Good Aussie yarns - or wider afield- literature

[davros]

Well, who’s got one of those shorter but “stick in your head” Aussie yarns they recommend?
Personally, love those Ion Idriess tales. Just read about “the Booya stone” (who knows about that?) from the short stories in “The Yellow Joss” to my 6YO and waiting for him to call out that there’s a skeleton monster in his room. Cool short story. Idriess tells a lot of good stories, sadly many are offensively racist, but that’s the modern filter and one must reflect on the fact that they were actually progressive for their time! At least he actually took the time to visit and try to understand the people he wrote about.
What other recommendations do the AULRO crew have? Or even overseas tales - the type one could envision being recounted around a campfire surrounded by old Landies and tired travellers. And their spooked out kids!

[Saitch]

Might pay to have a look at a bloke called Rhylle Wynn. He was a local here and wrote good, Aussie stories. A good one for kiddies would be "Behind the Bike Shed", but there are many more. They're not scary but, if you like humorous/sad stories from the bush, they're pretty good.
Sadly, R.M. Wynn died not that long ago, at a much too young age.[bigsad]


http://worldcat.org/identities/lccn-nb99091451/



Re: Idress, my Dad had about ten of Ion's books, all autographed and hard covered with some sort of cloth overlay. They have disappeared, over time. I remember reading "The Drums of Mer', as a little tacker and finding it interestingly gruesome, especially the description of the removal of heads from living warriors. the 'Dance of Death', from memory?

[V8Ian]

The man deserves a road named after him.

[davros]

Might pay to have a look at a bloke called Rhylle Wynn. He was a local here and wrote good, Aussie stories. A good one for kiddies would be "Behind the Bike Shed", but there are many more. They're not scary but, if you like humorous/sad stories from the bush, they're pretty good.
Sadly, R.M. Wynn died not that long ago, at a much too young age.[bigsad]


http://worldcat.org/identities/lccn-nb99091451/



Re: Idress, my Dad had about ten of Ion's books, all autographed and hard covered with some sort of cloth overlay. They have disappeared, over time. I remember reading "The Drums of Mer', as a little tacker and finding it interestingly gruesome, especially the description of the removal of heads from living warriors. the 'Dance of Death', from memory?

The Drums of Mer! Yes! “The dance of death” following decapitation has put that on hold for my 6YO for now! Yes, the head-hunters sacrifice mainland natives they have kidnapped as sacrifices. Shocking yarn about a white castaway who lives with the island tribe and ends up with another castaway woman? Likely back in the day was too confronting to imagine he’d actually enjoy staying there and marry into the tribe. Some fantastic descriptions of islander tools and weapons.

[davros]

The man deserves a road named after him.

Yeah, too true. Sad that some these days would write-off his works as racist - they need to be read in the context of their time. Back then, they would have been modern and confronting! They give fantastic written descriptions of the way of life the northern peoples lived back then. I find them really interesting.
If you ever see a first edition of “The Sniper” at a garage sale, I’ll give ya $20 for it! Don’t bother looking what it’s worth!
Some could make a good film I reckon, especially some short stories that could be fleshed out.

[davros]

Might pay to have a look at a bloke called Rhylle Wynn. He was a local here and wrote good, Aussie stories. A good one for kiddies would be "Behind the Bike Shed", but there are many more. They're not scary but, if you like humorous/sad stories from the bush, they're pretty good.
Sadly, R.M. Wynn died not that long ago, at a much too young age.[bigsad]


http://worldcat.org/identities/lccn-nb99091451/



Re: Idress, my Dad had about ten of Ion's books, all autographed and hard covered with some sort of cloth overlay. They have disappeared, over time. I remember reading "The Drums of Mer', as a little tacker and finding it interestingly gruesome, especially the description of the removal of heads from living warriors. the 'Dance of Death', from memory?

I’ll take a look at Ryhlle, interesting to read a modern author with the Aussie Tall Tale approach- by what I see online.

[NavyDiver]

Robert G Barret (RIP) wrote a few very very very bloody ozzie yarns. A mate loved them and past them over to me.

Very Sydney centric and even has a TV mini series which I thought was pretty good as a flash back to Sydney when I lived or worked there at the bottom of the Cross[thumbsupbig]


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCuS-_uly_0

On iView I assume The books are not for the kids!

[davros]

Robert G Barret (RIP) wrote a few very very very bloody ozzie yarns. A mate loved them and past them over to me.

Very Sydney centric and even has a TV mini series which I thought was pretty good as a flash back to Sydney when I lived or worked there at the bottom of the Cross[thumbsupbig]


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCuS-_uly_0

On iView I assume The books are not for the kids!

Good old RGB! Forgot about him. Probably hard to explain to the young one here what, “She had flaps like stingray”, means. Can’t say I understand it either? Anyone explain? She can swim really well?
Hilarious stuff I loved as a young bloke.

[Tote]

Was going to mention the Robert G Barrett books but was beaten to it. The image of Grungle the dog swallowing a chunk of some bloke's leg still makes me smile.

Regards,
Tote