Review: Rynosseros by Terry Dowling and Blue Tyson by Terry Dowling

This is probably a controversial statement, but Tom 'Blue' Tyson really reminds me of James Bond. Sure, he's not quite as big a womaniser (although he certainly has some affinity with the ladies). But otherwise - he's a bit of a loner, in charge of his own destiny, and in many of the tales he's solving a mystery or a problem just like Bond would be.

'Rynosseros' and 'Blue Tyson' are the first two of four collections of linked short stories, all describing a dry and altered future Australia, with an interesting mixture of aborigianl and arabic (??) cultures. As a concept I really liked the linkages, as the collection kept a cohesion otherwise lacking in some collections. Each story remains individual, but there are is also a definite narrative running through the books. Terry Dowling experiments plays with several different styles. Stories are in both first person and third. Tom Tyson features heavily in most, but in a few he is barely mentioned. Setting so many stories in the same shared universe has other advantages. Dowling has the luxury of revealing his Australia slowly, with deepening commentary about the society and Tom Tyson's past. Definitely enjoyed these books and would like to read the remaining two, "Twilight Beach", and "Rynemonn".