Every day, we publish a selection of your emails in our newsletter. We’d love to hear from you, you can email us at yoursay@theconversation.edu.au.Monday January 12The Hiding Place“This review of Kate Mildenhall’s novel resonated with me on a couple of levels, as a picture of contemporary Australia and as a reminder that all that glitters is not gold. My first thought on reading it was a resemblance to Christos Tsolkas’s The Slap, which also skewers a section of bourgeois life. My second thought was that the characters here represent a recognisable section of Australia in the first quarter of the 21st century. Perhaps the characters are young, upwardly-mobile, professional people (Yuppies) and carry all the poison that the group has been notorious for. The sheltered, naive ‘lifestyle’ of these well-heeled Australians is a gift and a curse for them. It is also just a curse for the rest of us. The enclave they seek to create represents a phenomenon we see every day, in real life, where exclusivity is a desired goal.”Kym HoughtonFrom democracy to corporate control“Trump is carving up the world. Is this the start of blatant corporate takeover of nations? In the Mars Trilogy (written in the 1990s) by Kim Stanley Robinson, the Earth’s nations now belong to, and are divided up between the Corporates. The world is flooded and the new settlers on Mars hope to create a community using common good economics and existing in rather than owning their environment. All is good at first, until the Corporates arrive, who wish to harvest Mars’ resources. Whilst back on Earth, the general population try to lead a meagre life in a flooded world. When we look to money as the goal, and not living along with the Earth, the quality of life is not a right, rather a privilege gained through toxic culture.”Emma HainKeep the flags“I support the use of consistent coloured surf flags globally. The red and yellow stand out miles away. Australia’s system saves many lives. Advertise them on all forms of public transport for those who come across the seas. They’ll soon learn.”Ms Louise