The Audio File: Yowie

As I'm sure I've said many times before, but there are a lot of hidden audio drama gems out there. They're just waiting to be discovered, but find them is another matter. That's a one of the reasons I created The Audio File. I like helping people find quality audio fiction. Am I going somewhere with this? Yes, I always like to add a little preamble before we get to the main event. We're taking a look at the audio drama Yowie.

Yowie takes place in Australia and follows a man named Ian Linville. The police believe that he murdered his wife and son, as well as a park ranger, on a camping trip in the Grampians National Park. However, they were never able to pin evidence on him, so he walked on a technicality. Now, Ian is conducting an interview with an investigative journalist to set the record straight. He says that he did not murder his family. Rather he claims they were kidnapped by Yowies.

As I've mentioned before, I'm more willing to take a gamble on podcasts that are shorter in length, which was a point in Yowie's favor. Personally, I think it was exactly as long as it needed to be for the story it was trying to tell. Also, I was very much intrigued by the Australian setting. I loved all things Australia when I was a kid. My dad got me a set of nightshirts that each had a different Australian animal on them. Kangaroo, koala, wallaby, wombat, kookaburra, I had them all. I even convinced by parents (or was it grandparents?) to buy me a didgeridoo; though I never really learned how to play it. I really wanted a boomerang, but I was always scared that I'd hurt myself. And yes, The Crocodile Hunter was one of my favorite television shows. When my first-grade class had a day where we all dressed up as people from different countries, which obviously meant I picked Australia.

Australia always seemed like a land of mystery and adventure. I've gotten a more nuanced view as I've gotten older, but I still have a soft spot for the land down under. I do hope I might get a chance to visit it someday. Now, let's address one bit of formation before we go forward: what is a Yowie? Basically, a Yowie is like the Australian version of Bigfoot/Sasquatch. Contrary to that time Scooby-Doo and the gang went to Australia, Yowies are not vampires, and have no connection to vampires. Well, now that we've got that cleared up, let's continue.

First of all, this is a very well-made audio drama. The voice acting, sound effects, and music and all very professional. I always appreciate when podcasters are willing to go the extra mile to create a truly great listening experience. I'm not the only one who thinks so. Yowie was a finalist in the 2019 Australian Podcast Awards. It was nominated in the Fiction and Outstanding Production categories. Though it might not have won, I'm sure Just Intertainment, the production company behind Yowie, was still very proud. 

Now let's discuss the story. Right from the start it is pretty clear that the Linville Family is incredibly dysfunctional. Ian and his wife Sarah frequently get into fights and arguments, while their son Aaron clearly doesn't want to be on the camping trip. Ian also clearly isn't pleased that Aaron doesn't like to do stereotypically manly things like hunting. So, from the start I suspected that something was up, and I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. It also confused me that they were hunting deer, since deer are not native to Australia. However, I looked it up, and it turns out that deer were imported to Australia during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Yet another species the British brought over to remind them of home; and which then wreaked havoc on the local ecosystems.

Ian is also incredibly reckless with his guns, and has fairly lax attitudes towards gun safety. Admittedly, my knowledge of Australian gun law is fairly limited, so I don't know if that was meant to be social commentary or not. As much as I enjoyed Yowie, and did very much enjoy it, I couldn't shake the feeling that I might have gotten more out of it if I was Australian. That isn't to say that it is incomprehensible to non-Australians. Far from it, the plot is perfectly coherent. Still, I do wonder if Australians might pick-up on certain things that I may have missed.

The Yowie themselves are depicted as largely peaceful creatures who almost compelled eschew violence in favor of pacifism. I say almost because, if push comes to shove, they're more than capable of defending themselves. It actually takes a couple episodes before the Yowies make a proper onscreen appearance. Oh, but don't worry, there's still plenty of suspense to be had, especially after the Linvilles run-over a park ranger. It is while they're on the run, trying to avoid detection from the authorities or anyone else, that the Linvilles notice a strange creature following them. Well, Aaron had noticed a strange blue-eyed creature earlier, but that's when the Yowie really start playing a role in the story.

It would seem that the writing team took the approach you see in a lot of horror movies. You don't immediately reveal your monster; you give little hints and fleeting glimpses. This allows the audience to build-up the monster in their minds. There is no better special effects department than the human imagination. Of course, I wouldn't go as far as to call the Yowies monsters.

Okay, I've put it off for as long as I can. We've got to talk about the spoilers. I'm talking the big ones. So if you don't want any of that, turn back now.

This is your last chance. You sure you want to go forward?

Well, okay. If you're still here, let's begin.

Well, the second shoe finally dropped. The final episode changes just about everything about the series. Turns out Ian was indeed lying. There weren't any Yowies. Ian accidentally shot Aaron during their hunting trip. Then he killed a park ranger who came to investigate the noise. Finally, he killed Sarah when they got into an argument. Oh, but we aren't done yet, turns out Sarah was pregnant at the time because she'd been having an affair. The man she'd been sleeping with turns out to be the reporter interviewing Ian. He suspected the truth, and was just trying to get Ian to admit it.

Ah, but why was Ian so forthcoming? Because he doesn't intend for the truth to get out. He kills the man, switches their drivers licenses and IDs, and cuts off the man's fingertips and slashes his face so he can't be identified. When the police arrive, they assume Ian is the one who has been murdered. And thus, a serial killer evades capture.

I mean, damn, didn't see that coming. I mean, I suspected that Ian was lying, but I wasn't expecting him to murder the interviewer so brutally. I also didn't see the interviewer being Sarah's lover, and the father of her unborn child. Admittedly, I am a bit disappointed that the Yowies didn't turn out to be real after all. Still, I would say overall the podcast is good for what it is.

I almost wish we'd get a sequel series where he continues his killing spree across Australia. Maybe the twist could be that he's the reincarnation of notorious Australian serial killer Albert Fish. Or at least, thinks he's the reincarnation of Albert Fish. Wait, no, Albert Fish was American. Hmm, I’m sure there’s some Australian serial killer who could fill the role. 

Joking aside, I absolutely loved Yowie, and I'd love to see the team work on another project. Based on how Yowie turned out I expect nothing but the best from them. Well, I don't think there's much more that I can add. Yowie is a thrilling and suspenseful tale of secrets, lie, mysteries, and maybe a few cryptids. It might be only five episodes long, but it is lean and mean, and more than worthy of your time.

Well, I think that's enough from me for now. I will see you guys next time.

Book Review: Hover Car Racer by Matthew Reilly

Since its birth science fiction has pondered about how future technology will shape society. Some works ask this with regards to big concepts such as colonizing the stars or the future of geopolitics. Then there are works which tackle more mundane matters such as sports and entertainment. In this review we’re going to tackle a novel that looks at the future of racing. We’re reviewing Hover Car Racer by Matthew Reilly. 

Hover Car Racer takes place in the not too distant future where transportation has been revolutionized thanks to magneto hover drives which draw power from the Earth’s magnetic field. The sports of racing has also been revolutionized by hover technology, and hover car racing draws millions of viewers and captivates countless nations. The book follows a fourteen-year-old hover car racer from Australia named Jason Chaser. Jason has just lost one of the biggest races of his life, but he’s also attracted the attention of former racing champion Scott Syracuse. Before long Jason and his little brother Bug are whisked away to the International Race School in Hobart, Tasmania. Jason and Bug are about to be in for the ride of their lives. 

Yeah, if you’re thinking that this book kind of sounds like Harry Potter meets Speed Racer, you wouldn’t be too far off. That having been said, it doesn’t make the book any less enjoyable. What makes Matthew Reilly such a talented writer is the way that he is takes concepts that seem cliché and manages to make them feel fresh and exciting. He may write books that are primarily intended to be fun and entertaining, but it’s clear that he puts a lot of hard work and effort into his books.

This book had been on my to-read list for a while, and I’m certainly glad that I finally got around to it. If you’re sick of books that spend too much time on filler, padding and introspection then you’ll enjoy this book. Everything that happens has some significance in advancing the plot. The plot and action moved by like a speeding hover car, but it never felt rushed or poorly paced. This was a really fun book, pure and uncut fun. Blame it on all of the Mario Cart I used to play, but I’ve always had a soft spot for racing stories.

One of the great things about this book is the applicability of hover car racing. Matthew Reilly has mentioned that he deliberately inserted similarities to real sports so that readers could identify with hover car racing even though it is fictional. The most obvious influence is, naturally, racecar driving, but the way matches and tournaments are arranged contains elements of tennis, cricket and even soccer. The book itself even describes racing hover cars as being akin to racing fighter jets.

Now, let’s talk characters. What I liked about Jason wasn’t so much what he was as what he wasn’t. A lot of people’s complaint with Speed Racer is that Speed is a boring invincible hero who is guaranteed to win no matter what, but that’s not the case with Jason. He has to actually work for his victories, and there are just as many times that he fails as when he succeeds. This makes all of the races genuinely suspenseful sense there’s no guarantee that Jason will come out on top. It also makes his hard work and victories feel genuinely satisfying.

In other notable characters we’ve got Ariel Piper, the sole female racer at the International Race School. I liked that she and Jason were merely close friends rather than love interests. It made their relationship more unique, well, that and the three-year age difference between them made romance unlikely. One of the big things with Ariel is her having to overcome the sexism and prejudice within the racing world. Admittedly, I don’t know much about real world racing, so I can’t say if that was supposed to be some sort of commentary. Also, for those concerned about a potential lack of female main characters, we have Jason’s mech chief Sally McDuff. She’s something of a surrogate big sister to Jason, and I loved their constant banter.

Also, on a minor note, pretty much every French character who appears in this novel is a complete jerk with absolutely no redeeming qualities. To be fair this does tend to pop up in most Matthew Reilly novels, and it didn’t bother me that much. To balance out the French characters we have Jason’s hometown rival Barnaby Becker, and Prince Xavier Xonora who hails from a small Italian principality located near France…okay, Xavier is a half example. Matthew Reilly has gotten better about this in his more recent novels, but all I’m saying is something tells me his novels typically don’t get translated into French very often. That’s also probably why none of the major races took place in France, despite their history of racing.

In terms of technical aspects, the books is a bit of a mixed bag. Magneto drives sound good in theory, but certain details don’t quite add up. It is explained that they get their power from the Earth’s magnetic field, and yet they need to be recharged. Hmm, maybe whatever lets them tap into the magnetic field is what needs charging? There’s also the fact the real estate mogul, and Jason’s eventual sponsor, Umberto Lombardi has built multiple versions of Venice across the world. Not too bad, except that the first one was built next to the original Venice. Unless the original was threatened due to climate change I don’t see why he would do that. It also reminds me of that scene in The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie where Mr. Krabs builds a second Krusty Krab next to the original.

On the more realistic side, the hover cars are kept from accidentally plowing into buildings by Dead Zones. Dead Zones project a frequency that completely drains a hover car’s magneto drives if it gets within a certain distance. These, along with less powerful versions known as de-mag strips, are one of the many hazards facing racers. The hover cars themselves are descendants of Formula 1 racecars, which does feel like it makes senses given how aerodynamic they are. I also loved the different course designs. You’ve got traditional speed races, point based gate races and tournament match races. Mere seconds can make a world of difference in a race, and drivers often find themselves choosing between a full pit stop or hoping their cars can last until the next round.

There’s a ton of references to classical works scattered throughout the novel. For example, we’ve got a hero named Jason who pilots The Argonaut, flies through two clashing icebergs and towards the end of the novel he retrieves a Golden Fleece as part of the final race. Jason falls in love with a girl named Dido who ultimately proves to be a distraction on his quest. Later we see a Greek racer who pilots a car called the Arion, after the horse of Heracles, and there’s a few other references as well. You don’t have to catch any of these references to enjoy the novel, but it gives you a little something extra.

No review of Hover Car Racer would be complete without discussing the story of its publication. Originally, Matthew Reilly published it for free on his website in eight separate installments. He thought a digital release would appeal more to young adults. Eventually the book was sold to Pan MacMillan for the princely sum of…two dollars. Disney snatched up the film right early on, and for a while it looked like we would see a Hover Car Racer movie. Unfortunately, the Hover Car Racer movie was yet another casualty of Tomorrowland’s under-performance making Disney halt production on their science fiction movies. Personally, I think it would make for an awesome video game.

There is an audiobook version narrated by Sean Mangan. Initially I wasn’t quite sure if it would work out, since Sean is American and Jason is Australian. However, I’m happy to report that Sean more than delivers. He really does a great job bringing all of the characters to life. I guess it makes sense that the producers didn’t go with an Australian, given that Jason and his family are pretty much the only Australians in the entire book.

There’s a ton of bonus material related to Hover Car Racer available on Matthew Reilly’s website including maps of all of the race courses, a how to guide to make your own origami Argonaut, interviews and more. There was also a special re-released edition of the novel that includes illustrations by comic book artist Pablo Raimondi.

All in all, Hover Car Racer is a high-octane thrill ride powered by Rule of Fun and Rule of Cool. If you’re looking for a science fiction take on racing, this novel can’t be beat. Pick up your copy today.

Flag of Spanish Australia

I meant to do something special for Easter, so to make up for it here's a new flag:

This is the flag of Spanish Australia. It's from a world where Spain launched an attack on the British colonies in Australia in 1790. This was because the Spanish believed British Australia was a threat to their Pacific colonies. A few years prior to the invasion, the British colonies had also suffered a number of setbacks that made their future uncertain. The Spanish filled Australia with colonist not only from Spain, but also from across their colonies in the Americas. This diverse group of colonists have Spanish Australia a very cosmopolitan feel to it as the years went on.

Spanish Australia comprises most of the continent plus the north island of New Zealand. The French established a colony of their own in Western Australia and the South Island of New Zealand. The Spanish and French mutually supported their colonial efforts in order to keep the British out of Australia, and the two Australias are allies to this day. Spanish Australia is also quite loyal to its mother nation and is a happy member of the Spanish Commonwealth. Spain did a much better job administering and retaining its colonies and in time organized them into a Commonwealth.

The red and gold stripes are a reference to the nation's Spanish heritage. The bull is a reference to the important role that ranching has played in the history of Spanish Australia. The purple stands for wealth gain by the opal and gold rushes as well as the nation's loyalty to the Spanish Commonwealth.