Release date is 2008-03-15

Rídan the devil -- A memory of "the system" -- A North Pacific lagoon island -- Bilger, of Sydney -- The vision of Milli the slave -- Denison gets a berth ashore -- Addie Ransom -- In a native village -- Maurice Kinane -- The "killers" of Twofold Bay -- Denison's second berth ashore -- A fish drive on a Micronesian atoll -- Bobaran -- Sea fishing in Australia -- An adventure in the New Hebrides -- The south sea bubble of Charles du Breil -- The white wife and the brown "woman" -- With hook and line on an Austral river -- The wreck of the "Leonora" -- An old colonial mutiny -- A boating adventure in the Carolines -- A Christmas Eve in the Far South Seas.

Produced by David Widger

"Rídan the Devil, and Other Stories" by Louis Becke is a collection of short stories written in the late 19th century. The opening story introduces Rídan, a mysterious and feared character living on a German plantation in Upolu Island, who is regarded as a devil or wizard by his peers. The tales likely explore themes of colonialism, conflict, and the struggles of indigenous populations, particularly in relation to Rídan’s tragic experiences and the oppressive conditions he faces. At the start of the collection, readers meet Rídan, a man bound in iron and living in isolation due to the animosity and fear he evokes in his fellow workers on the plantation. After a violent altercation with the overseer, Burton, Rídan is sent back to the plantation, despite attempts to escape his harsh captivity. The narrative underscores the brutality of colonial rule as it follows Rídan's attempts to regain his freedom and the kindness of a man named Pulu, who shows compassion towards him even under dire circumstances. Rídan's heartbreaking story invites readers to grapple with issues of identity, cultural dislocation, and resilience in the face of systemic oppression. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Original publication data not identified