Weird Fishes

by Rae Mariz

AN UNDERWATER TALE OF FRIENDSHIP AGAINST MONSTROUS ODDS
When Ceph, a squid-like scientist, discovers proof of the ocean’s slowing currents, she makes the dangerous ascent from her deep-sea civilization to the uncharted surface above. Out of her depths and helpless in her symbiotic mech suit, Ceph relies on Iliokai, a seal-folk storyteller, who sings the state of the sea and has seen evidence of clogged currents as she surfs the time gyres throughout the lonely blue. Navigating the perils of their damaged ocean environment, and seemingly insurmountable cultural differences, Ceph and Iliokai realize that the activities of terrestrial beings are slowing the spiralling currents of time. On a journey that connects future and past, the surface and the deep, the unlikely friends struggle to solve a problem so big it needs a leviathan solution.
“Mariz combines dense, realistic science with lush, fantastic description … The relationships at the heart of this tale manage to be both completely human and utterly unbeholden to the above-water dynamics readers might take for granted. The resulting novella feels entirely fresh and inventive. Fans of Caitlin Starling and Maggie Tokuda-Hall will be especially wowed.” — Publishers Weekly starred review
“Weird Fishes is a lyrical and heartfelt adventure that celebrates how the ocean connects us all and reminds us that we need to take good care of Her.”
— Nina Munteanu, author of author of Water Is… and A Diary in the Age of Water
“Weird Fishes is a vibrant, beautiful exploration of oceans teeming with lives and cultures unknown to humans. This book is a must for anyone who loves the sea! ”
— Julia Rios, creator of Mermaids Monthly magazine

Genres: Fantasy, Mermaids, Novella, Science Fiction, Fiction, Climate Change Fiction, Short Stories

144 pages, Paperback

First published August 17, 2022

Reviews

[Reading · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a beautifully written underwater fantasy novella which is coming in August 2022.

I had the pleasure of reading the ARC, thanks to the author and BookSirens.

Great characters and spectacular world building.

Near the end it goes downhill though, due to the uncalled for brutality and sexual violence; it was very enjoyable before that. It just made the novella feel odd after that.

[Bandit · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title is apt. Lots of seafood, all weird. None edible, really, because none should be. Seriously. I don’t know how anyone can look at any of the strange, magnificent creatures that live in the sea and go, hey, that looks tasty.
They don’t look tasty, do they? They look weird. Interesting, exciting, otherworldly. Kind of like an alien world without leaving Earth.
This book takes that concept and goes really far with it, impressively far. The creatures that populate this novella are spectacular, sentient, stunning.
The main protagonists are a squid-like deep sea dweller scientist from a race of deep sea dweller and a seal-like whale rider who travels close to the surface and had the soul of a rebel and a power of a siren.
So, you now, your average, wildly untraditional odd couple, opposites attract and make for a great friendship sort of thing.
And then the two have to consider the terrestrial beings, who are a. very real, b. very destructive. Question is to put up or rise up? And consider, what sort of an uprising would that be if the ocean rises up?
This novella firmly belongs and perfectly exemplifies the branch of science fiction that’s all about climate. As such, yes, the message of it can get quite heavy for the plot, but kudos to the author, it never really overpowers it. There’s simply too much going on.
The world building alone is spectacular. Like the best of David Attenborough Blue Planet show that inspired it. So vivid, so well thought out, so intricate. Pure wow.
The titular weird fishes are as personable, charismatic and compelling as any non-finned protagonist and the emotional engagement here is good and proper.
I’ve tried to stay away from aquatic puns in this review (it’s tough, it really is), but suffice it to say these are the waters you want to swim in. A wildly original, clever, and exciting story. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

This and more at https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/

[Peter Tillman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here's Marissa Lingen's wonderful review of this SF/mystery novella:
"Rarely, if in fact ever, have I encountered such a classic “she’s an x, she’s a y, they fight crime” structure of a novella. Ceph is a squid-like organism from the ocean depths, a scientist among her people! Iliokai is a whale rider, a shapeshifting song-weaver of the sea, concerned about the changes around her and her inability to find any others of her kind. Together, they fight [the] crime [of ocean pollution and temperature increase]!

Mariz’s notes after the novella make it clear that the creatures of the very deep ocean were a major inspiration for this novella, and I cannot help but approve: I too think that they are majorly neglected as weird muses for speculative fiction. More creatures of the utter depths, more! Gender-shifting cephalopod sibling colonies that tyrannize the crabs, sure, why not! Bring on the urchins and the anemones and the coral and the stuff that’s far deeper and weirder! ..."

My review: off to a great start. So far it's living up to Lingen's rave. Thanks to the SLO County Library and the great Calif ZIP program, I had a copy in my mailbox within a couple of days of requesting it. Is that great, or what?

Debut novella from author Rae Mariz. Amazingly well written for any stage in a writer's career. Let's hope she can keep it up! I'm about halfway through, and the only dodgy note so far is the time-vortex gimmick. Headed for 4 to 5 stars, I think.

Well. The ending got a little woo-woo for my taste. . . I've watched some of the Monterey Canyon submarine videos she used for inspiration -- she mentions some specific ones in the afterword. Indeed, those are some Weird Fish! And yes, she got her title from the Radiohead song.
4+ stars, recommended reading. And blessedly short! Go for it.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rec. by: Peter T.
Rec. for: Cephalopods, cetaceans, cnidarians and ctenophores

"The big blue is lonely," she finally answered Ceph. "You stick with the ones who stick with you."
—p.35

Weird Fishes, by Rae Mariz, is a deceptively short work—there's a lot going on here beneath the surface, both literally and figuratively.

Ceph, she who is named above, is a coleoid—a deep-sea mollusc of some species currently unknown to humanity above the waves. Ceph is an "ancient intelligence" (Mariz' phrase), one of those who have built a civilization around hydrothermal vents in the deepest parts of the world ocean. All they know of the surface is what filters down to them, through the organic snow of decomposing creatures on which they feed, and through the songs of "whale riders," another species known to us only through myths and legends.

Ceph is also a scientist, whose careful observations have led to a profoundly disturbing discovery regarding the currents that carry material and information between the surface and the depths. Her attempts to determine the source of the problem, and to get her fellow intelligences to pay attention, are the main driver for Rae Mariz' plot.

I could not avoid comparing Weird Fishes to Laline Paull's novel Pod, which I read back in 2023. As I noted then, Paull's cetaceans—even the one we meet who was raised by human soldiers—are still alien beings, sharing the planet with us but nothing like the landbound, two-legged anthrops that we're used to thinking of as lords of the Earth.

Weird Fishes packs a significant amount of imagination into its much shorter length. Rae Mariz avoids anthropomorphizing, even more so than Paull—rather, Mariz creates (or is attempting to create, I think) a plausible but entirely alien society of beings who happen to share a planet (and some DNA) with humans, but very little else. And, to a great extent, I think Mariz succeeds in that attempt.

There are a couple of plot twists that I think push this book closer to the realm of science fantasy, rather than rigorous extrapolation (the "time gyres," in particular), but on the whole Weird Fishes really worked for me, and I found its redemptive ending satisfying as well.

Although I think Weird Fishes might have ventured a bit farther out from shore than either my Goodreads friend Peter T. or I were entirely comfortable with, I did end up having a great time swimming with all of Mariz' weird fishes.

[Emily M · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 stars

This is a beautiful and creative blend of xenofiction and climate fiction. But, while the first 70% or so was solidly 5 stars for me, the ending was…well, we’ll get to that!

Things I loved:
- Creative use of marine biology to imagine the world from non-human perspectives. I was surprised and delighted to discover that our protagonist, Ceph, is indeed basically a squid, a being with 8 arms and 9 brains who communicates in dance and chemical pulses and flashes of color, and who has a sibling currently in the process of changing sex. The way she builds a pressure suit out of siphonophores is very cute. And while our deuteragonist’s species provided the inspiration for mermaids and selkies and sirens, she is pretty distinctly not a human either! We also get perspectives from whales, coral reefs, and more…and also see some of the divisions that might exist between sea-folk based on their distinct experiences.
-Original Little Mermaid reference The concept that Ceph’s sisters could live 300 years before they turn into sea foam is right out of Hans Christian Anderson…and also a bit of bittersweet foreshadowing.
-The capturing of “climate grief” (or maybe enviro-grief more generally)…as experienced by both sea creatures and humans. The bits with the whale and walrus mothers mourning their babies, and the young marine biologist grieving over a lost reef so strongly Ceph could feel it, were particularly poignant.
-The relationship between Ceph and Iliokai This starts out kinda bickery and antagonistic, since Ceph’s people are a tad arrogant and isolationist while Iliokai has been living on the front lines of environmental damage and is rather traumatized by that. But it develops into a really fierce and beautiful bond.

Could have used some work:
-The cool concepts that didn’t really go anywhere So, there is a theme about time that seems to be developing, but then didn’t play a role in the finale as I would have expected. Apparently, ocean gyres can also serve as time portals. Humpback whales, for instance, survived extinction by going back in time to a sort of refugium, and then coming back again. And sometimes they spit out a coelacanth or two. And human activity is messing with them, so maybe the rest of Iliokai’s people got stuck in the past or her mother got stuck in the future. There’s also some stuff about binary thinking vs. not, or about individual vs. collective that likewise were raised and then dropped. I really like the ideas, but I was sort of expecting them to come back!
-Some out-of-place language Maritz clearly makes an effort to develop different sea-folk cultures, as noted above. But there are some occasional references that just feel jarring, like Iliokai likening her lamprey companion to a “badass ponytail” – how does she know what either of those words mean?! Or Ceph normally swearing in nicely aquatic manner but once using “goddamnit”, despite no squid gods ever being mentioned. You can chalk these up to “localization” for the ease of the reader, but it COULD have been avoided.

The ending.
OK, so, first off, if you are someone who normally checks trigger warnings…I recommend doing so here even if you would doubt that it would be necessary if the characters are squid- or seal-people! The bit that caught me off guard was that Ceph’s civilization turns out to be more patriarchal than I was expecting given the “don’t naturally think in binaries” thing. And when she tries to oppose the council’s insanely aggressive response to her research findings…one of them forcibly impregnates her. Which is a death sentence for their species, because mothers die after guarding their eggs to hatching. Without Iliokai’s efforts, her babies would have died too because his sisters would not have claimed them to raise. Don’t get me wrong, this plot point is moving even as it is upsetting, and it does tie in thematically with the ideas of motherhood and of sacrificing for the future (here, the future of the planet). But did this need to happen? I don’t think so, and I think it could have been an even more impactful Charlotte’s-web-esque thing if Ceph had chosen motherhood and death because she had renewed hope for the future after seeing her research come to fruition. I mean, I’m not a huge fan of “character who says she doesn’t want to be a mother changes her mind”, but I could accept it better than what actually happens!.

As for how the environmental issues get dealt with, it’s pretty much literally a deus-ex-machina. And the “god” in question is very cool, don’t get me wrong, but… it is basically sea mom showing up to guilt us into cleaning our room . But the problem isn’t really that nobody cares. Most people respond with alarm when I talk about how tree populations are already maladapted to warming conditions, and with enthusiasm and encouragement when I say I’m studying how to select seed sources for reforestation that will fare best given those changes. People like trees, people like healthy reef and clean beaches… And polls usually show that a solid majority DO say they care about any given environmental issue. But the various systems that are in place, from capitalism to electoral rules, make it difficult for people to prioritize those feelings and do something substantial to counteract the problems. Maybe the “sea change” we see in the book influences people to take more risks in that way, but we don’t see enough of that system-challenging to get a sense of how solutions were implemented in the human world (and not at all in the squid-folk world, and whoo boy do they need some work too!).

For example, we hear that most of a major fishing fleet get decommissioned overnight, and some of those boats get repurposed to scoop up microbial biofilms that mop up microplastics. But, uh… fish are edible, and plastic-clogged gunk is not! That’s why fishermen can make a living – someone wants to eat those fish. Who is paying the gunk scoopers? And what are the people who would have eaten the fish eating instead? Also, I sure hope they also stopped PRODUCING the plastic, because otherwise you have to keep scooping microplastics forever. And what about not using fossil fuels? If we assume both of those things happened…was there just a mass revolt where all oil executives and the politicians who support them were sent to the guillotine? Or what?! It’s not that I don’t think there are solutions. I do, and I highly recommend The Ministry for the Future if you want a novel that really digs into stuff like that! But we don’t get it here hardly at all.

Now, I get it: This is sort of a fairy tale, and isn’t meant to be a 500 page tome like MftF. But I could see two possible endings that might work better. First, we could build on the idea that Ceph could communicate with the human marine biologist, and see the sea-folk and land-folk start to work on solutions together. Second, we could have built on the time-portal idea and had Ceph and Iliokai jump forward 50-100 years to see the results of changes in human and/or squidy society without having to specify how they got there. And that version would work even IF Ceph was still dying!

Whew! OK, got a little heated up there (pun intended). But, as usual, a story that I mostly really like EXCEPT…will get a bigger rant than one that was just mid. And I do think there is a lot to like here – so check it out if you are interested.

[Para (wanderer) · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC received from the publisher (Stelliform Press) in exchange for an honest review.

I’ll admit: it was the cover that got my attention. The cover, and the promise of a story centering strange sea creatures with an ecological bent. And really, it largely delivered on that – the worldbuilding was incredibly imaginative. I love non-human POVs that feel non-human, taking biology into account. The expected environmental aspect was not “humanity is a plague and must die” and I loved that too. If you liked The Deep, you might like this as well.

Unfortunately, the ending was soured by a rape scene with incredibly brutal consequences, that both felt rather pointless and the content warning at the beginning didn’t come close to preparing me for. It also left me in quite a predicament regarding how to review. After all, most of the book was fantastic, with that one scene like a worm in the last bite of an apple. And, after all, I do not do spoilers as a rule and it’s an ARC besides. But how else to talk about it? What do I do?

So: Ceph, a scientist and an octopus-like deep sea creature, finds proof that the ocean currents are slowing, the consequences of which are bound to be catastrophic. With the help of a symbiotic suit and Iliokai, a seal-like whale singer who has proof, she sets out to fix the issue before it’s too late.

The worldbuilding is where this novella really, really shines. Biological differences are taken into the account when it comes to non-human cultures, resulting in something that feels both interesting and unique. I’m also a complete sucker for stories that involve cultural differences, and there’s plenty of that too between Iliokai and Ceph. There are strong Hawaiian influences as well.

The plot…well, the plot felt a little weak in the second half, since both the problem and the solution are at least part if not mostly magical (though it didn’t seem that way at the start), but it’s not something I particularly minded. It’s fantasy, not a manual on how to solve the world’s issues, it’s fine. Maybe it would have been better as a novel, but then, I always say that with novellas too.

However. Now we get to the one, just one thing I disliked, but it's a big one: the rape scene and how it was handled. There is a list of content warnings in the beginning, including one for “some depictions of state violence (including one instance of sexual assault to subdue activism).” Though warnings are always welcome, I’m not, as a rule, especially sensitive to sexual assault in books. I thought I was prepared. I was wrong. Ceph being octopus-like means that pregnancies are fatal. It’s something that’s been repeatedly stated throughout the book, as well as how much she doesn’t want to become a mother and slowly die and she doesn’t understand one of the sisters who genuinely wants that. So when she is raped by a guard? Yeah. In the epilogue, we see her die. The tone of the book until the point of the rape scene was not especially dark or brutal, and I just…didn’t see the point of having that happen, narratively speaking? (Plus the whole load of questions such as: why doesn’t a society advanced enough to have science also have abortions when the consequences of pregnancy are this bad?) It just went and shot the dog and for what? I don’t know.

If not for that scene, I’d be recommending it wholeheartedly, left and right to anyone of the many people I know who might be interested. But as it is, it’s near impossible. Honestly? If I knew, I’d not have read it either.

Enjoyment: 4/5 for most of it, 1/5 for the ending
Execution: 3.5/5

Recommended to: those who like weird biology and sea creatures, fans of The Deep, by Rivers Solomon (similar vibes!), those annoyed by the “humans are a plague” trope
Not recommended to: those put off by what happens at the end

Content warnings: body horror, rape resulting in death

More reviews on my blog, To Other Worlds.

[christinac_reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a weird novel about fishes. No but really: it’s a vibrant, immersive, and beautifully written
climate change science fiction novella that’s full of “heavy shit presented in a narrative that takes care to support the weight” starring an unlikely duo: a scientist of a cephalopod & a solitary mermaid seal-folk story teller stuck.

This is a novel with striking social commentary that encompasses a wide range of topics metaphorically explored through the creatures of the deep’s first contact with humans, their curiosities towards not only other species but also the vast unknown, and anti-colonialism and colonial violence from within and towards the sea. Reading this flip in perspective and the unreliability of the narrators and their narrowed view of the world is incredibly humbling. The theme of motherhood, especially the kind illustrated here was undeniably beautiful.

Honestly, what a striking read. It’s incredibly cerebral and thought provoking. It's intended to be an uncomfortable read. I highly encourage everyone who has the spoons to do so, to pick this up, ruminate over it, then come back to it again and mull over every word in the prose and every thought that passes through during your reading experience. I’ve never read anything quite like this and I for sure will be coming back to re-read this time and again.

(+) Hawaiian culture, possible aro/ace & trans rep, NB pronouns used, Portugese - Hawaiian indigenous author

[Emma Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

”To the whales, coral, and octopuses, people aren’t smart apes—we’re just weird fish” (from the acknowledgements)

An immensely creative novella populated with deep-sea creatures who feel truly unique and inhuman. The writing itself is rough around the edges (e.g., a shifting omniscient POV that felt to me more like head-hopping than true omniscience), but the ideas are awesome.

Thank you to the publisher for providing an ARC!

[Amanda at Bookish Brews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightfully strange and gives us a really fun take on climate fiction. I love exploring what it might be like for the creatures of the sea to realize what is happening with climate change

Bookish Brews | Ko-Fi | Twitter | Pinterest | Tumblr | Facebook

[blok sera szwajcarskiego · Rating 5 out of 5]

gods i adore bonkers books

[Ladz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Content Warnings: abandonment, animal cruelty and death of a loved one, child loss and grief, self-harm and suicide, near-drowning, state and police violence, rape and sexual abuse, genocide and cultural loss. Heavy shit, presented in a narrative that takes care to support the weight

Ceph and Iliokai are both weird fishes, one being more like an octopus and the other being a seadog. They notice that the currents have been slowing down as a result of the activities of those Above and it’s a race against other’s collective decisions to fix the problem. Enthusiasm and love for all things oceanic burst from the page along with an impotent rage over its destruction as a result of unregulated human waste. Clever and fantastical, I greatly enjoyed this journey.

This story captures all the wonder, danger, and magnificence of the sea. From the tiniest krill to the idea of ocean currents being vectors of time, no stone gets unturned. Each piece of the ocean gets characterization, and it’s told beautifully through Iliokai’s and Ceph’s alternating POVs. One has a more transient role within the ocean as a whale rider and the other has almost a tourist’s perspective of everything outside her deep blue sea. The way Mariz communicates cultural differences and languages barriers feel so human, but it’s the details in prose and imagery that remind the reader that it is in fact the humans who are getting a marine-eye view of several watery ecosystems.

There are so many evocative scenes in this one, but my favorite part had to be when Iliokai gets swallowed by a whale. It so deftly captures one of the major themes of the novella, which is the interconnectedness of one’s actions and presence. That sense of wider oceanic communion both at an interpersonal and macro level comes through so succinctly, I had metaphorically clutched my heart at how well it was pulled off.

A work that shows incredible respect for the lives and liveliness beneath the ocean’s surfaces, this is not one to miss if you’re into all things ocean, whether it is marine biology, climates studies, or some combination thereof.

[alex ✨ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Let me be honest here. I am stumped with Weird Fishes. I have not read a book that made me so conflicted about how I felt in a hot second. If you saw me fiddle with the rating, yeah. I was stumped. Still am, honestly.

[Uudenkuun Emilia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read most of this in one delightful sitting. A brilliant, beautiful, important climate fiction book bringing the deep ocean to life in all its magic and brutality.

[Bertie (LuminosityLibrary) · Rating 4 out of 5]

With a rich underwater world with a seal-like mermaid, a squid-like scientist, and an abundance of ocean life, this eco-fantasy felt so alive. This book is indigenous Hawaiian inspired, and the way that was brought in was delightful. I loved the parallels between deep sea life and humanity, it expertly critiqued our own society despite not really interacting with humans. There are content warnings listed on the front page, but I wasn't quite prepared for the intensity and consequences of the sexual assault scene. I don't want to critique its inclusion, as sexual assault is a real tool used against activists. The whole plot point seems especially relevant in the wake of anti-abortion laws and the consequences of that on pregnant people. However, it's useful to know that's a major event in the book.

[Annalise · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was a short read, but so freaking good! The visuals and world building were super vivid, like I honestly think this would make a fantastic animated movie because being able to see the beautiful animals and ecosystems the way they’re described would be amazing!! Ceph’s story did in fact make me sad as hell though🥲 I loved this story and its insights on pollution/ climate change🥹🫶

[Dumitru Andrada · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excuse me? Who gave you the right to be this good?

[Sim Kern · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful prose and deep (literally) insight. Delightfully unlike anything you’ve ever read. Was worried about starting this amidst a climate despair spiral, but it actually buoyed me up rather than sucking me down, much like a benevolent sperm whale.

[Vicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

i loved this story!!!!
read it!
amazing characters, main, side and worldbuilding. it oozed with personality and was so enjoyable. the story was enthralling and the structure was perfect. there were so many incredible ideas sandwiched in this one story in a really cool way and i love this book.

it is painful and tragic and it had me on a rollercoaster. it is fun and vivid, incredibly beautiful descriptions of COOL OCEAN STUFF

the epilogue :')

i originally think 4.5 star because there are almost too many ideas that some get lost. i really wanted to see more interaction between Ceph and Andrew, and time travel! but. i think the point is for the former: the tragedy of society resulting of their meeting. And for the latter: that we are the aliens and time is cool.
so 5 star. its gotta be

[José Alejandro Vázquez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comencé 2023 cansado de leer libros largos, así que decidí que leería más noveletas y esta, Weird Fishes, es la primera de las más de treinta que tengo escogidas. Esta, al igual que las demás, fue nominada en la categoría de mejor noveleta del premio Hugo, por lo que la calidad está garantizada.
Ahora bien, entrando en tema, Weirds Fishes es una noveleta de menos de 130 páginas escrita por Rae Mariz, una antigua bibliotecaria y ahora traductora, interesada en la literatura juvenil, el océano y el medioambientalismo. De ahí que no es de extrañar que escribiera un libro sobre la amenaza de los microplásticos para la vida en general, apoyándose en una historia que mezcla fantasía y ciencia ficción y lo hace bastante bien. El libro tiene una nota de la autora comentando que aborda temas bastantes serios: violación, descripciones detalladas de asfixia, algo de violencia y un intento de suicidio, a lo que agregaría un poco de LGTBQI. Pero no es algo de lo que debas preocuparte a menos que quieras dárselo a leer a un niño-adolescente.
Uno de los puntos fuertes de la historia es que la autora no aborda el problema desde la perspectiva humana sino desde la de una científica calamar de aguas profundas, Ceph, e Iliokai una especie de sirena, pero más emparentada con las focas. A través de esta nos muestra las profundidades del mar, su diversidad y el cómo la actividad del hombre, con los microplásticos y el aceleramiento del cambio climático, está matándola poco a poco.Sin embargo, en vez de ponerse panfletaria sobre el tema y recalcarlo una y otra vez, me gustó que se centrara en desarrollar a sus protagonistas: Ceph tiene que superar los problemas de "calamarcentrismo" de su especie (una alegoría obvia a la forma de ser de la Humanidad), mientras que Iliokai debe superar su complejo de soledad debido a su carencia de madre y dejarse querer. En tanto que ambas recorren el océano en busca de una forma de salvarlo del hombre, esos "peces extraños" que han olvidado que aunque vivan fuera del océano, son parte de este. El final tiene un deus ex machina, pero debido a que la historia se acerca mucho a una fábula para adolescentes se le perdona.
Por lo que si te gusta el océano, te preocupa el medioambiente, quieres practicar tu inglés y deseas leer una historia que te haga reflexionar. Entonces, Weirds Fishes, de Rae Mariz, es el libro que te recomiendo.

[Richard Derus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4* of five

The Publisher Says: AN UNDERWATER TALE OF FRIENDSHIP AGAINST MONSTROUS ODDS

When Ceph, a squid-like scientist, discovers proof of the ocean’s slowing currents, she makes the dangerous ascent from her deep-sea civilization to the uncharted surface above. Out of her depths and helpless in her symbiotic mech suit, Ceph relies on Iliokai, a seal-folk storyteller, who sings the state of the sea and has seen evidence of clogged currents as she surfs the time gyres throughout the lonely blue. Navigating the perils of their damaged ocean environment, and seemingly insurmountable cultural differences, Ceph and Iliokai realize that the activities of terrestrial beings are slowing the spiralling currents of time. On a journey that connects future and past, the surface and the deep, the unlikely friends struggle to solve a problem so big it needs a leviathan solution.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU. ***CW: rape***

My Review: I know a lot of folks are, um, squeamish about couples that aren't one-man/one-woman. Y'all gonna bust somethin' when it comes to intimate interspecies relations....

But my gosh! The worldbuilding in this novella would support a billion-page nonillionology for each of these cultures. And still the read manages to be truly satisfying. That is a major achievement. The consequences of human action starts the plot on its course; the circle of life gets closed in the end, but in a way I warned you about above.

I am delighted to say that every step leading up to the ending's unpleasantness contains no such activity. I can't say you're likely to be prepared for it with foreshadowing or desensitization. I can say it's stark and shocking when it happens, unambiguous in its cost, and fully part of the narrative arc.

And my goddesses did I hate it.

There's nothing like consequences to offer a lesson about what the author wants to say. I'm glad Author Mariz said it. But I still hated it.

[Torie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I kept trying to talk myself into a nice, average three-star rating for this book....but I think it's gotta be a two for me. Plenty of my gripes can just be written down to personal preference, but overall I thought this was basic, shallow(haha) and lacking in thematic cohesion?

So. This is a book, I read it, and I'm sure there's people out there that this book was transformative for! I thought it was a bit boring. It's a cli-fi book set under the ocean, focusing on two main characters: Ceph(the cephalopod-esque deep-sea seafolk) and Illiokai(the sea lion-ish seafolk) and following a plot of increasing climate disturbance due to failure of the people of the "above" to remember and connect to their environment. Classic climate fiction...but this book doesn't do anything particularly interesting with it beyond that.

Illiokai represents the faction that remains more in tune with the environmental degradation, and more aligned with the emotions of the earth. Ceph represents....white western science, misogyny, and human culture? I came here for weird fish and Ceph is just living in a sort of underwater victorian-era society. Men are superior(because they have to begin as women, but become something more through transformation). But don't worry! Ceph is a(theoretically)forward-thinking person and many in her city believe a woman can have a career before settling down and reproducing, then senescing, as cephalopods tend to. Ceph to me is meant to represent the privileged woman, with access to education and theoretically with power to choose not to have children/sign her life away for the good of passing on her genes, and as soon as she switches sides, she's punished for her transgressions against the male status quo. That was a ending for her character that could've resonated with me, except it was so tonally different than the rest of the book.

I thought this was a pretty shallow exploration of climate fiction themes, and didn't have a sense of connection between character choices and the punishments/outcomes they ended up with.

[Navarre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Weird Fishes was a wonderful journey that reminded me of how I felt the first time I read 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea as a kid. This book is definitely going on my recommendations list for tidalpunk literature, as it very deftly addresses climate change and its effects on the ocean without feeling preachy.

The story is an interesting take on the buddy genre, pairing a sheltered octopod scientist with an emotionally-vibrant and well-traveled mermaid. Amusing and profound interactions between the two characters help them grow as individuals while they investigate the cause and solution to slowing ocean currents.

Mariz's prose is beautiful and evokes a true feeling of wonder and connectedness to the ocean. Clever twists on common turns of phrase remind you that the main characters aren't human, and the interplay of the many different species of the ocean gives hints at the biodiversity teeming below the surface. There's even a cameo by 52 Blue, the "world's loneliest whale."

This book helps you remember that we came from the sea and that it still exerts an emotional pull on us like the tide. One of my favorite lines from the book is "People carry the ocean inside them. On an upright fishbone spine sits the soul of an octopus." Not every line in the book is that poetic, but I feel that encapsulates my feelings when I read this book.

While I wholeheartedly enjoyed this book, it isn't for everyone. The book doesn't shy away from the real world consequences of microplastics, commercial fishing, and warming oceans. Many creatures die, often in graphic, but not prolonged, ways. This book also has a content warning for sexual assault.

If you're looking for a tidalpunk read that rekindles your love for the ocean, I can't recommend Weird Fishes enough.

Thanks to Stelliform Press for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Paige · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Stelliform Press for sending me a copy of Weird Fishes to review!

I read this incredible novella in just two sittings, I completely fell in love with Ceph and Iliokai, and I found it hard to look away from their journey. Mariz packs so much into such a small number of pages, and I think the story is completely the perfect length.

In typical-me fashion I failed to properly read the blurb before I started reading. So hadn't picked up that Ceph was a squid-like creature, instead picturing her as a humanoid. But, I actually really enjoyed discovering what she was, it felt like I was really discovering a new deep-sea creature as I read the story. It was only really once she met Iliokai that I really figured it out. I completely fell in love with this sea-faring duo and the fact they're both outcasts in the sea.

There are content warnings for the book that I've put at the end of the review. I urge you to read the authors note at the start of the novella as it gives context for why Mariz included some scenes, and for me they felt justified and a necessary part of the story.

Wierd Fishes firmly sits in the climate fiction genre, and I loved that it's from the perspective of the sea creatures and watching them try to understand what is happening is heartbreaking. I feel like you usually see it from the human side, so to see it from the innocent creatures that it effects is so novel and effective. There's a definitely fantasy element to it too which I would have loved to explore further!

I highly recommend picking up this strange little novella and spending an afternoon wrapped up in the story.

Some content warnings for this book if you need them: death, loss and grief, violence, an instance of sexual assault, and mentions of self-harm/suicide. While these scenes are not graphic, the story does touch on some heavy themes.

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

She was a whale rider; her breed of sea folk had to sing what they witnessed. It was their instinct. Like a shark's impulse to bite and thrash. Like an oyster's pain shapes a pearl.

Oh yes, welcome to my very small collection of "actually certifiably unique indie books."

Bizarre, poetic, concerned with pollution and the future and ecology... Going into this more or less blind ended up being a great choice because I was just swept away on this super creative little journey.

The prose is really focused on science and marine biology, and I know, approximately, Jack shit about that topic, but I still followed along fine as the specificity of the terminology ended up feeling like yet another layer of world build and tone. (Unfortunately this made the instances of "they would NOT know that word" jump out like crazy--"fuck"? "Shit"? "Ponytail"? "Fingernails"????) (((Also why were the blobby non-octopuses calling each other 'males and women' like I don't understand what that was about and it drove me bonkers)))

Little touches I enjoyed:

- The concern at first being about how ocean pollution was gumming up the few areas in the ocean where creatures could swim across time--the idea of pollution LITERALLY preventing access to the future AND access to a cleaner past was a cool way to communicate an idea we've heard a thousand times
- The resolution essentially being a magical way for all humans to feel connected to the ocean AND to each other by grief and love, urging them to try harder to connect to nature. Very pretty!!!


God, I just like reading things that are thoroughly...weird for once. I encourage picking this up especially since it's a relatively short read.

[Pat | _chaoticbooknook · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up!

This is my first ocean-centric spec fic novella, and I quite enjoyed it! The world Mariz created was rich and fresh given the brevity of the book (< 150 pages), from the mimic octopi creature and society we get to follow to the wider ocean world we get to explore infused with aspects of Pasifika creation stories.

This book follows two MCs: Ceph, a mimic octopoid, and Iliokai, a whale rider. They end up finding each other and taking an unlikely journey together to figure out why the tides are slowing and why the coral reefs are dying. While Ceph is more of our central character, I loved Iliokai’s story so much. Hers is of isolation and loneliness and the search for belonging. Of experiencing the worst of things and still remaining soft in this world. Ceph is her foil, a loved sister from a tight knit community. The interaction between the two main characters was stirring, helping add heart to an otherwise predictable climate fiction story.

My main issue with the book was writing and tone. The writing somewhat violently oscillated between lyrical to excessively casual (and not talking about dialogue). The descriptions of the ocean and time were quite lovely and felt timeless. However, we would get glimpses of our MCs inner dialogues and it would be so casual and modern it’d take me out of the book. I’d argue there are ways to share one’s inner monologue without being so casual *or* still keeping with the overall tone.

Still, this was a nice palate cleanser read that was transportive and mostly felt fresh, and a great way to start exploring Pasifika stories! Give it a try - it’s short and sweet!

[☆ juno · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mermaids: The Body Found was one of my favorite 'movies' growing up. at that point in my life, i didn't understand the distinctions between various types of visual media, longform and shortform, real or staged; to me, a movie was any video. so being 7 years old and not having any critical thinking skills to speak of, i watched this documentary full of science people with what i obviously thought was hard evidence of mermaids being real. i defended this fact with my life, and i held onto the idea that mermaids were real for a humiliatingly long time, you will not understand the ridicule i experienced from my peers. you will never know. anyways, all that to say that this novella gave me the same feelings that godforsaken mockumentary did but without the shame years later. i watched it again just a few days ago and i feel so cheated.

back to this novella! i felt so immersed (aha) into this underwater world where squid-like creatures live in the depths with their large egos and a seadog 'sings' and saves animal from pollution. i particularly felt connected to this story as a pacific islander. my whole life, i've had to hear and be very aware of things like climate change and rising sea levels and having to deal with the frustration of not being able to really do anything about it, so it was funny to see the same feelings mirrored by characters who are complete opposites of me. or maybe we're actually identical.

[Gillian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Popsugar 2023 #15: A song with a song lyric as its title (Radiohead)

I wanted to love this. I love speculative fiction. I appreciate the urgency of the need for ocean conservation and climate change mitigation. I appreciate what the author was trying to do here with this fable.

I had such a hard time picturing the main characters and the world they lived in that I had a hard time immersing (sorry!) myself in the read. I would have loved more detailed descriptions of Ceph and Iliokai, and where they were and what the various locales in the novel looked like. I would have loved more detailed descriptions of where, geographically, Ceph and Iliokai were traveling.

Even as a biologist, I found that the brief, sporadic bits of technical jargon also kind of pulled me out of the zone. So did repeatedly referring to a lamprey as an eel. The inconsistency of the level of research, I guess.

There are content warnings on the back of the very last page of the book, described as "Heavy shit, presented in a narrative that takes care to support the weight." I didn't agree with that. The triggering moments occurred without lead up or giving the reader any time or space to process what had just happened. I think it's okay because it's an allegorical depiction of nature, and nature is like that, but the weight of those issues wasn't really supported.

[Haley Kilgour · Rating 2 out of 5]

Weird fishes… weird is correct.

I feel like this piece was meant to be an exposition on women in the world, women in science, and climate change. In some ways it was dead on, on others, it missed.

The first major thing is that this book would have been near incomprehensible had I not been a marine biologist. Scientific terminology was used abundantly, but not always in a reader friendly way.

The way dialogue was physically denoted at times got weird. And using a “c” as a section divider threw me off at first.

My other major issue was that the writing contradicted themselves on many occasions. One of the larger times I noticed it was with the pronouns for Mone. Another one was describing Mooch as a lamprey and then calling him an eel. Sentence later. Another issue with Mooch is that’s neither lampreys or eels are parasitic.

There were some biology and environmental things that were wrong. For the average reader, this isn’t an issue. But, as I feel like this is geared towards ocean centered readers, it’s a bit deal.

With Iliokai she’s described as having a blowhole and a nose. That’s not how that works. A blowhole in cetaceans is a “nose”.

The ending was also a little odd to me.

[Bria · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was unlike anything I'd ever read before. I definitely took a risk, and after the first chapter or two, I was afraid the scientific jargon and clinical writing style would discourage me from finishing. I'm so glad I pushed through, though!

There is a surprising amount of heart beneath the confusing science and doomed tone. Illokai came when she was needed most, as she is wont to do, and it was then that I became hooked. The plot may be simple, but I enjoyed navigating it through the eyes of two ocean creatures navigating their world. I'm also glad humans were not strictly regarded as the scum of the Earth, as environmental fiction can sometimes lean towards that idea too heavily. The writing style, while unconventional, all felt like it served a greater purpose and eventually came together with the worldbuilding to paint a great picture.

I think my biggest complaint is that I wish it were longer! This is one of the few books I read where I actively think writing more would have been tremendously beneficial. I wish we could have had more time with Ceph and Illokai before that punch gut of an ending. Which, speaking of... I think could have been handled differently and with more focus, but eh, I'll take it!

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Overall Rating 5/5
Sass Score: 3/5
Spice: 0/5

I was initially attracted to Weird Fishes because of the lovely cover and because I unabashedly love fish. My only complaint about this novella is that I wish it was longer because the vivid undersea world painted by Rae Mariz pulled me under so completely. We follow along on the adventures of scientist Ceph and whale rider Iliokai as they learn about each other and the world around them. It presents a very unique perspective as a sheltered deep sea scientist gains knowledge of the current state of affairs. I highly recommend Weird Fishes. There are many heavy themes discussed so be prepared for a deep dive. The immersive world building is incredibly impressive as the characters presented communicate using a system of changing skin patterns and chemical signals in the water. Seriously, read it. But do mind the trigger warnings presented by the author in the beginning so you are not taken by surprise.