Cats crime solvers

By Casey Neill
CATS hold the key to solving a murder mystery in the first novel from Belgrave Heights author Inge Meldgaard.
The Cicada is set in the year 2450. The earth is at peace following war, famine and environmental disaster and is governed by the World Federation of Nations.
A scientist is assaulted and robbed at a research site in Melbourne and federal investigators find themselves dealing with a dark international conspiracy.
“It’s a combination of science fiction, fantasy and social commentary set 400 years in the future,” Ms Meldgaard said.
“I’ve tried to put some funny things in there too, so it’s not a heavy book.”
The 56-year-old started The Cicada in 1991. Her research began pre-internet with books and magazines from the library.
“Now because of the internet and powerful computers, everyone thinks they can write a book,” she said.
“I’ve always been addicted to reading novels and I particularly liked historical novels, murder mysteries and science fiction, as well as lots of other classic literature.”
She “just felt the urge” to write The Cicada.
“I think it was actually watching Star Trek that gave me the idea,” she said.
“Their stories had depth in them, and that’s what suddenly struck me.”
“I wanted to write something which was more than a lot of the very superficial science fiction that was starting to come out.”
Science fiction writer Ursula Le Guin also inspired her.
“She was one of the people who tried to write science fiction who looked at social issues as well,” she said.
“Her idea of getting a vision of the future to prompt people into thinking about current issues I think is what started me off on the line I was going.”
Ms Meldgaard wanted to create a positive future while dealing with issues facing the world today.
“I was sick to death of seeing science fiction films that were disaster scenarios,” she said.
“I thought ‘no, we can do this, we can battle through, we can make it’.”
She has predicted disasters but moved beyond those events to a point where people have overcome them.
“There’s ongoing issues obviously, a legacy of the past, but we are going to get to a point where we can do it,” she said.
The book deliberately depicts a very equal relationship between men and women.
“There are some very strong female characters, and equally some strong male characters,” she said.
“I didn’t want the male hero sweeping the young woman off her feet.”
Ms Meldgaard made cats the key to solving the crime.
“I’ve picked up strays nearly all my life,” she said.
“I wanted to put cats into the book as quirky creatures. They’re a very major part of the book, so if people hate cats they’re not going to like the book.”
Ms Meldgaard also wanted to fill what she perceived as a gap in Australian authors writing science fiction with international appeal about their homeland.
The editing process took two years and five sets of critical eyes. Then began her struggle to find a publisher.
“The competition is massive. Most of the publishers here are just branches of the big publishers, and they’re not interested in people who are coming from nowhere,” she said.
“So it’s quite a struggle for Australian authors unless you’re famous or infamous, then anybody will buy your book no matter what you write.”
Ms Meldgaard is also in the process of editing a sequel to The Cicada and hopes to release it later this year.
The Cicada is available from Belgrave’s Local and Global and Belgrave Book Barn and www.digitalprintaustralia.com/bookstore in hard copy and from www.smashwords.com electronically.