Ever wondered how the mundane could transform into something extraordinary? Shaun Tan’s Tales from Outer Suburbia, now adapted for TV, proves that magic isn’t just in far-off lands—it’s right outside your doorstep. But here’s where it gets intriguing: Tan’s ability to weave the surreal into the everyday isn’t just about whimsy; it’s a mirror to the strangeness we often overlook in our own lives. And this is the part most people miss—his work isn’t fantasy; it’s a celebration of the bizarre in the banal, the extraordinary in the ordinary.
Growing up in the then-unremarkable suburb of Hillarys in Perth during the early 1980s, Tan’s childhood was marked by boredom and boundless imagination. The suburb, now bustling, was once a ‘nowhere sort of place,’ where his family settled without deep roots. ‘My parents moved out there without much community connection,’ Tan recalls, ‘and they started building a house on this block of land in a place they didn’t know very well.’ His days were spent exploring the nearby park and biking with neighborhood kids, turning the monotony of suburbia into a canvas for his creativity.
‘There was that sense of being in a castaway universe,’ he reflects. ‘A lot of boredom, but then, occasionally, you’d encounter strange things.’ Whether it was a peculiar wind carrying newspapers across the park or the quiet hum of empty streets, these moments became the seeds of his storytelling. ‘What wasn’t going on, you’d fill with your own thoughts and imagination,’ he adds, highlighting how the ordinary can become extraordinary through the lens of curiosity.
Tan’s career is a testament to this philosophy. With 14 books written and illustrated—plus an Oscar for his short film The Lost Thing—he’s mastered the art of infusing the everyday with wonder. His latest adaptation, Tales from Outer Suburbia (2008), now an animated series on ABC iview, is a direct homage to the oddities of his childhood suburb. From deep-sea divers strolling to the milk bar to goldfish swirling through the night sky, the series is a surrealist’s dream, yet firmly grounded in suburban life.
But don’t call it fantasy. Tan is quick to distinguish his work from escapism. ‘I’m always wary of fantasy,’ he admits. ‘It can spin off into something detached and dreamlike.’ Instead, he embraces surrealism, not just for its whimsy but for its ability to reveal the inherent strangeness of reality. ‘All things are strange,’ he argues. ‘The way we behave, the things we eat, the vehicles we operate—they’re all arbitrary, complicated, and beyond our control.’
This perspective is tinged with both nostalgia and melancholy, a reflection of Tan’s own experiences as a half-Asian kid in a predominantly white area. ‘All my stories are about belonging and displacement,’ he muses. ‘It’s a personal question, but also something deeper—why am I here, in this time and place? What does it mean?’
Despite being labeled a children’s author, Tan challenges this categorization. ‘This TV series might be the first time I’ve actually thought about kids,’ he laughs. His protagonists are often children because ‘they’re more open to curiosity,’ but his stories are undeniably adult. ‘I’m trying to bridge childhood curiosity into adulthood,’ he explains. ‘These are adult stories that use childhood memories to reinvigorate adult perception—but they end up appealing to kids too.’
Tan’s inspiration owes much to fellow Perth writer Tim Winton, whose work made him realize that even suburban landscapes deserve literary attention. ‘I thought, “Holy crap, you can write about where you grew up, and it’s as important as anywhere else?”’ Now, Tan frequently returns to Perth’s suburbs for inspiration, though he’s clear: ‘I’m not glorifying suburbia. It’s not about perfection; it’s about finding meaning in the familiar.’
His stories invite readers to find their own connections. ‘I have my vision, but once it’s out there, it becomes something different for each person,’ he says. ‘I’ve always encouraged that.’ As Tales from Outer Suburbia takes on a new life on screen, Tan is eager to see how viewers interpret his work. ‘The book starts where it ends,’ he quips, leaving the door open for endless possibilities.
But here’s the controversial part: Is suburbia truly as mundane as we think, or are we just not looking closely enough? Tan’s work challenges us to see the extraordinary in the ordinary. Do you agree? Or is there something inherently limiting about suburban life? Let’s debate—comment below and share your thoughts!**
Watch Shaun Tan’s Tales from Outer Suburbia for free on ABC TV and ABC iview, and discover the magic hidden in the everyday.
