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Sordidez
Vero has always felt at odds with his community. As a trans man in near-future Puerto Rico, he struggles to gain acceptance for his identity and his vision of an inclusive society.
After a hurricane decimates the island and Puerto Rico is abandoned by the United States, Vero leaves his home to petition the centralized government for aid and seek the truth about new colonists arriving on the island. But in the Yucatan, Vero finds a landscape ravaged by an ecological disaster of humanity’s own making—the Hydrophage, a climate technology warped into a weapon of war and released onto the land by the dictator Caudillo.
Amidst the destruction, Vero finds both desperation and hope for regrowth as he documents the lives of the survivors. Details about the colonists’ intentions emerge when Vero meets the Loba Roja, an anti-Caudillo revolutionary who imagines the renewed power of the Maya. Intrigued by her vision of the future and her unapologetic violence, Vero is faced with life-changing questions: can an Indigenous resurgence protect his beloved island? And what must he sacrifice to support it?
After a hurricane decimates the island and Puerto Rico is abandoned by the United States, Vero leaves his home to petition the centralized government for aid and seek the truth about new colonists arriving on the island. But in the Yucatan, Vero finds a landscape ravaged by an ecological disaster of humanity’s own making—the Hydrophage, a climate technology warped into a weapon of war and released onto the land by the dictator Caudillo.
Amidst the destruction, Vero finds both desperation and hope for regrowth as he documents the lives of the survivors. Details about the colonists’ intentions emerge when Vero meets the Loba Roja, an anti-Caudillo revolutionary who imagines the renewed power of the Maya. Intrigued by her vision of the future and her unapologetic violence, Vero is faced with life-changing questions: can an Indigenous resurgence protect his beloved island? And what must he sacrifice to support it?
162 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 25, 2023
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659 people want to read
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September 22, 2023I sat with this one for a couple of days before writing this review. Unfortunately for me I didn't really enjoy this one much and it's mostly because the blurb gave me entirely the wrong impression. From the blurb I assumed Vero would be THE main character not just one of them and in my opinion the one with the least memorable arc. I'm not a fan of multiple POVs especially in short form and I wouldn't have picked up this novella had I known that it was a multiple POVs sort of deal.
That being said, the writing is really beautiful and often quite powerful, each character has their own voice, Condé is clearly a talented writer, and I would have probably loved this book if it had been treated more like individual short stories set in the same universe but as it is the structure left me feeling like nothing was complete and deeply dissatisfied. I'm not going to rate this one because I'm really just not the right audience for this novella and I'll keep cursing at this trend of misleading blurbs.
Editing this review a couple of months after I initially posted it in order to add: I found myself actually recommending this book a few times because of the quality of the writing and I'm thinking of reading it again to see if I get a different mileage when approaching it with a completely different set of expectations.
Thank you to Stelliform Press and Booksirens for the opportunity to review this book.
That being said, the writing is really beautiful and often quite powerful, each character has their own voice, Condé is clearly a talented writer, and I would have probably loved this book if it had been treated more like individual short stories set in the same universe but as it is the structure left me feeling like nothing was complete and deeply dissatisfied. I'm not going to rate this one because I'm really just not the right audience for this novella and I'll keep cursing at this trend of misleading blurbs.
Editing this review a couple of months after I initially posted it in order to add: I found myself actually recommending this book a few times because of the quality of the writing and I'm thinking of reading it again to see if I get a different mileage when approaching it with a completely different set of expectations.
Thank you to Stelliform Press and Booksirens for the opportunity to review this book.
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August 22, 2023Los Angeles Review of Books said this book's theme is Taínofuturism, and I am all for that.
September 16, 2023
This little book offers a compelling exploration of heritage and indigeneity, ongoing colonization and American & Western imperialism, dictatorship and disaster (natural & human-made), and recovery and resurgence. It is everything the description "Taínofuturism" made me hope it would be; it up-ends tired establishment narratives to present readers with something that truly questions the global status quo and considers a stirring alternative in all its scarred complexity. I particularly appreciated where the book touched on questions of peace, violence, and humanity in the context of revolution, without being reductive.
Be warned: the blurb doesn't really fit the book. It's not the single linear narrative the blurb makes it sound like. Different parts of the book focus on different characters, settings, and themes. In particular, I don't think I would say that Vero is the protagonist, or at least, not the only one; he's important at the beginning and end, but for a good two thirds in the middle, he's barely there at all.
Aside from the misleading blurb, the book does have some weaknesses--disorienting pacing at times; a few predictable story elements in the first half; a detail in Vero's characterization early on that did not ring true to me as a trans reader ()--but my biggest complaint is that I wish there had been just a little more to the book. Things moved very fast toward the end and I didn't feel like I got to properly understand and appreciate Vero's character arc, the Loba Roja's movement, or what it would all come to mean for the larger world. Even so, overall I think it's an excellent book and absolutely one worth reading.
Be warned: the blurb doesn't really fit the book. It's not the single linear narrative the blurb makes it sound like. Different parts of the book focus on different characters, settings, and themes. In particular, I don't think I would say that Vero is the protagonist, or at least, not the only one; he's important at the beginning and end, but for a good two thirds in the middle, he's barely there at all.
Aside from the misleading blurb, the book does have some weaknesses--disorienting pacing at times; a few predictable story elements in the first half; a detail in Vero's characterization early on that did not ring true to me as a trans reader ()--but my biggest complaint is that I wish there had been just a little more to the book. Things moved very fast toward the end and I didn't feel like I got to properly understand and appreciate Vero's character arc, the Loba Roja's movement, or what it would all come to mean for the larger world. Even so, overall I think it's an excellent book and absolutely one worth reading.
February 5, 2025
This short book explores so many ideas including the lasting ill effects of colonialism/imperialism, the difficulties of rebuilding after a revolution and the ways of coping with the trauma left behind.
Set in a Puerto Rico that is trying to be independent after casting off the shackles of imperialism that have long bound it, the narrative comes to us through the perspectives of three main characters.
Vero leaves his siblings who want no help from outsiders to rebuild after the revolution and becomes a journalist whose goal is to help by telling their stories to the world. He loses his focus in his pursuit of the truth behind a chemical weapon called hydrophage that has unleashed widespread ecological disaster. His meeting with the mysterious much reviled person called 'Loba Roja' changes his life.
Loba Roja believes in the efficacy of Mayan mythology to provide solutions to all the problems of rebuilding and climate change.
In the middle is Dona Margarita who has also suffered loss but is concentrating on looking ahead and helping survivors move on. She believes in showing compassion and forgiveness for everyone on any side of war that is the true evil and strikes a balance between self reliance and taking help when offered. She is a character that I admired a lot for her ability to look beyond and transcend normal human emotions like revenge and anger and channel her grief into constructive activity.
The Loba Roja was another complex individual whose motivations make it difficult to cast her as wrong or otherwise.
The backstories of these three people and their varying ideas on how to move ahead in the aftermath of a revolution and deal with the effects of long term oppression that has rendered them unable to govern themselves is very poignant and thought provoking. The 'sordidness' of their lives provokes such distinct reactions from each of them, providing insight into different human personalities.
This is a book that provides so much to discuss about all of the themes it explores.
Set in a Puerto Rico that is trying to be independent after casting off the shackles of imperialism that have long bound it, the narrative comes to us through the perspectives of three main characters.
Vero leaves his siblings who want no help from outsiders to rebuild after the revolution and becomes a journalist whose goal is to help by telling their stories to the world. He loses his focus in his pursuit of the truth behind a chemical weapon called hydrophage that has unleashed widespread ecological disaster. His meeting with the mysterious much reviled person called 'Loba Roja' changes his life.
Loba Roja believes in the efficacy of Mayan mythology to provide solutions to all the problems of rebuilding and climate change.
In the middle is Dona Margarita who has also suffered loss but is concentrating on looking ahead and helping survivors move on. She believes in showing compassion and forgiveness for everyone on any side of war that is the true evil and strikes a balance between self reliance and taking help when offered. She is a character that I admired a lot for her ability to look beyond and transcend normal human emotions like revenge and anger and channel her grief into constructive activity.
The Loba Roja was another complex individual whose motivations make it difficult to cast her as wrong or otherwise.
The backstories of these three people and their varying ideas on how to move ahead in the aftermath of a revolution and deal with the effects of long term oppression that has rendered them unable to govern themselves is very poignant and thought provoking. The 'sordidness' of their lives provokes such distinct reactions from each of them, providing insight into different human personalities.
This is a book that provides so much to discuss about all of the themes it explores.
July 17, 2023
SORDIDEZ by E.G. Condé is a rich and lush tale of finding hope amidst bleakness, of sacrifice, community, survival, and both connection and isolation with a desolate climate crisis backdrop. Condé weaves an elegant and intricate narrative of healing and courage that is sure to touch and inspire.
A big thank you to the author for the ARC and early read!
A big thank you to the author for the ARC and early read!
July 2, 2023
Want to get out of a reading slump? Are you looking for a book you won’t be able to put down? Well, I present to you Sordidez, by E. G. Condé.
I had NEVER read something like Sordidez. This is a novella that defies every genre and breaks out of every mold in existence. It’s a book that attempts to do many things, touch on many important topics, and bring to life many characters in less than 150 pages… and it did it MASTERFULLY.
Sordidez didn’t “try” to do everything; Sordidez IS successful at EVERYTHING it attempts.
It’s a dystopian story that presents a post apocalyptic world. It’s a world reeling after war and climate catastrophes, including a hurricane that decimated Puerto Rico and a man made ecological disaster that ravaged Yucatán.
Puerto Rico has been abandoned by US and invaded by China. Boricuas fighting for freedom organize themselves in cacicazgos, trying to establish a way of living and governing similar to that of our Indigenous people: the Taínos. And one of the leaders is Vero, a trans man also fighting for an inclusive society.
Meanwhile, in Yucatán, after the destruction caused by a ruthless dictator, a revolutionary group leaded by the Loba Roja wants to bring Mayan people back to power, and is ready to do anything and everything to make it happen.
And then there’s Margarita, a woman trying to rebuild from the ruins, but who only wants to do it using love and compassion.
The lives of these three characters (and many more) intersect in a story about hope, liberation and the resilience and resurgence of Indigenous people.
And it’s SO beautifully written.
A.G. Condé could randomly pick any page of their book, choose a paragraph, and call it a poem.
Every sentence is poetry.
The story moves at neck-breaking speed, but it’s PERFECT for this story. There’s no filler; no words just to take space. Every word has a purpose, means something, and has power.
I can’t recommend this book enough, so just read it and prepare to be amazed. 💙
Sordidez comes out August 1st so the time to preorder is right now!
Thank you Stelliform Press for my ARC! 🙏🏾
I had NEVER read something like Sordidez. This is a novella that defies every genre and breaks out of every mold in existence. It’s a book that attempts to do many things, touch on many important topics, and bring to life many characters in less than 150 pages… and it did it MASTERFULLY.
Sordidez didn’t “try” to do everything; Sordidez IS successful at EVERYTHING it attempts.
It’s a dystopian story that presents a post apocalyptic world. It’s a world reeling after war and climate catastrophes, including a hurricane that decimated Puerto Rico and a man made ecological disaster that ravaged Yucatán.
Puerto Rico has been abandoned by US and invaded by China. Boricuas fighting for freedom organize themselves in cacicazgos, trying to establish a way of living and governing similar to that of our Indigenous people: the Taínos. And one of the leaders is Vero, a trans man also fighting for an inclusive society.
Meanwhile, in Yucatán, after the destruction caused by a ruthless dictator, a revolutionary group leaded by the Loba Roja wants to bring Mayan people back to power, and is ready to do anything and everything to make it happen.
And then there’s Margarita, a woman trying to rebuild from the ruins, but who only wants to do it using love and compassion.
The lives of these three characters (and many more) intersect in a story about hope, liberation and the resilience and resurgence of Indigenous people.
And it’s SO beautifully written.
A.G. Condé could randomly pick any page of their book, choose a paragraph, and call it a poem.
Every sentence is poetry.
The story moves at neck-breaking speed, but it’s PERFECT for this story. There’s no filler; no words just to take space. Every word has a purpose, means something, and has power.
I can’t recommend this book enough, so just read it and prepare to be amazed. 💙
Sordidez comes out August 1st so the time to preorder is right now!
Thank you Stelliform Press for my ARC! 🙏🏾
August 10, 2024
3.5/5
The vibe of this book very much reminded me of the song/music video "Mexica" (only for Maya and Taino folks):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unVYL...
…and I was here for that anger and that reclaiming of indigenous identity! I also liked our three major characters – especially since I agree that warrior, gardener, and storyteller (all broadly defined) are essential roles for what’s going on here. There’s a great twist partway through, and some wise words on things like why growing and surviving after trauma don’t have to – and probably shouldn’t – involve forgetting.
However, as I sat with the story for a bit, there are two things that make it hard to feel as hopeful about the ending as I think you are supposed to. For one thing, Vero’s sense that he is only accepted as a trans man within his community when they need him, with prejudice resurfacing within minutes to hours of people getting a chance to breathe, is never actually resolved. He does get accepted as a leader…but that’s kind of just extending the “accepted when useful” issue for him and definitely not helpful to any other trans people in the community. Second, while it is fun to see our MCs come into their power…the fact that I'm struggling to think of a single real-world example where a leader encouraged people to view them as a mythic hero and didn’t become a horrible dictator (assuming their cause actually WON, of course) is worrying! This is a very short book, but I would have liked to see a bit more of a plan for sharing the power. Because it’s not like Maya or Aztec royalty were actually less shitty than any other monarchs just because they were home grown, y'know?
The sci-fi elements that blend in with the local mythology in places are cool, though! I’m not sure exactly how the hydrophage is supposed to work, but it kind of reminds me of the curse/blessing of “dance powder” in ‘One Piece’. And I wanted to know more about the…bioengineered wolf companions, I think? I’ve seen this described as having magical realism elements, but I don’t think that’s accurate; the couple of moments where something spooky is happening, I’m pretty sure the characters involved were just tripping balls!
The vibe of this book very much reminded me of the song/music video "Mexica" (only for Maya and Taino folks):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unVYL...
…and I was here for that anger and that reclaiming of indigenous identity! I also liked our three major characters – especially since I agree that warrior, gardener, and storyteller (all broadly defined) are essential roles for what’s going on here. There’s a great twist partway through, and some wise words on things like why growing and surviving after trauma don’t have to – and probably shouldn’t – involve forgetting.
However, as I sat with the story for a bit, there are two things that make it hard to feel as hopeful about the ending as I think you are supposed to. For one thing, Vero’s sense that he is only accepted as a trans man within his community when they need him, with prejudice resurfacing within minutes to hours of people getting a chance to breathe, is never actually resolved. He does get accepted as a leader…but that’s kind of just extending the “accepted when useful” issue for him and definitely not helpful to any other trans people in the community. Second, while it is fun to see our MCs come into their power…the fact that I'm struggling to think of a single real-world example where a leader encouraged people to view them as a mythic hero and didn’t become a horrible dictator (assuming their cause actually WON, of course) is worrying! This is a very short book, but I would have liked to see a bit more of a plan for sharing the power. Because it’s not like Maya or Aztec royalty were actually less shitty than any other monarchs just because they were home grown, y'know?
The sci-fi elements that blend in with the local mythology in places are cool, though! I’m not sure exactly how the hydrophage is supposed to work, but it kind of reminds me of the curse/blessing of “dance powder” in ‘One Piece’. And I wanted to know more about the…bioengineered wolf companions, I think? I’ve seen this described as having magical realism elements, but I don’t think that’s accurate; the couple of moments where something spooky is happening, I’m pretty sure the characters involved were just tripping balls!
May 4, 2023
E. G. Condé' has written such a powerful novella of resilience and grace. Anchored around several main characters that feel very much alive - Vero (a trans man) and Dona Margarita (an elder), but also many of the supporting characters as well. I appreciated the different methods of survival and revolution explored in this book. Both the full on fight and battle to the more subtle community of care.
There is also thoughtful and respectful Deaf representation - Dagüao - being an active and included member of the revolution and community, in both action and technical expertise,
I was unfamiliar with Taino Arawak, Yucatec Maya languages, and got to encounter many in this text. Most were translated contextually, or within the text in someway, but there is also a helpful glossary at the back of words that might be unfamiliar. I found the language use important and intentional - and it only slightly slowed my pace.
There is so much love, and compassion within this book, but also anger, grief, and loss - some big topics - challenging re-colonization by foreign powers, the impacts of the climate crisis, the questionable intentions and priorities of aid efforts, the after effects of dictatorships, and collective resistance. I left feeling both energized, inspired, and also curious about the history of the areas mentioned.
The beautiful cover by Paulina Niño (yes I do occasionally judge books by their cover), curiosity about Tainofuturism, and a precedent of good instincts of the publisher, Stelliform Press made me pick this book up, and I'm glad I did.
I am grateful to netgalley and the publisher for an e-ARC,
There is also thoughtful and respectful Deaf representation - Dagüao - being an active and included member of the revolution and community, in both action and technical expertise,
I was unfamiliar with Taino Arawak, Yucatec Maya languages, and got to encounter many in this text. Most were translated contextually, or within the text in someway, but there is also a helpful glossary at the back of words that might be unfamiliar. I found the language use important and intentional - and it only slightly slowed my pace.
There is so much love, and compassion within this book, but also anger, grief, and loss - some big topics - challenging re-colonization by foreign powers, the impacts of the climate crisis, the questionable intentions and priorities of aid efforts, the after effects of dictatorships, and collective resistance. I left feeling both energized, inspired, and also curious about the history of the areas mentioned.
The beautiful cover by Paulina Niño (yes I do occasionally judge books by their cover), curiosity about Tainofuturism, and a precedent of good instincts of the publisher, Stelliform Press made me pick this book up, and I'm glad I did.
I am grateful to netgalley and the publisher for an e-ARC,
July 13, 2023
An short but very powerful story about the impact of climate changes, the oppression of indigenous peoples and the latin countries separate by an control government. Also have an great representation of an trans person, that is not accept by her family but keeps fight for identity and for nation. I really like the revolutionary Loba Roja and her conversions about her ancesters history, especialy about maya civilization.
Such a important story to read and reflect that our choices can have an great impact in the future!
Such a important story to read and reflect that our choices can have an great impact in the future!
September 16, 2024
I read this for the Book Riot "Read Harder Challenge," as well as because I want to support stories set in Puerto Rico and Latin America. (I'm Puerto Rican-American.) However, while the story is in many ways prescient about what the near future may look like, and describes a dystopia that may very well come to pass in some of the ways described, as a reader I never quite felt connected to the characters or stories. I would still recommend this for those who have a greater affinity to the genres represented in this book.
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August 10, 2023EG Condé does a whole lot in this novella, and yet it never feels overstuffed or cramped: it’s fluid and graceful. It’s like a 360-degree photo, rotating through various characters and their reaction to centuries of empire and colonial oppression in a moment of indigenous resurgence, both on Borikén (Puerto Rico), and on the Yucatán Peninsula.
Which views you’ll like most—which threads of the narrative—will depend on what brings you to the story, but Condé has something for everyone: there’s quiet transformation and healing, but also retribution and an ancestral past renewed. There’s celebration of traditions cherished over generations, and there’s also creative ingenuity that twines technology with the natural world. And there are several journeys of self-discovery and personal transformation.
Vero is one character in the process of discovering himself. I felt true pangs for him when, after rallying people around him to resist the latest incarnation of overlordship, he feels defeated:
I don’t think it’s spoilers to say that Vero’s thoughts in that moment are not his final perceptions on the topic, but I appreciated that Condé included that moment and its personal consequences because attempting to bring life to a vision of a different future—especially when you have an identity that people reject—is very difficult (to put it mildly). That conflict is not a main thrust of the story, and further transformations and a shift in focus to the glories of a resurgent past obviate the need to deal with it, but the touch of painful realism really lingered with me.
I really loved the science fictional details in the novella—loved, for example, when Vero and his family and friends
Beautiful. Similarly, Condé imagines dinoflagellates that have been genetically altered “to thrive on the dewy surfaces [of tree trunks and ground]” resulting in a “sapphire sheen coating tree trunks and glowing in starry whorls at their feet.”
And then there’s the hydrophage, a chemical that destroys water, wielded as a weapon of war. Truly terrifying.
In big things and small, the worldbuilding is compelling—I find myself turning over details in my mind like gemstones, examining their facets. It's a world wide open for more storytelling. Here’s hoping.
Which views you’ll like most—which threads of the narrative—will depend on what brings you to the story, but Condé has something for everyone: there’s quiet transformation and healing, but also retribution and an ancestral past renewed. There’s celebration of traditions cherished over generations, and there’s also creative ingenuity that twines technology with the natural world. And there are several journeys of self-discovery and personal transformation.
Vero is one character in the process of discovering himself. I felt true pangs for him when, after rallying people around him to resist the latest incarnation of overlordship, he feels defeated:
The caciazgo was always just a fantasy. A childish dream that an extinct civilization could be resurrected. A hope that ruin could be a pathway to renewal. A wish that the old ways could be revised to accommodate “abominations” [Vero is trans] like me.
I don’t think it’s spoilers to say that Vero’s thoughts in that moment are not his final perceptions on the topic, but I appreciated that Condé included that moment and its personal consequences because attempting to bring life to a vision of a different future—especially when you have an identity that people reject—is very difficult (to put it mildly). That conflict is not a main thrust of the story, and further transformations and a shift in focus to the glories of a resurgent past obviate the need to deal with it, but the touch of painful realism really lingered with me.
I really loved the science fictional details in the novella—loved, for example, when Vero and his family and friends
weave the reflective shards of solar panels with kapok fibers from our sacred ceiba trees. We make solar microgrids with life’s stringy filaments … The forest flickers. Like neon spiderwebs woven across the canopy, our solar nets activate. It’s as if a thousand fireflies are frozen in amber.
Beautiful. Similarly, Condé imagines dinoflagellates that have been genetically altered “to thrive on the dewy surfaces [of tree trunks and ground]” resulting in a “sapphire sheen coating tree trunks and glowing in starry whorls at their feet.”
And then there’s the hydrophage, a chemical that destroys water, wielded as a weapon of war. Truly terrifying.
In big things and small, the worldbuilding is compelling—I find myself turning over details in my mind like gemstones, examining their facets. It's a world wide open for more storytelling. Here’s hoping.
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April 27, 2023In Sordidez, E. G. Condé’s vivid, vital imagining of a near-future Puerto Rico and Yucatán, indigenous groups cannot overcome their climate crises without decolonizing their politics and themselves. Condé gives us a clear-eyed, optimistic vision of how storytelling can transcend borders and create solidarity among resistance movements. Compelling characters like the war survivor known as the Gardener at the End of the World and Vero, a trans man and reporter who spreads the Gardener’s story, reveal that the political is also deeply personal. With great respect for history and heritage, identity and environment, Sordidez depicts the future hurtling toward us, as well as the courage we’ll need to meet that future head-on.
September 2, 2023
I really loved Sordidez! It's an absorbing novella with unique and imaginative world-building, combining a Tainofuturist vision of fighting for Indigenous sovereignty in Boriken (Puerto Rico) and the Yucatan with a near-future climate dystopia.
It's a powerful exploration of the trauma of war and genocide - and also of survivors' ability to rebuild, repair, and take care of each other. As a grandchild of Holocaust survivors, I felt this deeply.
If I could change anything, I would have liked to spend more time with Vero (a queer trans man and journalist from Boriken) and the Loba Roja (a Maya woman and revolutionary leader in the Yucatan) - they interacted for such a short time, and I wish I could seen more of them getting to know each other and exploring the ins and outs of building an Indigenous resistance movement.
It's a powerful exploration of the trauma of war and genocide - and also of survivors' ability to rebuild, repair, and take care of each other. As a grandchild of Holocaust survivors, I felt this deeply.
If I could change anything, I would have liked to spend more time with Vero (a queer trans man and journalist from Boriken) and the Loba Roja (a Maya woman and revolutionary leader in the Yucatan) - they interacted for such a short time, and I wish I could seen more of them getting to know each other and exploring the ins and outs of building an Indigenous resistance movement.
July 25, 2023
Read an eARC from the publisher
Content Warnings: natural disaster, colonialism, assimilation, racism, transphobia, character death, PTSD, violence
Vero is a journalist struggling to fit in with his community in a near-future Puerto Rico. A hurricane appropriately named for Theodore Roosevelt hits the island, and he endeavors to go to the mainland in the Yucatan to petition for aid, only to be met with more disaster on the mainland. Revolution, healing, and attempts at understanding all come together in this vignette-like narrative depicting how struggles both political and natural don’t necessarily exist independent of each other.
The imagery in this one is as beautiful as it is brutal. Condé captures how hard it is to navigate a land one once thought familiar, and the heartbreak that comes with seeing it fall to ruin. It sets up a great melancholic setting for the struggles between Vero and his community and those beyond it. There is a sense of savvy that comes in this depiction of post-disaster, where there are multiple political forces at play, and uncertainty who maintains the veneer of control. Having so many languages present among such a relatively small cast works incredibly for immersion, but also adds to the tension of miscommunication and misunderstanding. Add in the context that removing mental memories does not change how the body recollects trauma, and there is so much at play here with regards to contemplating how to survive a disaster and move on as a united front.
This novella presents no easy answers regarding how to reclaim one’s land, heritage, and community in the face of several disasters. It’s hopeful in the way that hope takes work and perseverance, especially in contexts where truth and history hurt more than the trauma at hand.
Content Warnings: natural disaster, colonialism, assimilation, racism, transphobia, character death, PTSD, violence
Vero is a journalist struggling to fit in with his community in a near-future Puerto Rico. A hurricane appropriately named for Theodore Roosevelt hits the island, and he endeavors to go to the mainland in the Yucatan to petition for aid, only to be met with more disaster on the mainland. Revolution, healing, and attempts at understanding all come together in this vignette-like narrative depicting how struggles both political and natural don’t necessarily exist independent of each other.
The imagery in this one is as beautiful as it is brutal. Condé captures how hard it is to navigate a land one once thought familiar, and the heartbreak that comes with seeing it fall to ruin. It sets up a great melancholic setting for the struggles between Vero and his community and those beyond it. There is a sense of savvy that comes in this depiction of post-disaster, where there are multiple political forces at play, and uncertainty who maintains the veneer of control. Having so many languages present among such a relatively small cast works incredibly for immersion, but also adds to the tension of miscommunication and misunderstanding. Add in the context that removing mental memories does not change how the body recollects trauma, and there is so much at play here with regards to contemplating how to survive a disaster and move on as a united front.
This novella presents no easy answers regarding how to reclaim one’s land, heritage, and community in the face of several disasters. It’s hopeful in the way that hope takes work and perseverance, especially in contexts where truth and history hurt more than the trauma at hand.
May 22, 2023
How do I even begin this review? How am I supposed to talk about everything that is in this novella without spoiling it all before it's even out or without just saying "please go pre-order this and then read it ASAP" (though I do encourage y'all to do just that! It will be worth your time).
Taínofuturism is what the author calls this particular brand of ecological science fiction and it's an apt descriptor. He created a Puerto Rico that has suffered under the influences of other global powers, has been decimated by climate change and yet, a place of resistance and hope and perseverance.
The story follows Vero, a trans man who is searching for a way to help his community and escape their oppressors but it's also a story about people who have done terrible things and still lost a war, about finding the line between justice and revenge, a story about gods and revolutionaries infused with Indigeneity.
The novella gripped me in its unashamed battling of ideas and concepts of how life would be in a human-created climate crisis and how to reconnect with your roots and the growing pains of change. For all that this tackles some heavy themes, its general atmosphere is more invigorating than sad. There is simply so much life - in these characters, their surroundings and their story - that shows how important reclaiming land and language and culture can be.
On that note, this novel takes multilingualism to a whole new level! It is mainly written in English but with various forms of communication including ASL, dead and common tongues and a glossary, there a five different languages represented.
I received an advanced reading copy from Stelliform Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Taínofuturism is what the author calls this particular brand of ecological science fiction and it's an apt descriptor. He created a Puerto Rico that has suffered under the influences of other global powers, has been decimated by climate change and yet, a place of resistance and hope and perseverance.
The story follows Vero, a trans man who is searching for a way to help his community and escape their oppressors but it's also a story about people who have done terrible things and still lost a war, about finding the line between justice and revenge, a story about gods and revolutionaries infused with Indigeneity.
The novella gripped me in its unashamed battling of ideas and concepts of how life would be in a human-created climate crisis and how to reconnect with your roots and the growing pains of change. For all that this tackles some heavy themes, its general atmosphere is more invigorating than sad. There is simply so much life - in these characters, their surroundings and their story - that shows how important reclaiming land and language and culture can be.
On that note, this novel takes multilingualism to a whole new level! It is mainly written in English but with various forms of communication including ASL, dead and common tongues and a glossary, there a five different languages represented.
I received an advanced reading copy from Stelliform Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 16, 2025
As others have said, this probably should have been marketed as a collection of interconnected short stories rather than implying we have any one main character. I was excited to read about Vero, so when I got to the next POV I was definitely a bit surprised. Usually I am staunchly anti-multi-POV, however, in the context of Sordidez as a collection of stories, it works.
I did find myself a bit lost on what was happening a couple times, having to reread sections to better understand the situation, but E.G. Condé's writing is so gripping that I never felt disengaged.
I did find myself a bit lost on what was happening a couple times, having to reread sections to better understand the situation, but E.G. Condé's writing is so gripping that I never felt disengaged.
May 27, 2023
Sordidez by E.G. Condé takes place in the near future after numerous disasters caused by climate change, political instability, a pandemic, and the Sino-American War impact Puerto Rico and Latin America. The protagonist is Vero a trans man and journalist who travels to the Yucatan and meets with La Loba Roja, an anti-Caudillo revolutionary. The various socio-political events that occurred in this story successfully resemble the historical events that shaped and continue to mold Latin America.
Climate change caused mainly by highly industrialized nations, is impacting the Caribbean and Latin America to a higher degree. Poorer and exploited nations also suffer greatly from natural disasters and pandemics. This is expressed in Sordidez, as Latinos in Puerto Rico, Mexico, and other Latin American nations suffer during a pandemic as infrastructure breaks down and vaccines are not provided to most working-class, native, and black communities.
Puerto Rico once occupied by Spain and subsequently the United States after 1898, now comes under Chinese influence. Vero meets with Maya leaders and learns from their ongoing fight to reclaim their land and future and reflects on the events occurring in Puerto Rico. During the story, we learn how different organizations and the different motivations of the leaders behind the various political movements.
I was impressed with the level of research by the author and the exploration of Taino and Maya texts. I noticed how native people are leading in environmental causes including renewable energy and clean technologies while the wealthy and powerful ironically cling to older and dirtier technologies in search of profit. I feel that Latin America is currently living a negative/cyberpunk reality, and it will be interesting to see how Latino sci-fi writers incorporate their reality into their writings. We may see writers create more positive futures like the sci-fi writers of the golden age.
In conclusion, I would give this story 4 stars, however, the subject matter and the incorporation of Taino and Maya elements raised the quality. These subjects are important and I fully agreed with the author's postscript. It will be interesting how things develop in the future. Gracias!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Climate change caused mainly by highly industrialized nations, is impacting the Caribbean and Latin America to a higher degree. Poorer and exploited nations also suffer greatly from natural disasters and pandemics. This is expressed in Sordidez, as Latinos in Puerto Rico, Mexico, and other Latin American nations suffer during a pandemic as infrastructure breaks down and vaccines are not provided to most working-class, native, and black communities.
Puerto Rico once occupied by Spain and subsequently the United States after 1898, now comes under Chinese influence. Vero meets with Maya leaders and learns from their ongoing fight to reclaim their land and future and reflects on the events occurring in Puerto Rico. During the story, we learn how different organizations and the different motivations of the leaders behind the various political movements.
I was impressed with the level of research by the author and the exploration of Taino and Maya texts. I noticed how native people are leading in environmental causes including renewable energy and clean technologies while the wealthy and powerful ironically cling to older and dirtier technologies in search of profit. I feel that Latin America is currently living a negative/cyberpunk reality, and it will be interesting to see how Latino sci-fi writers incorporate their reality into their writings. We may see writers create more positive futures like the sci-fi writers of the golden age.
In conclusion, I would give this story 4 stars, however, the subject matter and the incorporation of Taino and Maya elements raised the quality. These subjects are important and I fully agreed with the author's postscript. It will be interesting how things develop in the future. Gracias!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
February 10, 2024
I picked up this book because I was intrigued to see that its theme was Taínofuturism -- something I was curious to know more about. The author, Condé, is one of the creators of Taínofuturism, a subgenre of Latinx futurism, which he defines as “an emerging artistic genre that imagines a future of indigenous renewal and decolonial liberation for Borikén (Puerto Rico) and the archipelagos of the Caribbean."
I was expecting to read something unlike anything I'd read before, and that's exactly what this was. I should note that coming out of it, I'd say that what I read didn't quite match the description on the back cover, but that didn't end up bothering me in the slightest because it was stunning nonetheless.
Sordidez is beautifully written decolonial magical realistic narrative that does not hesitate to lay bare the horrific consquences of US imperialism, while simultaneously offering hope for the future. While I went in thinking I'd be experiencing this story from the point of view of one main character, Vero, it turned out that there are many characters in this book, multiple important settings, and multiple points of view. Although the story begins and ends with Vero, so in that sense he is the most "main" character, for the middle chunk of the novella, he's almost entirely absent. I did need to reread a bit as I went along to ensure I kept track of everything that was happening, but this genuinely didn't detract from my experience because Condé's writing is just so lovely.
This is not your average "here's hope in the face of colonialism" tale -- it is a story that very directly calls into question our global status quo, shows what we could possibly expect if we allow it to continue, but then also presents a complex and truly unique alternative reality.
I see myself coming back to this book again later this year for a reread (or few). It's one of those books that leaves you patently aware of just how much gravity it holds, but equally aware that you haven't comprehended it all.
I was expecting to read something unlike anything I'd read before, and that's exactly what this was. I should note that coming out of it, I'd say that what I read didn't quite match the description on the back cover, but that didn't end up bothering me in the slightest because it was stunning nonetheless.
Sordidez is beautifully written decolonial magical realistic narrative that does not hesitate to lay bare the horrific consquences of US imperialism, while simultaneously offering hope for the future. While I went in thinking I'd be experiencing this story from the point of view of one main character, Vero, it turned out that there are many characters in this book, multiple important settings, and multiple points of view. Although the story begins and ends with Vero, so in that sense he is the most "main" character, for the middle chunk of the novella, he's almost entirely absent. I did need to reread a bit as I went along to ensure I kept track of everything that was happening, but this genuinely didn't detract from my experience because Condé's writing is just so lovely.
This is not your average "here's hope in the face of colonialism" tale -- it is a story that very directly calls into question our global status quo, shows what we could possibly expect if we allow it to continue, but then also presents a complex and truly unique alternative reality.
I see myself coming back to this book again later this year for a reread (or few). It's one of those books that leaves you patently aware of just how much gravity it holds, but equally aware that you haven't comprehended it all.
August 20, 2023
"The ones who broke the world should not be entrusted with its repair."
Sordidez by E.G. Conde is a story I won't easily forget. It's unsettling because it's set in a dystopian world, but the reality is that if you're Puerto Rican or Indigenous the themes hit close to home. The world Conde created is not so far away from the truth and the story is a reminder of the harsh realities of colonialism, the dangerous impact of capitalism on climate and political movements. The story also gives a multi-layered view of what activism and resistance movements look like and how different motivations shape the methods towards reparations, independence and sovereignty.
What this story does best is imagine a world that is more inclusive, one that moves forward but always references the past in order to enact change, and sows seeds of hope that lie with the people who are willing to do the work. Conde uses language as a powerful tool to empower, not only Indigenous peoples but also anyone who has been relegated to the outskirts of society. Conde gives you Taino and Maya culture and language and connects Puerto Rico to the history of the Yucatan. He writes a world that uses sign language and normalizes deaf people and he also gives you a trans leader who is a journalist and working towards making the world more inclusive. He highlights how Indigenous people need to be at the forefront of socio-political affairs, especially when it comes to climate disaster. The ones who have been the oppressors cannot be trusted to wield their power and undo all the harm they continue to cause. Conde also shows how returning to ancestral knowledge and ways is the key to reconnecting to community and reclaiming the land.
Although this was a very short novella, the blending of genres and introduction to memorable characters make for a captivating read. Conde's narrative style of revealing things slowly keep you glued to the pages and make it hard to walk away from the story. The anticipation of how the stories of the survivors connect keep you in suspense.
Conde's revelatory and reflective prose stay with you even after the last sentence and his message of hope is a wake up call and reminder that it is ordinary people that are capable of doing extraordinary things. Staying rooted to our culture and using our ancestral gifts is the key to reinventing the world and undoing some of the damage that had been done to us. There is power in uniting with other Indigenous peoples and learning their history. It is only through this sharing of knowledge that new ideas for political uprisings can come about. If you love stories that are powerful and deep and cause you to challenge the ways that you think about the world, then this one will be a hit for you. Thank you to @stelliformpress for the gifted copy.
Sordidez by E.G. Conde is a story I won't easily forget. It's unsettling because it's set in a dystopian world, but the reality is that if you're Puerto Rican or Indigenous the themes hit close to home. The world Conde created is not so far away from the truth and the story is a reminder of the harsh realities of colonialism, the dangerous impact of capitalism on climate and political movements. The story also gives a multi-layered view of what activism and resistance movements look like and how different motivations shape the methods towards reparations, independence and sovereignty.
What this story does best is imagine a world that is more inclusive, one that moves forward but always references the past in order to enact change, and sows seeds of hope that lie with the people who are willing to do the work. Conde uses language as a powerful tool to empower, not only Indigenous peoples but also anyone who has been relegated to the outskirts of society. Conde gives you Taino and Maya culture and language and connects Puerto Rico to the history of the Yucatan. He writes a world that uses sign language and normalizes deaf people and he also gives you a trans leader who is a journalist and working towards making the world more inclusive. He highlights how Indigenous people need to be at the forefront of socio-political affairs, especially when it comes to climate disaster. The ones who have been the oppressors cannot be trusted to wield their power and undo all the harm they continue to cause. Conde also shows how returning to ancestral knowledge and ways is the key to reconnecting to community and reclaiming the land.
Although this was a very short novella, the blending of genres and introduction to memorable characters make for a captivating read. Conde's narrative style of revealing things slowly keep you glued to the pages and make it hard to walk away from the story. The anticipation of how the stories of the survivors connect keep you in suspense.
Conde's revelatory and reflective prose stay with you even after the last sentence and his message of hope is a wake up call and reminder that it is ordinary people that are capable of doing extraordinary things. Staying rooted to our culture and using our ancestral gifts is the key to reinventing the world and undoing some of the damage that had been done to us. There is power in uniting with other Indigenous peoples and learning their history. It is only through this sharing of knowledge that new ideas for political uprisings can come about. If you love stories that are powerful and deep and cause you to challenge the ways that you think about the world, then this one will be a hit for you. Thank you to @stelliformpress for the gifted copy.
June 13, 2023
This book is an intricate and unique post-apocalyptic debut by the unusual and strong voice of E.G. Condé.
To start off with my only negative point, Condé is an antropologist and because of that his writing is very dense, filled with cultural terms and spanish slang. That made the book hard to read in the beginning where term use is most dense. At some points it was so confusing that I had to do some research (aside from the glossary included) and that took me out of the story multiple times.
But after the first chapters, that problem evaporated completely.
This is a short story, but by no means a small one. I don't know how Condé does it, but this book feels like a full alternate history of the Caribbean and Yukatán where we follow the very realistic key characters that shaped it.
As the book delves into Taíno and Mayan lore, characters stand up against their opressors and transform. It is a genre bending marvel that blends scifi, mythology and history seamlesly.
It is truly a book I have never read before that deserves to get all the recognition.
I am very curious what Condé will write next, and I hope this book will take the world by storm!
Sordidez will be published the 25th of July and I recieved an arc in return for my honest opinion.
To start off with my only negative point, Condé is an antropologist and because of that his writing is very dense, filled with cultural terms and spanish slang. That made the book hard to read in the beginning where term use is most dense. At some points it was so confusing that I had to do some research (aside from the glossary included) and that took me out of the story multiple times.
But after the first chapters, that problem evaporated completely.
This is a short story, but by no means a small one. I don't know how Condé does it, but this book feels like a full alternate history of the Caribbean and Yukatán where we follow the very realistic key characters that shaped it.
As the book delves into Taíno and Mayan lore, characters stand up against their opressors and transform. It is a genre bending marvel that blends scifi, mythology and history seamlesly.
It is truly a book I have never read before that deserves to get all the recognition.
I am very curious what Condé will write next, and I hope this book will take the world by storm!
Sordidez will be published the 25th of July and I recieved an arc in return for my honest opinion.
November 19, 2023
3.5. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Haunting and lyrical. However, the description completely misled me. This reads more like a series of interconnected short stories in an anthology than a full novella. I thought we would be following Vero the whole book but that is not how it played out. However, the world building was rich and very futuristic. I think the book is a very interesting exploration of revolution, resilience, and indigeniety. I liked that this book stressed the importance of community and how it can lift you up in times of despair, how it can save you when you need saving. Despite disliking the format, I did enjoy all the characters that were introduced. They all felt fully fleshed out and like people I actually know, which is impressive for a novella. I wish I had gotten to know Vero a little more closely, but overall I did enjoy this book and felt it ended on an uplifting note. I will read more books by this author.
Haunting and lyrical. However, the description completely misled me. This reads more like a series of interconnected short stories in an anthology than a full novella. I thought we would be following Vero the whole book but that is not how it played out. However, the world building was rich and very futuristic. I think the book is a very interesting exploration of revolution, resilience, and indigeniety. I liked that this book stressed the importance of community and how it can lift you up in times of despair, how it can save you when you need saving. Despite disliking the format, I did enjoy all the characters that were introduced. They all felt fully fleshed out and like people I actually know, which is impressive for a novella. I wish I had gotten to know Vero a little more closely, but overall I did enjoy this book and felt it ended on an uplifting note. I will read more books by this author.
March 18, 2024
4.5 ⭐️
🇵🇷trans mmc. 🇵🇷🏳️🌈author.
Futuristic scifi fantasy.
Deals with colonization of various indigenous groups and how interconnected liberation is. We get to see the resilience of the Tainos & Maya people as they stand up for their people and land from the United Nations. How the indigenous people can and will be the ones to control how they are liberated and what that entails. There was a domino effect towards the end in that regard as well, we see how the Tainos are encouraged to liberate themselves by seeing another indigenous group succeed. It was an open ending though, and after discussing it with Yalque (@smutmeplease), she mentions how it might have been intentional because Puerto Ricans are still fighting for their liberation till this day. It also validly criticized how the UN is only needed because they themselves are taking part in oppressing the people they mean to “help out”. Was I confused for most of the book? 😂yes but I don’t read this genre at all 😭🫶🏼shoutout Yalque for bouncing theories back and fourth with me during our first futuristic book 💀
🇵🇷trans mmc. 🇵🇷🏳️🌈author.
Futuristic scifi fantasy.
Deals with colonization of various indigenous groups and how interconnected liberation is. We get to see the resilience of the Tainos & Maya people as they stand up for their people and land from the United Nations. How the indigenous people can and will be the ones to control how they are liberated and what that entails. There was a domino effect towards the end in that regard as well, we see how the Tainos are encouraged to liberate themselves by seeing another indigenous group succeed. It was an open ending though, and after discussing it with Yalque (@smutmeplease), she mentions how it might have been intentional because Puerto Ricans are still fighting for their liberation till this day. It also validly criticized how the UN is only needed because they themselves are taking part in oppressing the people they mean to “help out”. Was I confused for most of the book? 😂yes but I don’t read this genre at all 😭🫶🏼shoutout Yalque for bouncing theories back and fourth with me during our first futuristic book 💀
December 6, 2024
Scary to realize how easily this book could become reality.
September 22, 2025
3.8⭐️.
July 20, 2025
Gripping! A compelling read, thought-provoking. Recommended.
August 15, 2023
I was enamorada with @boricuascribe E G Conde beautiful prose.
This is E. G Conde love letter to the injustices of Colonialism and imperialism, A jaw dropping description of the Island of Puerto Rico in distress, chaos, and destruction. An addicting and haunting introduction of Taino Culture struggles and resistance.
You’re not ready for the use of Multi-Language , cry for environmental , identity and political issues in a near future in the island of Puerto Rico and La peninsula de Yucatán.
This is E. G Conde love letter to the injustices of Colonialism and imperialism, A jaw dropping description of the Island of Puerto Rico in distress, chaos, and destruction. An addicting and haunting introduction of Taino Culture struggles and resistance.
You’re not ready for the use of Multi-Language , cry for environmental , identity and political issues in a near future in the island of Puerto Rico and La peninsula de Yucatán.
September 19, 2023
This is a very powerful story. It has great representation of an trans person, that is not accept by her family but keeps fight for identity and for nation. Such an important story to read . Makes you reflect on our choices and how it has a great impact in the future. E. G. Condé' has written such a powerful story of resilience and grace. This was one of those books I couldn’t put down! Finished it in one sitting!! So much amazing representation of the trans, Hispanic, indigenous and deaf communities. This book touched on so many important topics.
July 11, 2024
4.5 that I am rounding up! The summary doesn’t really do it justice. It’s a multi-POV story that isn’t just centered around Vero and his journalism, that just makes up a portion of it. Like, disorientingly small portion of it. From there, you can manage your expectations.
Took a bit to get the flow of the timeline tbh, but after the first one and a half chapters I was able to grasp the flow of events. (Vero’s initial POV chapter went by super quickly, though. I did not know it was initially supposed to be a sort of exposition because of the summary!) Criminally underrated book IMO. No doubt unlike anything else I’ve read. While extremely short, and it felt a bit like a collection of short stories in the same vein as “In The Watchful City”, it carried a lot of weight. As a speculative fiction piece, it’s spectacular: the futuristic Puerto Rico setting is both believable and immersive, even with a couple of distinctly sci-fi elements. What makes this an especially important, topical read is how resistance to colonialism, resilience, and dealing with the aftermath of violence(genocide) is written through some beautiful character development, particularly through the POVs of Margarita and Vero. (bookishmillennial has a better way of talking about that in her review tbh.) There’s definitely a lot of food for thought in the story, with not just the inherent commentary of the plot, but also the complexity of the characters.
(And because of how connected it is to current environmental and social issues, it’s one of the only times I don’t mind an open ending!)
I have very negative feelings about what I heard of the audiobook, though, even if on a technical level it was great. First off, so much of it was different from the actual text—sentences/passages would be rearranged or even omitted, and second of all, the narration for Abuelo’s chapter was driving me up the wall. A lot of his lines were narrated identically (but frustratingly, not in a monotone way), and his flashback blips were jarring in audio form. Felt like I was suddenly listening on 2x speed. The narrator for Loba Roja was great, though! I guess this is the first time I’ve listened to an audiobook that wasn’t unabridged? If you still want to listen to the audiobook to hear bits of the Taíno language actually spoken, though, I’d recommend having a physical or digital copy of the actual text on hand. Just know you’ll be getting slightly different things out of both mediums.
Overall a banger though!! I hope more people check this out. Outside of a couple of Trans Rights Readathon posts, I never see it mentioned.
Took a bit to get the flow of the timeline tbh, but after the first one and a half chapters I was able to grasp the flow of events. (Vero’s initial POV chapter went by super quickly, though. I did not know it was initially supposed to be a sort of exposition because of the summary!) Criminally underrated book IMO. No doubt unlike anything else I’ve read. While extremely short, and it felt a bit like a collection of short stories in the same vein as “In The Watchful City”, it carried a lot of weight. As a speculative fiction piece, it’s spectacular: the futuristic Puerto Rico setting is both believable and immersive, even with a couple of distinctly sci-fi elements. What makes this an especially important, topical read is how resistance to colonialism, resilience, and dealing with the aftermath of violence(genocide) is written through some beautiful character development, particularly through the POVs of Margarita and Vero. (bookishmillennial has a better way of talking about that in her review tbh.) There’s definitely a lot of food for thought in the story, with not just the inherent commentary of the plot, but also the complexity of the characters.
(And because of how connected it is to current environmental and social issues, it’s one of the only times I don’t mind an open ending!)
I have very negative feelings about what I heard of the audiobook, though, even if on a technical level it was great. First off, so much of it was different from the actual text—sentences/passages would be rearranged or even omitted, and second of all, the narration for Abuelo’s chapter was driving me up the wall. A lot of his lines were narrated identically (but frustratingly, not in a monotone way), and his flashback blips were jarring in audio form. Felt like I was suddenly listening on 2x speed. The narrator for Loba Roja was great, though! I guess this is the first time I’ve listened to an audiobook that wasn’t unabridged? If you still want to listen to the audiobook to hear bits of the Taíno language actually spoken, though, I’d recommend having a physical or digital copy of the actual text on hand. Just know you’ll be getting slightly different things out of both mediums.
Overall a banger though!! I hope more people check this out. Outside of a couple of Trans Rights Readathon posts, I never see it mentioned.
July 30, 2023
The #sfnovellaofthemonth for July 2023 is Sordidez by E. G. Condé, forthcoming in August 2023 from Stelliform Press.
I cannot resist a book that manages the trick of being both beautiful and daring. E. G. Condé’s Taínofuturist novella Sordidez is a splendid example of what that trick can look like, and how inspiring it can be to read. At once a devastating look at the effects of climate catastrophe, colonial and civil oppression, and other disastrous influences on exploited and underserved countries and communities and a wildly inventive narrative of the endless potential of resourceful peoples who refuse to be wiped out (for more on this refusal, check out my recent interview with Condé in Interzone Digital), Sordidez is a startlingly ambitious and deceptively small book that covers so much ground it ends up feeling like something boundless and vast.
In Sordidez, E. G. Condé pulls together multiple narrative threads and perspectives to showcase such a wealth of ideas that the novella’s streamlined coherence seems improbable. It’s a testament to the author’s skill that, overall, this novella works. And not just works, but shines. If you enjoy reading beautifully written, delightfully original, and fiercely hopeful science fiction that not only holds but resolutely creates space for peoples and ideas all too often marginalized to the point of near extinction, I highly recommend giving Sordidez a go.
I cannot resist a book that manages the trick of being both beautiful and daring. E. G. Condé’s Taínofuturist novella Sordidez is a splendid example of what that trick can look like, and how inspiring it can be to read. At once a devastating look at the effects of climate catastrophe, colonial and civil oppression, and other disastrous influences on exploited and underserved countries and communities and a wildly inventive narrative of the endless potential of resourceful peoples who refuse to be wiped out (for more on this refusal, check out my recent interview with Condé in Interzone Digital), Sordidez is a startlingly ambitious and deceptively small book that covers so much ground it ends up feeling like something boundless and vast.
In Sordidez, E. G. Condé pulls together multiple narrative threads and perspectives to showcase such a wealth of ideas that the novella’s streamlined coherence seems improbable. It’s a testament to the author’s skill that, overall, this novella works. And not just works, but shines. If you enjoy reading beautifully written, delightfully original, and fiercely hopeful science fiction that not only holds but resolutely creates space for peoples and ideas all too often marginalized to the point of near extinction, I highly recommend giving Sordidez a go.
May 1, 2024
Despite the fact that I only “liked” this, I think it is a very cool book and very much recommend it. I picked it up for the #QYY prompt “an anti-colonial book.” Sordidez, however is not merely anti-colonial but explicitly, staunchly DEcolonial: in its themes, its plot, its settings, its character work.
Condé makes it clear that he believes any hope for a better future is rooted in Indigenous resurgence, knowledge, and unity. I know there’s so much detail and nuance that I didn’t pick up on, but I’m fascinated by what I did catch, most notably two particular points. First is the credit given to and focus on Doña Margarita, a caretaker who provides a home for those healing from the trauma of the Caudillo regime and who has never forgotten her Indigenous knowledge. Loba Roja may be the fierce, glorious revolutionary leader committed to ending the regime, but it is Doña Margarita who is the model for a generous, hopeful, community-based future.
Second is the emphasis on Indigenous unity by drawing on Taíno (mainly through Vero) and Maya knowledge (via Loba Rieja). Late in the book, as the plot picks up in pace, Condé weaves the two together to, first, get rid of the Big Bad and later as the path to decolonization for the Yucatán and on to Puerto Rico. I especially appreciated the references to Yoruba history and knowledge as a rejection of the anti-Black legacy of Caribbean colonization.
Sordidez is a challenging, nuanced, hopeful take on the sci-fi genre, and I hope more people pick it up!
Condé makes it clear that he believes any hope for a better future is rooted in Indigenous resurgence, knowledge, and unity. I know there’s so much detail and nuance that I didn’t pick up on, but I’m fascinated by what I did catch, most notably two particular points. First is the credit given to and focus on Doña Margarita, a caretaker who provides a home for those healing from the trauma of the Caudillo regime and who has never forgotten her Indigenous knowledge. Loba Roja may be the fierce, glorious revolutionary leader committed to ending the regime, but it is Doña Margarita who is the model for a generous, hopeful, community-based future.
Second is the emphasis on Indigenous unity by drawing on Taíno (mainly through Vero) and Maya knowledge (via Loba Rieja). Late in the book, as the plot picks up in pace, Condé weaves the two together to, first, get rid of the Big Bad and later as the path to decolonization for the Yucatán and on to Puerto Rico. I especially appreciated the references to Yoruba history and knowledge as a rejection of the anti-Black legacy of Caribbean colonization.
Sordidez is a challenging, nuanced, hopeful take on the sci-fi genre, and I hope more people pick it up!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews