A delightful yet eerie fusion of cosmic horror and speculative fiction, written in an impressively restrained prose...
Bird Deity is a delightful yet eerie fusion of cosmic horror and speculative fiction, written in an impressively restrained prose. Morrissey examines the follies and fallacies of the colonial project through his world-building of an alien planet populated by the mysterious parasapes. Our protagonist is David, a scout who has spent a decade plundering the planet for a powerful corporation, whilst remaining ignorant to the planet’s inhabitants. When his mentor vanishes, he begins to question his place on the planet. As the mystery unfolds, a researcher asks for his guidance, as she believes there are more to the parasapes than they may have thought.
Through his masterful handling of language and plot, Morrissey delves into the psyche of David and is contradictions. His encounters with the land and the parasapes build a sense of dread, which is interspersed with vivid dreams and snapshots of the lives of the parasapes. Even for those who are not sci-fi readers, this book utilises genre in an effective way to examine power, history, and the human psyche.