The Chthonic Cycle

by Una Cruickshank

We all used to be something else, and we will all be something new again in the worlds to come.

Written in an effort to ward off existential dread, and to find new understandings and consolations for those similarly afflicted, The Chthonic Cycle is an eccentric and brilliantly curated tour through time, in which fascinating objects glint and spark and the transience of humanity flickers.

At the heart of Una Cruickshank’s debut are Earth’s interlocking cycles of death and reuse. The blood of a billion-year-old tree emerges from the sea as a drop of amber; 4,756,940 pieces of Lego float towards the Cornish Peninsula; a giant squid’s beak passes through a whale’s intestines into bottles of Chanel No. 5. The violence of colonisation underpins some of the transformations illuminated here, as we follow wave after wave of ruin and remaking.

This is a rare kind of writing, both galaxy-sweeping and microscopically specific. The Chthonic Cycle reminds us to be chastened and scared by our world – its mind-bending age, the insane complexity of its systems, the violent upheavals and mass extinctions – as well as to be awed.

Genres: Nonfiction, Essays

205 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2024

Reviews

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny story about how I ended up reading this book.

I was home sick & I sent my husband down to rent the Robbie Williams DVD 'A Better Man.' (very good, by the way) & gave him the names of two NZ poets' books & asked him to bring one of them home . They were both out on loan (there a lot of poets in my little town) so the librarian helping him, suggested this book & another NZ poet's book.

& I am very grateful, as this is a book of essays. I don't read much nonfiction, so I would probably never picked this up & had this wonderful journey through Ms Cruickshank's mind. She seems to be curious about everything & she writes so beautifully.

I had to look up chthonic.

Relating to or inhabiting the underworld.

Hmmm.

I guess some of the semi precious stone (which is mostly what Una writes about) take her on a journey to the depths of our Earth.

I'm going to go with that.

Right from the first line the writing is engaging;

Whenever I touch something very old (and I'm a person who likes to look with her hands), I imagine a kind of electric shock connecting me directly with whoever or whatever first held it, and whoever or whatever it once held.

My favorite chapters were Elektron & Waste which were about amber

and ambergris

respectively but the whole book was fascinating/ I'm going to also give a special shoutout to The Chthonic Chapter chapter which talks about Victorian mourning in general & the wearing of jet jewelry in particular.

Cruikshank's description;

jet is the chthonic cousin of amber, and an elegant sibling of coal.

I also didn't know where the Football Club Crystal Palace got its name from. There really was a Crystal Palace. It was a temporary exhibition hall

It must have been dazzling!

The Chthonic Cycle has been shortlisted for the nonfiction category of the Ockham's (NZ book award) and I think it would be a worthy winner.

Edit; this book didn't win the Best Nonfiction award at the Ockham's, but it did win the E>H. McCormick award for a first time author (also an Ockham Award)

https://wordpress.com/view/carolshess...

[Jimmylanyard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely devoured this book. The weird little things that interest Una are all so fascinating to me. What a wonderful collection of writing.

[Chrystyphyr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful look at geologic/ecological cycles in the Anthropocene! Especially liked the essays at the start of this one! Bonus points for the superiority complex I get from being the 3rd person to read this book on goodreads.

[Chanel Chapters]

“Humans are small and time is large and nature has many ways of healing its wounds”

[Laura Giddey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved these essays about all kinds of things but loosely about the life cycle of objects both material and organic. Would read anything by Una.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid set of essays from a young writer with an infectious sense of wonder. The book might have benefited from a stronger edit to improve continuity and provide a better sense of direction. At times it reads as a set of research snippets with insufficient binding to create a seamless story. The text is largely accurate and well researched, although I took exception to the way plants were slighted as not being really alive, when compared to shellfish: "But they are alive, in the way an animal is alive, rather than a plant or a virus." The claim that shellfish reproduction is not sexual is contradicted two paragraphs on. Ultimately, the author is a strong advocate for lifelong learning. "Every time I learn something new I feel like I regenerate into a new person, and all of the past changes too."

[Catarina · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful collection of essays. I was stunned by the never ending seeking and searching for meaning within these pages. If this was a perfume it would be a crazy mix; a generous whiff of MFK’s grand soir for rich amber, Diptyque’s Orpheon for its woody, champagne decadence and a mineral oceanic splash of Kyma and the joyful girly weirdness of Nuit de Bakélite. Like a rich decadent feast of earthly delights, often humbling and eye-opening, I was enthralled by the many histories and extraordinary amount of research that went into making this. And that’s talent. One of my most interesting reads this year for sure

[Sienna · Rating 2 out of 5]

When Cruickshank admitted in the introduction that “I got all the information in these essays from popular science and history books,” I knew I wasn’t the right reader for this book. She engaged with a few academic papers, got books out from her local library (hooray for libraries), and spent a bit of time online, but each of these pieces reads like a blog post, haphazardly researched, overarching aim unclear.

Historically, reliably, I hate popular science and history books. I prefer when writers dive into a topic obsessively, cite sources rigorously, visit the archives in person where possible and, above all, engage with primary sources. If this is also your experience, give the collection a miss. If, however, you want to read essays on our exploitation of the natural world that would have made for solid early-2000s blog posts, and don’t mind that they needed editorial tightening and focus before being turned into a book, carry on.

I did enjoy a few of these the way I appreciate highlights from the depths of Wikipedia — the story of mass poisoning in 1951 Pont-Saint-Esprit, France, was new to me and compellingly described, though she lends far more credence to one journalist's CIA/LSD theory than any of the evidence warrants. I particularly liked Cruickshank’s account of Jemima Wilkinson’s rebirth as the Public Universal Friend in 1776, and could have read a collection on agender and trans experiences across the centuries (because they are not new, but an enduring part of the human experience; we are always at home and not at home in ourselves).

My favorite of the essays, though, and one I heartily recommend to any reader likely to pick this book up, is “Elektron,” Cruickshank’s take on amber. Here’s a snippet that shows some of her strengths as a writer and observer of the natural world.

The word elektron is like a handshake between ancient and modern peoples, between the Mesolithic and the Anthropocene. Amber itself is a reminder from the earth that humans are small and time is large and nature has many ways of healing its wounds.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ✨️
What a great introduction to the world of essay collection books! I thoroughly enjoyed this book - albeit the small parts that went over my head and required some topic specific vocabulary understanding.
At times in these essays I couldn't help but express my awe and disbelief out loud, and share these with my partner (who now wants to read the book).
The essays were cohesive and written with enough depth, didn't feel overwhelming, and left me with so many more questions and yearning to learn more.
I love that I now know what Umwelt means. This book made me view the world around me slightly differently, and for that I am grateful to the wonderful NZ author.

[Maggie Walch · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredible, curious, well thought out GEM of a book. Hey una, you’re a genius!! Famously i avoid non fiction like it’s a disease but this had my full attention and i never thought I’d be so interested in rocks, the bottom of the ocean, or the Great Exhibition. Maybe I’m an essays girl after all

[Carol Griffiths · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book of essays mostly relating to precious materials such as amber, jet and coral. The author uses historic, scientific and literary references and explains that most of the book was written during Covid lockdown when she had plenty of opportunity to do research and get distracted!

[Jack Gormley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quirky and interesting, exploring unusual, interconnected topics in fascinating depth. Centred around the cyclical nature of the world, I expected everything to work together better … I was promised “interlocking cycles” and that I did not receive. Could’ve been more ambitious and surreal.

[Ella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved these sweeping and specific essays, I'm going to go find some rocks to hold 🪨⛰️📿

[Francis Cooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

🐚🦪⚡️

[Isla Hutching · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poetic writing and interesting facts. My favourite.

[Marshall Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic collection of essays!

Inspiring, beautiful, funny, deeply poignant. I couldn’t have enjoyed it more :-)

Will be recommending this to everybody I know!

[JessViolet · Rating 4 out of 5]

A non fic about everything and nothing and I loved it. Very interesting and I would recommend

[Book_nook_belle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. Well done, Una! Have been recommending to everyone who’ll listen. X

[E · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing facts and thoughts woven into short essays