Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by mercey
Clade by James Bradley
1.0
I’m reading ‘Clade’ for a prose fiction class and it certainly makes for a great discussion topic. While reading I went through a whirlwind of emotions: sadness, disgust, horror, and astonishment mostly. Mainly because the cover is so innocuous; I believed this book would have more to do with bees.
Bradley’s style is simple but his eloquence is obvious throughout. The fractured structure is interesting and his use of symbolism—especially at the beginning of the book—is a delight to reflect on. The science-fiction elements of this book were incredibly clever and eerily prophetic given today’s current circumstances. In saying this, some of Bradley’s representations could have been better. His depiction of an autistic character, while thought-provoking, is preceded by a grossly ableist narration from a neuro-typical protagonist that is never resolved. The female characters in this book are driven by a need to procreate and then described as being distant and even absent mothers while the male characters are hailed as heroic.
I actually had quite a few issues with this book. Why were members of the LGBTQ+ community still considered controversial by the masses? Was that necessary? Do we really need another book where the immediate response to learning about someone’s autism is an apology? Even if it’s represented in fiction, endorsing this kind of reaction only fosters harmful prejudices against minorities.
So yeah, this one wasn’t for me, but it still stands as a prime example of cli-fi and it’s still an interesting read. I’d recommend it to science-fiction buffs for sure but please be mindful of the current social climate and your own limits! (Warning: pandemic references, possibly triggering ableism, death of children, death on a global scale)
Madi
Bradley’s style is simple but his eloquence is obvious throughout. The fractured structure is interesting and his use of symbolism—especially at the beginning of the book—is a delight to reflect on. The science-fiction elements of this book were incredibly clever and eerily prophetic given today’s current circumstances. In saying this, some of Bradley’s representations could have been better. His depiction of an autistic character, while thought-provoking, is preceded by a grossly ableist narration from a neuro-typical protagonist that is never resolved. The female characters in this book are driven by a need to procreate and then described as being distant and even absent mothers while the male characters are hailed as heroic.
I actually had quite a few issues with this book. Why were members of the LGBTQ+ community still considered controversial by the masses? Was that necessary? Do we really need another book where the immediate response to learning about someone’s autism is an apology? Even if it’s represented in fiction, endorsing this kind of reaction only fosters harmful prejudices against minorities.
So yeah, this one wasn’t for me, but it still stands as a prime example of cli-fi and it’s still an interesting read. I’d recommend it to science-fiction buffs for sure but please be mindful of the current social climate and your own limits! (Warning: pandemic references, possibly triggering ableism, death of children, death on a global scale)
Madi