Cassie McCullagh

This is The Bookshelf on ABC Radio National.

I'm Cassie McCullough, and with me is Kate Evans, as always.

And today, our reviewers, Robert Forster of GoBetween's fame and now a novelist.

Congrats again.

And Geordie Williamson, who is a brilliant reader and also a publisher for Picador.

Now, following on from those two very timely, rather grand novels, I believe this one is a tad different, Kate.

So it's a ship, not a spaceship.

That's what I was imagining.

I have had so many different films in my head as you two have been talking.

I've had Desperately Seeking Susan starring Madonna, Flashdance because of that black sort of punky thing, Electric Dreams, Early Coding, and you mentioned Blade Runner, but Waterworld.

With Kevin Costner at the time, one of the greatest flops in Hollywood history.

So you think it's successful?

Okay, well, that is a really interesting bunch of books.

Let's get a few more recommendations from you both.

Robert Forster, what have you read lately that you'd like to recommend?

Well, David Maloof, who we lost two weeks ago at the age of 92, certainly did describe and evoke Brisbane and Queensland so beautifully in his work.

But Robert, you're selling yourself short because you and your bandmates have also done this with music.

I mean, you're so much part of the landscape up there.

They've actually named a bridge which crosses the Brisbane River, the Go Between Bridge.

Yes.