James McQueen (writer)

James McQueen (1934–1998) was an Australian novelist and short story writer.

Life and work

Born in Ulverstone, Tasmania, McQueen had a variety of jobs, studied at the National Art School in Sydney, and completed a four-year course in accountancy.[1] He began writing fiction in 1975, and wrote full-time from 1977, living in Nabowla, north-eastern Tasmania, near Scottsdale.[2]

He wrote more than 150 stories, which were published in various countries as well as numerous Australian periodicals before being collected in six volumes. He wrote five novels for adults, as well as books for younger readers and non-fiction works. He and his second wife Barbara grew orchids professionally, and wrote two books about orchids together.

He was arrested while protesting against the proposed Franklin River dam.[3] The theme of environmental activism is strong in his novel Hook’s Mountain and some of his other works. Other recurring themes include the nature of masculinity and the inevitability of violence.

After a discussion of McQueen's work, the literary critic Laurie Clancy said, "Although the best of his short stories are very fine, McQueen's limitations tend to be exposed more in the novels, with their formulaic characterizations."[4]

He and his first wife Rosemary had a daughter and a son.

Novels
  • A Just Equinox (1980)
  • Hook's Mountain (1982)
  • The Floor of Heaven (1986)
  • White Light (1990)
  • The Heavy Knife (1991)

White Light and The Heavy Knife were the first two novels of an uncompleted trilogy, The Clocks of Death.[5]

Short story collections
  • The Electric Beach (1978)
  • The Escape Machine (1981)
  • Uphill Runner (1984)
  • Death of a Ladies' Man (1989)
  • Lower Latitudes (1990)
  • Travels with Michael and Me (1992)

Children's and young adult fiction
  • Escape to Danger (1979)
  • The Night of the Crocodile (1997)
  • The Candelaria Massacre (1997)
  • Dead Reckoning (1999)
  • Stranger (1999)
  • Snake Island (1999)

Non-fiction
  • Miniature Orchids (1992) (with Barbara McQueen)
  • Orchids of Brazil (1993) (with Barbara McQueen)
  • The Franklin: Not Just a River (1983)
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References
  1. Wilde, William H.; Hooton, Joy; Andrews, Barry (1994). The Oxford Companion to Australian Literature (2nd ed.). South Melbourne: Oxford University Press. p. 502. ISBN 978-0-19-553381-1. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
  2. McQueen, James (1984). Uphill Runner. Ringwood, Victoria: Penguin. p. i. ISBN 978-0-14-007007-1. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
  3. Flanagan, Martin (2 January 1999). "In memory of a man who helped save the Franklin". Views. The Age. Melbourne, Victoria. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. Clancy, Laurie (1992). A Reader's Guide to Australian Fiction (paperback). Melbourne: Oxford University Press. p. 282. ISBN 978-0-19-554620-0. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
  5. McQueen, James (1991). The Heavy Knife. Port Melbourne: Mandarin Australia. p. iii. ISBN 978-1-86330-092-6. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
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