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  I just read an article where an American politician, Ray Canterbury, wants to make reading science fiction mandatory in schools. My first response was how the hell did he ever get elected as a republican: aren’t they all creationialists and global warming deniers? My second response was what a great idea. Reading science fiction is school should be mandatory in Australia too. The Republican goes on to say he doesn’t want students reading fantasy, but hard science fiction like 2001: A Space Odyssey. Hard science fiction is science fiction where real science is central to the plot. Mr Canterbury thinks reading hard science fiction will get more students interested in maths and science. If this policy was world-wide, I imagine there would be a shift in the general populations attitude towards science and scientists, especially in countries like Australia and the US. At the moment a lot of the population seem to view scientists with scepticism, that they are all jus...

Why do runners always look like they are suffering so much pain? According to Chris Pavey’s book, Running Against Time , it is probably because they are injured, full of self-doubt, or in desperate need of a toilet break. Why do they put themselves through so much pain and self-doubt? Are they slightly mad and more than slightly masochistic? After reading Running Against Time you will understand why a truly committed runner runs.                 Running against Time is no ordinary book about running. It is one man’s journey from being a she’ll be right, unhealthy McDonald’s addict, to becoming a driven, fund-raising marathon runner. Apart from its fitness and health benefits, Chris comes to love running for its adventure and because it allows him to be alone with his thoughts and nature.                 The book begins in Japan where Chris had ...

  Marathon Stories. Three Encounters with the Physical by Graeme Simsion came second in the recent Age Short Story Awards. The story is about a disastrous attempt at a first marathon and had a bit more resonance with me because last year I helped edit Chris Pavey’s Running Against Time , a book about Chris’ conversion from slob to marathon runner. He went on to raise a fair bit of money for charity and run up Mount Fuji. It is a great book, very inspirational, and told in a knock-about way. Three Encounters with the Physical is a true story. The events in the story happened to Graeme Simsion during the 2010 Canberra marathon. As such, the story really engaged my interest as I wondered how damaged he would become. The story also has an unusual narrative style that used all three points of view: first, third and second, all in the space of a few thousand words. The story starts in second person (if you haven’t read it yet, go and read it now , it will be fif...