Australia's modern history has long been full of mystery, legend and myth. But what if all the myths are true?

The Hourglass Map is a captivating story of adventure, world-making and contested history.

It is a story of unlikely friendships and remarkable journeys.

And it is a story about the unique nature of stories and the transformative power of words.

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In an alternative Australia, the Theory of Everything reigns supreme.

The world's greatest minds have built the Consistency Engine - a marvellous, fractal machine - as the physical embodiment of the Theory. The Engine stores all knowledge and purges it of contradictions.

Deviations from the official view of history are forbidden.

But some people maintain the old beliefs: stories and superstitions that are whispered over cups of Earl Grey tea and slices of lemon-butter bread.

Mary Page has always believed the old legends - the Inland Sea, the Mahogany Ship, Lasseter's Reef. She journeys to the centre of the continent to prove she is right, and the Theory is wrong. But the expedition is a disaster. Mary and her party disappear in the central desert.

Mary's son, Will, vows to find out what happened to his mother. Pursued by officials and assassins, Will follows his mother's tracks to the heart of the continent. He finds a place where fantasy and reality meet, and where the truth depends on who controls the story.