Scatterlings is Isobelle Carmody’s second novel, written in 1991. The story follows Merlin, a girl who has woken up in a strange world she does not recognise. Merlin remembers our world, complete with cities, homelessness and cars. But this world is full of primitive seeming tribes, barter systems, a vast wilderness and strange new technology.Merlin is an interesting character, she is quite difficult to relate to because the position she is in is a unique one. I myself have never suffered any serious sort of loss of memory. Though at the heart of her character was an insatiable curiosity, a need to know truth. That was her redeeming feature, because her drive was so strong I felt drawn along on her journey.Merlin's relationship with Ford is a nice sideline to the main story. Merlin is a very moral character and the main story involves her struggling to do what she believes is right, with only a tiny amount of information to decide from. This book would be an excellent tool for studying ethics.I would recommend Scatterlings as suitable for tweens, I would have enjoyed it most between the ages of 10 and 12. As it stands I took a lot from it a decade later. There are some really thought provoking themes which add gravity to a story full of quite basic characters. I love Isobelle Carmody’s interpretations of post-apocalyptic worlds. I love her portrayal of women limited not just to stereotypical roles but as individuals. I would definitely recommend Scatterlings to fans of dystopian, post-apocalyptic and middle grade fiction, though I myself am not a fan of the latter and still really loved it!I owned Scatterlings for over a decade before I even picked it up to read. The thing that really turned me off the book is that my copy is old, the cover art looks quite dated. I added Scatterlings to my May ‘to be read’ list because I knew I needed to force myself to read it. I had a pleasant surprise when I opened it:I think that inscription reads 'To Dear Harry - I hope you like this as much as you liked Obernewtyn! Isobelle Carmody’. I'd like to think Harry wanted to share it with someone else which is why he sold it on. I myself didn’t love Scatterlings as much as I loved Obernewtyn, but I still really enjoyed it!
While in some ways this could be viewed as simplistically written, Scatterlings is a wonderful example of post-apocalyptic children's literature, a sub-genre which Australians have all but owned. As a piece of Sci Fi / Fantasy crossover, a domain Carmody clearly enjoys, it certainly ticks the boxes in relation to exploring current social concerns relating to our exploitation of the environment, overweening faith in and reliance on technology, and the ever-present social divide that is highlighted by modern technocracies. It is, however, her exploration of the idea of self that I find most enthralling. Our protagonist awakens into a world which she does not cognise and with now personal memories. While her immediate concern is to figure out where she is, this quickly shifts to a more pressing question of who she is. Throughout most of her journey, Merlin maintains a conviction that she must discover her personal history in order to regain an understanding of of her self. This represents on stream of personality theory that understands self to be a core entity constructed and/or maintained by memory.Merlin's view is opposed by Ford, who at first appears to be a rather typical egotistical teen. As the plot unfolds, however, Ford emerges as a character who is both motivated and defined by his actions and, perhaps more importantly, inks relationships. Countering the idea that self is a given that must be remembered, Ford is a constructionist who understands self to be a present construct of one's relationships and commitments. He maintains that Merlin does not need to discover who she was; rather, she must understand who she consistently becomes in the present.
What do You think about Scatterlings (1995)?
Merlin wakes up in a helicopter that has crashed in a forest. The pilot is dead, there's a metal collar around her neck with a broken chain hanging from it, and her memories are patchy and impersonal. Not to mention that these memories - memories of the world as we know it - do not match the world in which she finds herself: asphalt roads almost disappeared beneath grass, crumbling buildings and skyscrapers swallowed up by vigorous forest. It is silent and deserted, and Merlin wanders lost and confused until she meets Ford, a young man who looks nothing like the people in her memories.So begins Scatterlings, one of my favourite books by one of my favourite authors. It's fantasy with, I guess, a sci-fi bent, and philosophical underpinings. I love the twist at the end. Ok, it's not a "twist" like in Fight Club, but it's a perfect resolution to the mystery of Merlin.
—Shannon (Giraffe Days)
An enjoyable read, although Carmody often takes the easy route when creating plotlines and doesn't bother to develop her characters. The premise is intriguing and the possibilities vast - the idea of an advanced civilisation manipulating 'savages' through false religion and psychedelic drugs would be fascinating if Carmody bothered to explore it. Instead, the reader is left with an overly simplistic bedtime story, focused entirely on a happily-ever-after for the main character with no consideration of the political vacuum left by the author's obvious and unconsidered ending.
—Erin Wasley
