I was invited to interview Shae Nicholson for their launch of Fractal at Forever Fables in Maroochydore. I was so delighted to be asked. Fractal is Shae’s debut novel and a winning shortlisted novel in the Publishable program, and I loved it.
It’s a dual timeline story set in near-future Brisbane and the UK, where a deadly species of lichen has caused environmental devastation and necessitated the evacuation of the entire region. The main character, Bonnie, is on the ground during the evacuation in the UK timeline. She is struggling to overcome the trauma of this past in the Brisbane timeline.
The world building is intense with this novel. The scale of the lichen exodus is played out so well, giving vibes of the 28 Days Later franchise. The near-future version of Australia where Brittanic refugees struggle to find their place within a society that doesn’t welcome them is just as well-rendered.
Fractal by Shae Nicholson: dual timeline
One of the main things I loved about Fractal is the slow unfolding of the story. This tension is built by the dual timeline structure. For example, in the ‘Now’ timeline (in Brisbane), Bonnie is mourning the death of her husband. We are left guessing for most of the book who her husband is from then ‘Then’ (UK exodus) timeline. With characters that do and do not cross over between the timelines, there are often times where the sense of dread becomes overwhelming, not knowing whether beloved characters ‘Then’ are going to make it out to ‘Now,’ alive. And those that do: when they reappear it’s a delightful cameo of beloved characters that we didn’t realise we missed, until we do.
The sex-positive, dynamic romance subplots that simmer throughout Fractal bring an extra dimension to the story. The relationships that Bonnie develops with the other characters around her pulls you through the story. We are left yearning to find out what happens next.
Fractal is just the first book in The Bonnie Tanner Tragedies and book two, Cwtch is coming out this year. In Cwtch, we get to hear Jones’ story, and I cannot wait. You’ve still got time to get up to date with what goes down in Fractal. You can buy Fractal here. Preorder Cwtch here.
And there are more photos from Shae’s launch here!