 it was released in the United Kingdom by Flyways. It has also been distributed to North America by International Specialized Book Services.{{Cite book| title = Formats and Editions of Deucalion | publisher = WorldCat |oclc = 35128359}} Deucalion joint won along with Garth Nix's Sabriel the 1995 Aurealis Award for best young-adult novel and was a short-list nominee for the 1996 Children's Book Council of Australia: Book of the Year, Older Readers award.{{Cite web| url = http://www.locusmag.com/SFAwards/Db/Aurealis1996.html | title = The Locus Index to SF Awards: 1996 Aurealis Awards | publisher = Locus Online | access-date = 22 January 2010}}
Setting
The novel opens in the late 23rd century AD, by which time, humanity has explored light years out into space. However, only one habitable planet has been discovered, named Deucalion. Deucalion is 34 light-years away from Earth, with one large continent and an inland sea. Deucalion has a native sentient population, named the Elokoi, similar to H.G Wells' Eloi from The Time Machine. The Elokoi are at a level of civilisation similar to the Stone Age. Both Human and Elokoi settlements are only on the east coast of the continent, however, human settlers have forced the Elokoi to live on reservations. The human capital is called New Geneva.
Though having developed interstellar travel, spaceships can still only travel at the speed of light, and no faster, so it takes thirty-four years for even the fastest of ships to reach Deucalion. Passengers on board ships have to be cryogenically preserved.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Deucalion (Novel)}}
Category:1995 Australian novels
Category:Australian science fiction novels
Category:Children's science fiction novels
Category:1995 science fiction novels
Category:Australian young adult novels
Category:Aurealis Award–winning works
Category:University of Queensland Press books
Category:Novels set in the 23rd century
Category:1995 children's books
Category:Children's books set in the 23rd century
Category:Children's books set on fictional planets
{{1990s-ya-novel-stub}}
{{1990s-child-sf-novel-stub}}