Some Australians may be put off by Zindel's uncomplimentary portrait of the state of affairs in their homeland.

Maruul seeks the treasure of her people because they are about to be cheated out of their land, and she makes this sound like a common occurrence in Australia, a nation portrayed as being owned by corporations. "The Aboriginal lands are being stolen from us!" she declares. When PC notes that the mysterious freighter is drilling, which would be illegal, Maruul remarks, "Probably paid off some politician, like everyone else does in this country." Throughout Reef of Death there is a profound distrust of the Australian government and its representatives.

This distrust of the Australian government is tied to a broader suspicion of corporations in general. PC declares: There aren't any more countries in the world, you know. There are only corporations with two kinds of people; the...