Trailer Tuesday: The Two Pearls of Wisdom
Singing the Dogstar Blues (1998) marked the debut of a writer to watch, as the awards it garnered testified. Set in the near future, with more than a dash of humour, those of us who enjoyed that book have waited a long time for more. It took until 2008 for Alison Goodman to publish again – first an adult crime title, Killing the Rabbit, followed soon after by The Two Pearls of Wisdom. This latter book has other titles depending where you live, but more of that later. It’s been worth the wait.
Dig deeper
The author
- Alison Goodman’s website
- Brief biography from Wikipedia and entry from the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
Interviews
- Video interview (SciFiLondon)
- Podcast (BFK Books)
- Blog interview (Neth Space)
- Blog interview (ChickLish)
- Blog interview (Matilda)
- YouTube interview after French launch (20 question format; questions in French with subtitles, responses en anglais)
The text
Published in Australia as The Two Pearls of Wisdom, this title has been released in the UK as Eon: Rise of the Dragoneye and in the USA Eon: Dragoneye Reborn. Don’t be fooled, they are exactly the same book, despite cover and name change, but the dedicated websites are certainly worth a visit.
- Browse inside the book
- Alison Goodman reads from the text (video clip)
Reviews and articles
- Fiction Focus review
- Review – Specusphere
- Review – LA Times
- Review – The Book Bag (UK)
- Review – SFF World
- Article in Brisbane Courier Mail (July 18, 2008)
- Article – Alison Goodman on turning Japanese (sic) – scroll down – The SF Site
- Alison Goodman’s Newsletter in which she talks about translations and US state award nominations
Awards
- Winner – 2008 Aurealis Award, Best Fantasy Novel
- Honour Book – 2008 James Tiptree Jr. Award
- Notable Book – 2009 CBCA Awards
- Shortlisted – 2009 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards, Ethel Turner Prize for Young People’s Literature
- Shortlisted – 2009 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards Prize for Young Adult Literature
- Longlisted – 2009 Gold Inky Awards, Centre for Youth Literature
Teacher’s Notes
- Including an interview with the author (notes by Dr Pam Macintyre)
- Same notes, slightly different form, for the Eon editions
The sequel, Necklace of the Gods, is due to be published in 2010. While you are waiting, there is more Eastern fantasy to be had from another Australian author - Lian Hearn’s Tales of the Otori series - or you can bone up on the history of Feng Shui.
Good news too that Singing the Dogstar Blues has been reissued ten years on.
