Cascadia: A Novel

by Colin Meloy

From the bestselling middle grade author of the Wildwood Chronicles and the front man of the indie rock band, the Decemberists, an adult debut novel about whether a man can survive the end of the world with his soul intact—perfect for fans of Station Eleven and Public Access Afterworld.

Welcome to Cascadia!

In a near-future Pacific Northwest devastated by climate catastrophe, separatists have carved out a new nation. Run by an autonomous system of government overseen by an all-seeing AI called Matriarch, the country has become a hypercapitalist state—its cities and landmarks sold off and renamed for commercial brands, its citizens' worth measured by purchasing power and tracked through their Consumer Standing. Overzealous fandoms have organized into armed militias. To the east looms the neighboring Incorporated States of America, led by an autocratic "boy executive."

And Barnaby Chambers, everyday guy and resident bio-broker, is just trying to get by.

Barnaby buys and sells cauls. In this brave new world, these pieces of cast-off amnion are widely believed to increase fertility and can fetch decent money on the open market, if you have the right connections. So far, Barnaby has survived by keeping his head down and his hands clean—until one day following a lead, he suddenly finds himself responsible for a foundling baby named Vernonia.

In another time and place, Emil Franke, one of the world’s leading software developers, is driven by a dream of digital governance. He takes under his wing a young genius, Gershwin Datta, but the two eventually find themselves at opposite ends of a technological race to save the world from itself. How Emil and Gershwin’s rivalry manifests and collides into Barnaby’s journey is the magic of Cascadia, the highly original, human, and thought-provoking adult debut novel by celebrated writer and musician, Colin Meloy.

Audible Audio

Expected publication May 11, 2027

About the author

Colin Patrick Henry Meloy is the lead singer and songwriter for the Portland, Oregon folk-rock band The Decemberists. In addition to his vocal duties, he plays acoustic guitar, 12-string acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bouzouki, and percussion. As of 2005, Meloy has written a 100-page book on The Replacements' fourth album, "Let It Be," released as part of the 33⅓ series.

Meloy was born in Helena, Montana. His sister is Maile Meloy, an author often published in The New Yorker. He first attended the University of Oregon before transferring to the University of Montana, where he majored in creative writing. He then moved to Portland, where he met future bandmates Jenny Conlee and Nate Query. Prior to being in The Decemberists, Meloy was the lead singer and songwriter of Happy Cactus and Tarkio, both indie/folk bands from Montana.

In early 2005, he embarked on his first solo tour in support of the self-released six-song EP, "Colin Meloy Sings Morrissey," which consists of six Morrissey covers. Only 1,000 copies of the album were made, and they were sold only on that tour. Meloy did a second solo tour in January 2006, playing with Laura Veirs and Amy Annelle. On this tour, he sold an EP featuring covers of British folk artist Shirley Collins. Shows from the 2006 tour were recorded for a live release. Meloy also appeared with Charlie Salas-Humara in the music video for "Pillar of Salt" by The Thermals.

On February 24, 2006, Carson Ellis, Meloy's longtime girlfriend and graphic artist for the Decemberists, gave birth to their son, Henry "Hank" Meloy.