I am not an alien

For decades I believed I had come from the stars. For many of them I would recount my adventures as Zandor, Master Explorer, first to my younger sister and brother, then to my daughter. But what I truly am is far more astonishing than the fancy of a lonely boy with an eye to the stars.

Andrew Garton
Dec 22, 2018

“Proust, more perspicaciously than any other writer, reminds us that the ‘walks’ of childhood form the raw material of our intelligence.” ― Bruce Chatwin, The Songlines

For decades I believed I had come from the stars. What I believed to be memories waned in my 30's, re-surfaced in my early 50's and came to a necessary halt around the time I turned 56. But it was that first decade when the backyard walks of my childhood fired my imagination so much that the outer space adventures of Zandor the Master Exporer lived both in me and the stories I would share with my younger sister and brother. Our mother would have us bed down early — as children we slept in the same room as our parents — and I would recount my memories of adventures across the cosmos to them.

As I grew older I knew I was not of Earth. How could I be human when I had such little in common with anyone I knew? I’d move about schoolyards from infant to secondary, often alone and when not taunted, pushed about and ridiculed for my accent, blond hair or lisp I would be in the library cultivating my stories with the many others I found there. We lived across the road from the primary school I attended in Sydney’s outer western suburbs. On the few days I would have lunch at home, my mother would often wait for me at our front gate . That too was a source of much harassment. Mummy's boy, they would taunt.

It took several decades to realize how much I yearned for an extended family, a village, a collective happening beyond the perimeter of the school yard or that of my home. My parents migrated to Australia from Europe, arriving in 1950 escaping their world war memories and trauma. They arrived in suburbs where homes were fenced off from each other. The White Australia Policy was still in play. My father was of mixed Ukraine heritage and my mother grew up in a mountain village in Austria. My genes may not be of Australian soil, but I would come to realise that I am not an alien.

Andrew Garton in Game Over a short 8mm film by David Nerlich, Sydney, 1985.

I am not an alien. I did not arrive on Earth hundreds of thousands of years ago, keeping myself alive by evolving through plant and animal DNA. No, I am not the galactic adventurer, Zandor, who mastered English in this life, but somehow had forgotten the hundreds, perhaps thousands of others he would have spoken across the eons including his own alien mother tongue. I had not originated in the Mentas System nor was I stranded on Earth, crash landing here waiting for my people to come.

I am not an alien. But what I truly am is far more astonishing than the fancy of a lonely boy with an eye to the stars. What I am and what you are is of those stars, and that is the remarkable achievement of life.

If I were such a creature from the stars I would know how to navigate the galaxies and understand something of the technologies that brought me here. My stories of a crystal powered spacecraft is not evidence enough.

I would also know of the flora and fauna of my home world, its linguistic capacities, its historical achievements, but I have no recollection of any. What I do have is a loosely constructed narrative of an adventurer with a child’s view of their inner and outer world; a child that had grown apart from his family, neighborhood and a small cohort of school friends. A child mesmerized by science and astrophysics, consoled by music and radio plays, creatively restored by filmmaking and writing. A boy whose head was not in the clouds, but among the stars from where he knew, with all his being, all life had emerged from.

Andrew Garton performing Tong Tana with Benguela, Cape Town July 2009. Photo by Niklas Zimmer.

Here we are, on Earth, bound to it by the atmosphere and gravity that prevents us from falling in every direction into space.

Here we walk, sleep, stand and flourish as flesh wrapped to bone stood upright, with skin that heals itself when cut, with eyes embedded within a unique hominoid skull housing the very same human brain from where both the fictional Zandor emerged and the perceptive thinking of the Greek philosopher Aristotle.

It is extraordinary that not only have we the historical records to prove this, but that we exist at all. That we literally evolved from cosmic dust, from the essence of the numinous we can barely fathom, that our telescopes and radio scopes scan the heavens to fuel our curiosity for, marvels beyond the stratosphere and our imagination; that is the making of me and the making of us. All of us.

Consider the atmosphere; a thin triple-decked pancake comprised of troposphere, stratosphere and the mesosphere. Astronauts have described the atmosphere as thin as a slick of oil, astounded at how fragile it appears from space.

That thin slick protects us from the random violence of the entire universe, from asteroids smashing into celestial objects, stars collapsing, black holes devouring everything including light. Thankfully, we are too far from the nearest black hole to be sucked into it.

The atmosphere has its limits, and yet it protects us from our own sun, mighty and supercharged whipping solar flares across our galaxy. And here we remain, protected from this unruly cacophony and the deep chill vacuum of space. Such is the fragile nature of all that keeps us from oblivion, but sadly the atmosphere cannot protect us from ourselves and the penchant for extinction oligarchs the world over appear to prefer than a life palatable for all.

Air pollution, India, 2015 — Air pollution on the road to Alwar, India, 2015.

I grew up with a cocktail of stories of a life beyond this planet. Stories that helped me survive school, that gave me the courage to travel beyond the domestic fence boundary, a troposphere of wire and concrete, that filled a longing for my traumatized father who left us too young, for laughter, and for love. And I took those stories with me into adulthood where they became less necessary, somewhat embarrassing and finally extinguished when I longed for my daughter whom I had been separated from in her early teens, for laughter still and again for love.

At fifty-six, all that had been imagined collapsed. No, I am not an alien from Alpha Centauri, 4.22 light years away from us here on Earth. No, I am not. But I and we, are of all that Alpha Centauri is comprised; we are of the stars. But we did not come here in a spacecraft, we arrived through the most incredible confluence of protons and neutrons. At the atom heart of our bodies resides the very stuff of stars and that is an astonishing thing to behold!

There are wonders enough out there, said the astrophysicist Carl Sagan, without our inventing any.

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News and current affairs

Australian independent journalism is growing at a pace, no-more so than recent years as major media outlets report talking points rather than engage in holding power to account. Our once trusted media has all but abandoned the must fundamental of journalistic principles. The following selection represents the journalism I have come to rely on and when feasible, support through subscriptions and posts such as this.

The shot

The Shot describes itself as priding “...itself on providing witty yet thoughtful news, opinion and analysis pieces that are ‘Profane and Profound’, focusing on the oddly unique perspective of telling stories from the perspective of regular people stuck in an awful system looking for hope. Writers to look out for include Ronni Salt and Dave Milner.

They also produce a weekly interview panel, The Sunday Shot, comprised of guest journalists and some of Australia’s most essential commentators and thinkers, streamed on YouTube at 9am AEDT every Sunday and available as a podcast. Search for The Sunday Shot on your podcast app of choice.

>> The Shot

The Point

An initiative of The Australia Institute, The Point describes itself as helping "readers make sense of the most important issues affecting them today." Contributors read like a who's who of independent journalism, many listed below. Read The Point's mission statement for a deeply considered rationale for the creation of this important platform.

>> The Point >> RSS Feed

Michael West Media

Michael West Media describes itself as “...an independent media publisher covering the rising power of corporations over democracy.” They are “...non-partisan, do not take advertising and are funded by readers. Our investigations focus on big business, particularly multinational tax-avoiders, financial markets and the banking and energy sectors.”

They also produce The West Report published weekly on YouTube.

>> Michael West Media

Pearls and Irritations

Published by John Menadue since 2012, Pearls and Irritations is largely focused on public police. It describes itself as “...a vehicle for analysis, clarification, fresh interpretations, policy proposals, reviews and other contributions to promote discussion on important public issues.”

>> Pearls and Irritations

Lamestream

Lamestream describes itself as “...an independent news publication tackling the crisis in media.” Their “...podcasts and newsletters cover how the media shapes news, culture, politics and current affairs, and how the industry's transformation is reshaping the world we live in.”

Hosted by Osman Faruqi and Scott Mitchell, two journalists who have worked with many news and media outlets, from the ABC to the Sydney Morning Herald. They are creating, in addition to all of the above, some of the most critical and important independent media platforms in Australia.

>> Lamestream

Independent Australia

Independent Australia describes itself as “… a progressive journal, supporting freedom and justice for individuals, and getting to the truth. IA opposes governments of the country beholden to vested interests. Our main editorial focus is on federal politics, democratic government, the environment, human rights, Australian identity, Indigenous issues, world affairs, economics, finance, health, law and the justice system.”

>> Independent Australia

Amy Remeikis

Amy is not only the Chief Political Analyst of The Australia Institute, she writes for the independent publisher, The NewDaily. Clear-eyed and essential reading for all things politics in Australia.

>> Amy Remeikis's profile on The Newdaily

Caitlin Johnstone

Caitlin takes on some of the toughest local and international events impacting us all. She and her husband, Tim Foley, produce a single article every day on an astonishing number of platforms. Their reach is extraordinary. Caitlin also publishes moving reflections in poetry, painting and a monthly hard-copy publication.

>> Caitlin Johnstone

Tim Dunlop

Tim describes himself as “a writer based in Melbourne and the author of four books on media, politics and the future of work.” He is also known for his “doctoral work was on citizenship and deliberative democracy.” Tim was a frequent contributor to the ABC’s The Drum. I have found him an essential critic of all things governance in Australia, particularly when it comes to the power plays in Canberra and the people we have elected to represent and lead us.

>> Tim Dunlop's substack

Others...

There are many more independent journalists and media platforms doing impressive work. The few I follow on socials or subscribe to include Deepcut News, Emma Shortis, Ketan Joshi (all things climate and energy) Jeff Sparrow, Rick Morton, The Saturday Paper and The Australia Institute, the podcasts 7AM, This Machine Kills, We Used to the Journos, Serious Danger, Australia Matters and Burning Platforms.

International news and current affairs

The Intercept

Publishing since 2014, The Intercept describes itself as investigating “...powerful individuals and institutions to expose corruption and injustice.” They see “...journalism as an instrument of civic action.” They make the point that they are “...here to change the world, not just describe it.”

>> The Intercept

Kyiv Independent

Publishing since 2021, the Kyiv Independent was founded by a group of journalists who had been laid off from the Kyiv Post when the owner tried to take over the newsroom and realign its mission. The Kyiv Independent does not stray from calling out the problems within Ukraine as it does describing and reporting on the war waged against it by Russia. They also report on Eastern European issues.

>> Kyiv Independent

Ian Dunt

Many Australians will know Ian from his weekly contributions to the ABC Radio National program, Late Night Live. He writes on numerous geopolitical issues with an emphasis on UK and EU politics and produces the hugely information podcast, Origin Story, with writer Dorian Lynskey.

>> Ian Dunt's website

Timothy Garton-Ash

Timothy (unrelated) writes about the geopolitics of the European Union and more specifically, Ukraine. His two books, Free Speech – ten principles for a connected world (2017) and Homelands – a personal history of Europe (2024), I can’t recommend highly enough.

>> Timothy Garton-Ash's website

Emergence Magazine

It’s important to keep one’s information intake balanced. As such, the stories published by Emergence Magazine ensure I remain connected to one of my first loves, the non-human world. They also produce a weekly podcast that I listen to from time to time.

>> Emergence Magazine

Reasons to be Cheerful

Founded by musician and producer David Byrne, Reasons to be Cheerful covers stories everyone ought to. It provides insights into all manner of works dealing with innovation in farming, energy, urban planning, building and design, civic culture and more. It’s an uplift and reminds us that there is important, valuable and inspired work going on in communities the world over.

>> Reasons to be Cheerful

Others...

When I can, I read posts and newsletters from Naomi Kline, investigative journalist Sarah Kendzior, journalist and historian Anne Applebaum, Darya Zorka and Russian Colonialism 101.

Tech and media ecology

So much of our lives are mediated by one form of technology or another. We are saturated by streams, socials, outrage and apps and devices that compete for our attention. As many of us are wise to these perilous tactics, we are learning how to use tech in far more meaningful and creative ways. Some of the journalists and media outlets helping us make sense of these trends and the pervasive impact tech is having on us have become essential reading and listening to both inform and maintain my well-being.

404 Media

The small crew of journalists that created 404 Media have made more impact since going independent, I would argue, than when they were employed by various publishers. Jointly they are irrepressible, courageous and on their podcast, voices I have befriended over recent years. Essential reading and listening.

>> 404 Media

Molly White

Molly is one of the most invaluable writers in all things tech, specifically cryptocurrencies and all things crypto which she documents on Web 3 is Going Just Great. Her newsletter, Citation Needed is essential reading. She brings enthusiasm for tech, specifically the web, into her critical observations. She’s also a great advocate for Wikipedia where she had been “an administrator and functionary, and previously served three terms on the Arbitration Committee” since 2007.

>> Molly White's website

Cameron Wilson

Cameron investigates tech issues and writes for both Crikey and his own newsletter, The Sizzle. He also co-authored Conspiracy Nation - exploring the dangerous world of Australian conspiracy theories with Ariel Bogle. Ariel is an investigative journalist for The Guardian focusing on tech issues.

>> Cameron Wilson's website

The Weekly Cybers

A weekly newsletter published by Australian freelance media and communications journalist, Stilgherrian.

>> The Weekly Cybers newsletter

Cory Doctorow

Cory is a prolific writer in both fiction and non-fiction genres, specifically dealing in tech and all its optimism and failures. I have read just about all of his books, fiction and non-fiction. His writing on tech is recommended reading for the Media Ecology unit I teach at Swinburne University. Cory has also been online nearly as long as I have and like Douglas Rushkoff, whom I list below, brings that historical perspective into his work.

>> Cory Doctorow's website

Paris Marx

Paris is publishing some of the most important and critical writing on tech and related issues. I got to know of his work through his outstanding podcast, Tech Won’t Save Us.

>> Paris Marx's website

Tech Won’t Save Us (podcast)

Paris Marx’s long-running podcast. The podcast is based on interviews focusing in key technology issues that impact us all. Every so often he will delve into a single topic resulting in a specialised series unpacking, for instance, the extraordinary influence and hold Elon Musk has on so many of our lives.

>> Tech Won’t Save Us

7amleh

The Arab Centre for the Advancement of Social Media is non-profit organisation that advocates for Palestinian digital rights. It publishes weekly reports and numerous publications.

>>> 7amleh News

Brian Merchant’s Blood in the Machine

Brian is one of the few investigative tech journalists that had begun his career with big publishing houses and is now supporting himself through his newsletters and commissioned articles. He has valuable insights and is as fearless as all of the above. His book, Blood in the Machine - The Origins of the Rebellion Against Big Tech (2023), is also essential reading.

Even though Brian publishes on Substack, he has enabled an RSS feed for much of his public, subscription-free readers. See below for info about RSS.

>> Blood in the Machine substack

Pivot to AI

Just as Molly keeps track of crypto, so too does Australian journalist David Gerard on all things artificial intelligence.

>> Pivot to AI

Douglas Rushkoff

Douglas pretty much wrote the book on media ecology, or rather, brought the work of the late Neil Postman into the 20^th and 21^st centuries alongside the emergence and growth of the internet. I’ve read pretty much all of Douglas’s books and from time to time listen to his podcast, Team Human. Douglas’s writing and podcast interviews can ground me, reminding me why we began this thing we call the internet in the first place and why connection, not merely wires and wireless, within you and I is the most important relationship we must claim and nurture and allow to grow in all its beautiful manifestations.

>> Douglas Rushkoff's website

Others...

There are many other writers and commentators I read, specifically those who deal with generative AI and its relationship to big tech, white supremacy and eugenics! They include Joan Westernberg, Australian student of political economy of information technology, Jathan Sadowski, author of The Mechanic and The Luddite – a ruthless criticism of technology and capitalism (2025), German Sociotechnologist, tante, Ed Zitron, Emily M. Bender and Alex Hanna, authors of The AI Con (2025), founder of The Distributed AI Research Institute, Timnit Gebru, and scholar Émile P. Torres. Timnit and Émile co-authored The TESCREAL bundle – Eugenics and the promise of utopia through artificial general intelligence (2023).

Support independent media

It should go without saying that all these writers and publishers rely on subscriptions to keep themselves not only afloat, but able to research and sometimes travel to cover the stories we read. Some ensure all their work is available regardless of subscription rates or paywalls and others, such as Molly White, have a pay what you can afford, if you can, model.

How do I keep up with all of this?

Most of the above can be read from an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed reader from which you can curate your own personal newspaper. This means you don’t have to scroll through socials. Install a feed reader app or use a browser that supports RSS aggregation such as the European owned Vivaldi.

Don’t know what RSS is? Here’s an excellent introduction to this ancient internet feature that we use everyday without knowing it.

Others publish on Substack, a platform known to generate income from neo-Nazis newsletters. Many writers have abandoned Substack for Ghost, Beehive or setup newsletter publishing platforms on their own web and mail servers.

But truly, do I keep on top of all of these writers and publishers? No. I don’t. But I do have a broad palate of material to choose from should I need to understand the brutal idiocy and violence brought to bare on all human and non-human life on planet Earth and why those we elect to represent us, fail again and again to do so. We are, day by day, lied to and betrayed. But we are not alone in our grievances and neither are we isolated from the many who do what ever it takes to course correct.

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