Reviews

Venomous Lumpsucker by Ned Beauman

nathanstrachan's review against another edition

dark funny reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

amyglbarker's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

This book manages to explore topics I actively shudder at - climate change, mass extinction, the future of technology, the bleak underbelly of humanity's obsession with progress - and still be funny. It's such an incredible feat of a book to weave in such clever musings on our (near) future while still captivating the reader with a dynamic narrative, as well as characters you can never fully get behind but still root for. A pleasure to read!

onmalsshelf's review against another edition

slow-paced

2.5

theahirsi's review against another edition

dark funny reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

louisaspillman's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

maxfelixwp's review against another edition

challenging dark funny sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

VENOMOUS LUMPSUCKER by Ned Beauman is this incredible... black comedy / horror? I hardly know how to describe it. It takes place in a near-future where fighting human-generated climate change has become a multi-billion dollar multinational industry - with all the bizarre corruptions, kickbacks, proxy wars, dumb Elon Musk techbros, etc. that kind of industry would create. The plot revolves around "extinction credits" (permission slips that companies can pay billions of dollars for, in order to legally exterminate species) - but it's all theoretically okay because species' genetic data is backed up on servers called biobanks - but then the biobanks get hacked. One of those species is the smartest animal in the world - a fish - the venomous lumpsucker. It's genuinely a black comedy, it's hilarious - but so dark and unnerving. It ends on a particularly spectacular, funny, dark, mysterious note that I can't even explain. 

As someone who struggles sometimes with passive suicidal ideation at times - worsened by political events! - I'll give a big CW that this book also deals with a character genuinely weighing the utilitarian good of committing suicide vs continuing to be part of the human race. But I legit, like, was able to laugh and genuinely appreciate the humor to help navigate through those feelings? Amazing. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts

imogenh11's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

joliendelandsheer's review against another edition

The writing style definitely wasn't for me. 

lydeejeanne's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative lighthearted mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.0

bookish_withsky's review against another edition

2.0

2.5
Fascinating concept, but definitely don't recommend posting to the audiobook,vat least not while busy doing other things. I couldn't Have cared less about what I was listening to.