BoMay reviewed Venomous Lumpsucker by Ned Beauman
Venomous Lumpsucker
4 stars
A sometimes funny and often sad adventure through a dark, strange and all too plausible near future.
Audiobook
German language
Europa, nach der Zwei-Grad-Erderwärmung: Artenvernichtung boomt! Nur Marc Halyard hat leider den falschen Fisch ausgerottet. Er muss dringend einen letzten „Gemeinen Lumpfisch“ finden, sonst droht Knast. Mit Fisch-Aktivistin Karin hetzt er durch ein dörrendes Europa voller Weltrettungsbusiness und Greenwashing.
Gelesen von Stefan Kaminski
A sometimes funny and often sad adventure through a dark, strange and all too plausible near future.
Content warning Review contains minor plot spoilers
This book won the Arthur C Clarke award in 2023 and it's very well deserved.
Set not very many years at all in our future, the book deals with the effects of the ongoing and escalating mass extinction of species on our planet due to climate change and other manmade activities. The author uses the opportunity to make some sharp and well-placed digs at many targets, from carbon offsetting to tech billionaires, and like any good satire it's sometimes too close for comfort.
I've seen other reviews describe the plot as complicated, but I honestly didn't think that was the case at all. The eco-science concepts are well explained and make perfect sense, and the occasional important tech plot point is easy to grasp as well.
The main characters are well-rounded - there are no absolute shades of good or bad in this book, just like in real life. And the writing, although never dumbed down, is snappy and interesting and keeps you turning the pages.
Definitely recommended.
https://www.br.de/mediathek/podcast/der-gemeine-lumpfisch-sci-fi-satire-um-miese-deals-und-tote-tiere/896
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