Rubinstein, Gillian

Entry updated 12 September 2022. Tagged: Author.

(1942-    ) UK-born author in Australia from 1973, initially of Young Adult sf under her own name, as well as tales for younger children; in the twenty-first century she has perhaps become best known for fantasies as by Lian Hearn. The Space Demons sequence comprising Space Demons (1986) and Skymaze (1989) deals with AI in interactive Computer games (see Games and Sports) in which players enter a Virtual Reality. Space Demons: The Play (1993) was an adaptation for the Theatre by Richard Tulloch, first produced in 1989. Beyond the Labyrinth (1988) shows teenagers developing a relationship with an Alien anthropologist; the Joella, Peter and Liane sequence comprising Galax-Arena (1992) and Terra-Farma (2001) continues the theme in a story whose human protagonists are captured by aliens. A singleton, Beyond the Labyrinth (1988), confronts its young protagonist with an Alien anthropologist studying a disappeared Aboriginal tribe in Australia. If there is sometimes a sense of unidiomatic use of sf in Rubinstein's work, this may be caused by a moderately overt use of sf devices as metaphors for exploring and resolving adolescents' painful personal relationships. At Ardilla (1991), not sf, is a rite-of-passage book about a growing girl. Her anthologies include After Dark: Seven Tales to Read at Night (anth 1988) and Before Dawn: More Tales to Read At Night (anth 1988).

As Lian Hearn, Rubinstein attained considerable success with the Tales of the Otori sequence beginning with Across the Nightingale Floor (2002) [for vts and further titles see Checklist], set in an intense rendering of the Japan of fable. [JW/JC]

see also: Australia.

Gillian Margaret Hanson Rubinstein

born Berkhampstead, Hertfordshire: 29 August 1942

works (selected)

Most books for younger children, like the Jake and Pete sequence, are not listed.

series

Space Demons

• Space Demons (Adelaide, South Australia: Penguin Books/Omnibus Books, 1986) [Space Demons: pb/Knarelle Beard]
  • Space Demons: The Play (Strawberry Hills, New South Wales: Currency Press, 1993) as adapted by Richard Tulloch [play: chap: dramatization of the above: first produced 1989: pb/]
• Skymaze (Adelaide, South Australia: Penguin Books/Omnibus Books, 1989) [Space Demons: pb/Vivienne Goodman]
• Shinkei (Adelaide, South Australia: Penguin Books/Omnibus, 1995) [Space Demons: hb/Belinda Knell]
  • Space Demons: The Trilogy (Norwood, South Australia: Omnibus/Scholastic, 2005) [omni of the above three: Space Demons: pb/Greg Holfeld]

Joella, Peter and Liane

• Galax-Arena (South Yarra, Victoria: Hyland House, 1992) [Joella, Peter and Liane: hb/David Wong]
• Terra-Farma (Ringwood, Victoria: Penguin Books Australia/Viking, 2001) [Joella, Peter and Liane: pb/Tim de Neefe and Tony Stone]

Tales of the Otori

• Across the Nightingale Floor: Tales of the Otori: Book One (Sydney, New South Wales: Hodder, 2002) as by Lian Hearn [Tales of the Otori: hb/Ellie Exarchos]
  • Across the Nightingale Floor: Episode 1: The Sword of the Warrior (New York: Penguin/Firebird, 2005) as by Lian Hearn [cut vt of the above: giving the first half of the text only: Tales of the Otori: pb/]
  • Across the Nightingale Floor: Episode 2: Journey to Inuyama (New York: Penguin/Firebird, 2005) as by Lian Hearn [cut vt of the above: giving the second half of the text only: Tales of the Otori: pb/after Yoshitoshi]
• Grass for His Pillow: Tales of the Otori: Book Two (Sydney, New South Wales: Hodder, 2003) as by Lian Hearn [Tales of the Otori: hb/Ellie Exarchos]
  • Grass for His Pillow: Episode 1: Lord Fujiwara's Treasures (New York: Penguin/Firebird, 2005) as by Lian Hearn [cut vt of the above: giving the first half of the text only: Tales of the Otori: pb/Hiroshige]
  • Grass for His Pillow: Episode 2: The Way Through the Snow (New York: Penguin/Firebird, 2005) as by Lian Hearn [cut vt of the above: giving the second half of the text only: Tales of the Otori: pb/Hokusai]
• Brilliance of the Moon: Tales of the Otori: Book Three (Sydney, New South Wales: Hodder, 2004) as by Lian Hearn [Tales of t he Otori: hb/Ellie Exarchos]
  • Brilliance of the Moon: Episode 1: Battle for Maruyama (New York: Penguin/Firebird, 2006) as by Lian Hearn [cut vt of the above: giving the first half of the text only: Tales of the Otori: pb/after Hokusai]
  • Brilliance of the Moon: Episode 2: Scars of Victory (New York: Penguin/Firebird, 2006) as by Lian Hearn [cut vt of the above: giving the second half of the text only: Tales of the Otori: pb/]
• The Harsh Cry of the Heron: Tales of the Otori: Book Four (London: Macmillan, 2006) as by Lian Hearn [Tales of the Otori: hb/]
• Heaven's Net Is Wide: The First Tale of the Otori (Sydney, New South Wales: Hachette Australia, 2007) as by Lian Hearn [Tales of the Otori: hb/Ellie Exarchos]

Tales of the Otori: Children of the Otori

• Orphan Warriors: Children of the Otori 1 (Sydney, New South Wales: Hachette Australia, 2019) as by Lian Hearn [Tales of the Otori: Children of the Otori: hb/]
• Sibling Assassins: Children of the Otori 1 (Sydney, New South Wales: Hachette Australia, 2020) as by Lian Hearn [Tales of the Otori: Children of the Otori: hb/]

The Tale of Shikanoko

• Emperor of the Eight Islands (Sydney, New South Wales: Hachette Australia, 2016) as by Lian Hearn [The Tale of Shikanoko: hb/]
  • Emperor of the Eight Islands (New York: FSG Originals, 2016) [cut of the above: comprising the first half: pb/Yuko Shimizu]
  • Autumn Princess, Dragon Child (New York: FSG Originals, 2016) [cut of the above: comprising the first half: pb/Yuko Shimizu]
• The Lord of Darkwood (Sydney, New South Wales: Hachette Australia, 2016) as by Lian Hearn [The Tale of Shikanoko: hb/]
  • The Lord of Darkwood (New York: FSG Originals, 2016) [cut of the above: comprising the first half: pb/]
  • The Tengu's Game of Go (New York: FSG Originals, 2016) [cut of the above: comprising the first half: pb/Yuko Shimizu]

individual titles

• Beyond the Labyrinth (South Yarra, Victoria: Hyland House, 1988) [hb/David Wong]
• At Ardilla (Adelaide, South Australia: Penguin Books/Omnibus Books, 1991) [pb/]
• Foxspell (South Yarra, Victoria: Hyland House, 1995) [hb/David Wong]
• Under the Cat's Eye: A Tale of Morph and Mystery (Sydney, New South Wales: Hodder Headline, 1997) [hb/Antart]

collections

• Annie's Brother's Suit (And Other Stories) (South Yarra, Victoria: Hyland House, 1996) [coll: pb/David Wong]
• Witch Music and Other Stories (South Yarra, Victoria: Hyland House, 1996) [coll: pb/Ann James]

works as editor

• After Dark: Seven Tales to Read at Night (Adelaide, South Australia: Penguin Books/Omnibus Books, 1988) [anth: pb/Vivienne Goodman]
• Before Dawn: More Tales to Read At Night (Adelaide, South Australia: Penguin Books/Omnibus Books, 1988) [anth: pb/Vivienne Goodman]

links

• Internet Speculative Fiction Database
• Picture Gallery

previous versions of this entry

• Internet Archive