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The Stone Wētā
“We talk about the tyranny of distance a lot in this country.
That distance will not save us.”
With governments denying climate science, scientists from affected countries and organizations are forced to traffic data to ensure the preservation of research that could in turn preserve the world. From Antarctica, to the Chihuahuan Desert, to the International Space Station, a fragile network forms. A web of knowledge. Secret. But not secret enough.
When the cold war of data preservation turns bloody – and then explosive – an underground network of scientists, all working in isolation, must decide how much they are willing to risk for the truth. For themselves, their colleagues, and their future.
Murder on Antarctic ice. A university lecturer’s car, found abandoned on a desert road. And the first crewed mission to colonize Mars, isolated and vulnerable in the depths of space.
How far would you go to save the world?
That distance will not save us.”
With governments denying climate science, scientists from affected countries and organizations are forced to traffic data to ensure the preservation of research that could in turn preserve the world. From Antarctica, to the Chihuahuan Desert, to the International Space Station, a fragile network forms. A web of knowledge. Secret. But not secret enough.
When the cold war of data preservation turns bloody – and then explosive – an underground network of scientists, all working in isolation, must decide how much they are willing to risk for the truth. For themselves, their colleagues, and their future.
Murder on Antarctic ice. A university lecturer’s car, found abandoned on a desert road. And the first crewed mission to colonize Mars, isolated and vulnerable in the depths of space.
How far would you go to save the world?
184 pages, Paperback
First published April 20, 2020
15 people are currently reading
1404 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
July 15, 2021
LONGLISTED FOR THE NGAIO MARSH AWARD—BEST NOVEL! Annual award for best thriller by a Kiwi writer...crossing whatever still crosses for Dr. Cade to win!
FINALIST FOR THE 2021 SIR JULIUS VOGEL AWARD FOR BEST NOVEL! Those're the Kiwi Hugos, if you're wondering.
The Publisher Says: “We talk about the tyranny of distance a lot in this country. That distance will not save us.”
With governments denying climate science, scientists from affected countries and organizations are forced to traffic data to ensure the preservation of research that could in turn preserve the world. From Antarctica, to the Chihuahuan Desert, to the International Space Station, a fragile network forms. A web of knowledge. Secret. But not secret enough.
When the cold war of data preservation turns bloody – and then explosive – an underground network of scientists, all working in isolation, must decide how much they are willing to risk for the truth. For themselves, their colleagues, and their future.
Murder on Antarctic ice. A university lecturer’s car, found abandoned on a desert road. And the first crewed mission to colonize Mars, isolated and vulnerable in the depths of space.
How far would you go to save the world?
My Review: When the Revolution comes, it will be women leading it. Secular Saint Stacey Abrams will likely be honking the biggest horn and causing the biggest ruckus. But that's not because it's her M.O. It's because her cover's blown. There is no point in trying to sneak when every-damn-body knows your shoe size and when you cheat on your diet.
So here is a story I read last month about the Revolution led by women and made up of scientists who'll be damned to hell if they're going to make nice for no gain when the planet is dying:
Resistance was revolution, sometimes, blood and dramatic acts, but more often it was survival. More often it was preservation, and the data she carried with her was for preservation more than revolution.
This near-future Earth has gone well past tipping point. The vileness that is Capitalism is still spinning its lies and soothing its consumers to keep them buying while...to be honest I haven't the foggiest clue what they're thinking they can do that we can't, how they will survive the *actual* End of Days, but there it is. The lie-maker machinery behind the popular songs is still humming "Big Yellow Taxi" and cheerfully killing people who know it's all a lie and can't be arsed to do anything about it.
The women in this resistance movement are identified in a clever, amusing way; I won't say, you should find out for yourself. Actually the biggest advantage to this technique is the flexibility it gives Author Cade in prefiguring the events of the chapters and sections. What she does with it is that sly, side-eye fun-making that you and at least one of your friends have, that one whose eye you cannot afford to meet when you're together but not in a safe place to fall out laughing at embarrassing moments. The story is one that today, the sixth of January, 2021, was so perfect in subject, in tenor, and resonance, that I had to re-read it. These women, these scientists, are all in flux and transition (!) and trying to protect the only home we have from the misguided and stupid who are deliberately trying to destroy it.
The challenges of doing that by concealing accurate data, the enemy of fascists and authoritarians everywhere. Do y'all remember my review of The Badass Librarians of Timbuktu ? That culture of concealment for survival is mentioned here, alongside its increasingly popular young grandniece:
There is no hope for rebuilding from looming catastrophes—and there is a dilly of a disaster we see even before the collapse we're too soon to witness completing itself—without accurate, complete data hidden somewhere, cared for by someone with the skills to use it when it's finally safe to do so. Think of the world we might have had the religious nuts not burned the Library at Alexandria! So there's a precedent for Author Cade telling us this story, and a reason for you to spend the money to read it at this moment in US and UK history. Today's multiple klans of barbarians are doing their damnedest to finish burning the norms and conventions that have protected and enriched the greatest number of people. Author Cade tells us, and the evidence right now points to her prescience, that they won't stop even at murder to finish the destruction of whatever institutions, whatever systems and learning and techniques, prevent them from staying in complete control.
We've fought wars ostensibly to prevent that from happening, against an enemy whose words and iconography we saw used in the Capitol of the United States of America. One woman, identity as yet not revealed, has died from a gunshot wound received during the violence. It is eerie, then, to realize this is not so shockingly unthinkable. Author Cade thought it. She framed it, though, differently from the US news media, as what it is:
FINALIST FOR THE 2021 SIR JULIUS VOGEL AWARD FOR BEST NOVEL! Those're the Kiwi Hugos, if you're wondering.
The Publisher Says: “We talk about the tyranny of distance a lot in this country. That distance will not save us.”
With governments denying climate science, scientists from affected countries and organizations are forced to traffic data to ensure the preservation of research that could in turn preserve the world. From Antarctica, to the Chihuahuan Desert, to the International Space Station, a fragile network forms. A web of knowledge. Secret. But not secret enough.
When the cold war of data preservation turns bloody – and then explosive – an underground network of scientists, all working in isolation, must decide how much they are willing to risk for the truth. For themselves, their colleagues, and their future.
Murder on Antarctic ice. A university lecturer’s car, found abandoned on a desert road. And the first crewed mission to colonize Mars, isolated and vulnerable in the depths of space.
How far would you go to save the world?
My Review: When the Revolution comes, it will be women leading it. Secular Saint Stacey Abrams will likely be honking the biggest horn and causing the biggest ruckus. But that's not because it's her M.O. It's because her cover's blown. There is no point in trying to sneak when every-damn-body knows your shoe size and when you cheat on your diet.
So here is a story I read last month about the Revolution led by women and made up of scientists who'll be damned to hell if they're going to make nice for no gain when the planet is dying:
Resistance was revolution, sometimes, blood and dramatic acts, but more often it was survival. More often it was preservation, and the data she carried with her was for preservation more than revolution.
This near-future Earth has gone well past tipping point. The vileness that is Capitalism is still spinning its lies and soothing its consumers to keep them buying while...to be honest I haven't the foggiest clue what they're thinking they can do that we can't, how they will survive the *actual* End of Days, but there it is. The lie-maker machinery behind the popular songs is still humming "Big Yellow Taxi" and cheerfully killing people who know it's all a lie and can't be arsed to do anything about it.
It was hard to be an astronaut and not be an environmentalist.
–and–
She’d seen the photos—Earthrise and The Blue Marble—known the watershed impact they’d had on the conservation movement.
The women in this resistance movement are identified in a clever, amusing way; I won't say, you should find out for yourself. Actually the biggest advantage to this technique is the flexibility it gives Author Cade in prefiguring the events of the chapters and sections. What she does with it is that sly, side-eye fun-making that you and at least one of your friends have, that one whose eye you cannot afford to meet when you're together but not in a safe place to fall out laughing at embarrassing moments. The story is one that today, the sixth of January, 2021, was so perfect in subject, in tenor, and resonance, that I had to re-read it. These women, these scientists, are all in flux and transition (!) and trying to protect the only home we have from the misguided and stupid who are deliberately trying to destroy it.
The challenges of doing that by concealing accurate data, the enemy of fascists and authoritarians everywhere. Do y'all remember my review of The Badass Librarians of Timbuktu ? That culture of concealment for survival is mentioned here, alongside its increasingly popular young grandniece:
All those manuscripts, and Timbuktu a place of historic learning, of literacy and knowledge passing on. What it passed on now could be the lessons and skills of resistance, the ways of smuggling out and networking.
–and–
There was a tendency with so much digital to make all copies electronic, and rely on the internet for keeping multiple copies visible and tamper-proof. But any system could be hacked, any data deleted. The information she intended to facilitate had to be kept discretely, separate from any possible influence.
There is no hope for rebuilding from looming catastrophes—and there is a dilly of a disaster we see even before the collapse we're too soon to witness completing itself—without accurate, complete data hidden somewhere, cared for by someone with the skills to use it when it's finally safe to do so. Think of the world we might have had the religious nuts not burned the Library at Alexandria! So there's a precedent for Author Cade telling us this story, and a reason for you to spend the money to read it at this moment in US and UK history. Today's multiple klans of barbarians are doing their damnedest to finish burning the norms and conventions that have protected and enriched the greatest number of people. Author Cade tells us, and the evidence right now points to her prescience, that they won't stop even at murder to finish the destruction of whatever institutions, whatever systems and learning and techniques, prevent them from staying in complete control.
We've fought wars ostensibly to prevent that from happening, against an enemy whose words and iconography we saw used in the Capitol of the United States of America. One woman, identity as yet not revealed, has died from a gunshot wound received during the violence. It is eerie, then, to realize this is not so shockingly unthinkable. Author Cade thought it. She framed it, though, differently from the US news media, as what it is:
One person was such a small-scale loss, comparatively. (One person was enormous.)
September 4, 2020
Perfect!
I adored this novella which is less a conventional story, but is more a mosaic of connected snapshots of POVs of scientists who only ever are know by their codenames. The codenames are derived from various species that are adapted to specific biotopes and ways of living. At the beginning of the POV chapters biological information about the respective species is given and in reading the following chapter it is made clear how fitting the particular names are for the characters and their ways of dealing with a world where climatic data are edited to not harm the industries.
The structure is so cleverly done! I loved every second of this work about the brave souls who operate in secretive isolation.
I have to check out more by Octavia Cade.
I adored this novella which is less a conventional story, but is more a mosaic of connected snapshots of POVs of scientists who only ever are know by their codenames. The codenames are derived from various species that are adapted to specific biotopes and ways of living. At the beginning of the POV chapters biological information about the respective species is given and in reading the following chapter it is made clear how fitting the particular names are for the characters and their ways of dealing with a world where climatic data are edited to not harm the industries.
The structure is so cleverly done! I loved every second of this work about the brave souls who operate in secretive isolation.
I have to check out more by Octavia Cade.
June 10, 2021
Cade is a New Zealand writer with a PhD in science communication. She has apparently written many short stories. In fact, the first 10% if this was published previously as a short story, and later expanded to a novella.
There is a lot to like here: women scientists form a resistance against the forces down playing climate data, an introduction to some of the Earth's most adaptable lifeforms, multiple connected pov's, tons of honest self reflection and a literary style. But ultimately, I agree with my fellow buddy readers, that it was too repetitive at times, which feels more glaring in such a short work. But I loved the overall message and will definitely seek out more of Cade's work.
★★★★ 4 'I really liked it" stars for the original story which you can read/listen to for free at Clarkesworld Magazine
★★★ 3.5 'I liked this' stars for the important climate crisis message the novella conveys
There is a lot to like here: women scientists form a resistance against the forces down playing climate data, an introduction to some of the Earth's most adaptable lifeforms, multiple connected pov's, tons of honest self reflection and a literary style. But ultimately, I agree with my fellow buddy readers, that it was too repetitive at times, which feels more glaring in such a short work. But I loved the overall message and will definitely seek out more of Cade's work.
★★★★ 4 'I really liked it" stars for the original story which you can read/listen to for free at Clarkesworld Magazine
★★★ 3.5 'I liked this' stars for the important climate crisis message the novella conveys
December 31, 2020
4.5 stars. I read two stories from Octavia Cade before ('We Feed the Bears of Fire and Ice' and 'Gone to Earth') and ended up nominating one for the Hugos so I was stoked when I found out she wrote a novella based from a short story with the same title (http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/cade_...) AND another cli-fi one, nonetheless. The Stone Weta was in my TBR since the last WorldCon (she is a Kiwi author) and I have been trying to nominate it for book of the month in various group polls but always failed. I decided to read it by myself and as expected I loved it so much.
Women in STEM is always a fave subject of mine and here we have a diverse cast of them from various nationalities. Each women had their distinct personalities, reflected by their choice of code names, usually an organism with unique survival capabilities. The Stone Weta is just one of many.
The book is rather contemplative for a thriller. I found myself stopping a few times since the ordeals faced by these climate scientists were that endearing. Different background, network, support system, but facing the same opponent. From the tree tops and deserts to a spaceship to Mars, this is a story of a resistance. If you want a nice cli-fi and not that into Kim Stanley Robinson, then you might want to try this one.
Women in STEM is always a fave subject of mine and here we have a diverse cast of them from various nationalities. Each women had their distinct personalities, reflected by their choice of code names, usually an organism with unique survival capabilities. The Stone Weta is just one of many.
The book is rather contemplative for a thriller. I found myself stopping a few times since the ordeals faced by these climate scientists were that endearing. Different background, network, support system, but facing the same opponent. From the tree tops and deserts to a spaceship to Mars, this is a story of a resistance. If you want a nice cli-fi and not that into Kim Stanley Robinson, then you might want to try this one.
March 31, 2021
4.5 stars. This is a short futuristic science fiction novel about an underground network of ecological and climate scientists who are smuggling and caching climate data to preserve it from political and economic forces that want to purge or suppress that knowledge - sometimes violently. The story shifts perspectives between the code named scientists and is interspersed with factual sections about the flora or fauna that the women have taken their code names from.
I adored this short novel, and more of my thoughts on it can be found in my video review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gH_CH...
I adored this short novel, and more of my thoughts on it can be found in my video review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gH_CH...
May 16, 2021
This is a cli-fi novella based on the short story by the same author, which can be found HERE. I read is as a part of monthly reading for May 2021 at SFF Hot from Printers: New Releases group.
This is a collection of short pieces (cannot say stories, for they are more glimpses than tales) about a group of women scientists, who gather and hide data regarding environmental degradation from some enemy (supposedly multinational corps), who doesn’t want them public. Each scientist gets her chapter. We don’t know their names, only nom-de-guerre they choose – usually from some animal or insect or plant, all of which live in an inhospitable terrain. For example, The Stone Wētā, for which the book is titled is Hemideina maori or the mountain stone wētā, a large, flightless, nocturnal orthopteran endemic to New Zealand. As a note at the start of the story states: When the world freezes about it, becomes a stretch of snow and ice and darkness, the stone weta freezes solid in its bolthole. Eighty-two percent of the water in its body turns to ice; the weta is climate in a single body, it is a continent broken off and geology made flesh.
Each text starts with a quote about a plant/animal, chosen as nom-de-guerre, then there is some glimpse of how she lives/works, intertwined with a few more excerpts about that being and a reader sees how a person is linked to her nickname. This is done extremely well, at least for people who enjoy documentaries about nature. For this the book worth the praise!
What I haven’t liked was the plot and ideas behind it. Scientists hiding data so the data aren’t destroyed by corporations (which also kill scientists) actually do a corps’ job for them – don’t make data public. It is done arguably to protect people, who gathered data, but if corps kill even on suspicion alone, one should either wait till natural death comes or agree to sacrifice few to save many (I highly doubt that data remain relevant as years go by). I’d assumed an analog to Wikileaks, or found a person, who is suffering from a terminal disease to announce data through them if anonymity is paramount.
Also the choice of ‘only women’ team is based on "No matter the country, no matter its professed stance, women tended to be overlooked more than men. Part of the background, all the grains of sand in a desert." While I agree that what is stated is true, the next step – grouping up environmental scientists for me breaks the point. I mean, yes, on average women run 100m slower than men, but if you take women Olympic runners, they will (in 99% cases) overrun any average person disregarding their gender. Same руку – if I am an evil corp, which murders people to keep secrets, I’ll have environmental scientists under close observation disregarding their gender.
This is a collection of short pieces (cannot say stories, for they are more glimpses than tales) about a group of women scientists, who gather and hide data regarding environmental degradation from some enemy (supposedly multinational corps), who doesn’t want them public. Each scientist gets her chapter. We don’t know their names, only nom-de-guerre they choose – usually from some animal or insect or plant, all of which live in an inhospitable terrain. For example, The Stone Wētā, for which the book is titled is Hemideina maori or the mountain stone wētā, a large, flightless, nocturnal orthopteran endemic to New Zealand. As a note at the start of the story states: When the world freezes about it, becomes a stretch of snow and ice and darkness, the stone weta freezes solid in its bolthole. Eighty-two percent of the water in its body turns to ice; the weta is climate in a single body, it is a continent broken off and geology made flesh.
Each text starts with a quote about a plant/animal, chosen as nom-de-guerre, then there is some glimpse of how she lives/works, intertwined with a few more excerpts about that being and a reader sees how a person is linked to her nickname. This is done extremely well, at least for people who enjoy documentaries about nature. For this the book worth the praise!
What I haven’t liked was the plot and ideas behind it. Scientists hiding data so the data aren’t destroyed by corporations (which also kill scientists) actually do a corps’ job for them – don’t make data public. It is done arguably to protect people, who gathered data, but if corps kill even on suspicion alone, one should either wait till natural death comes or agree to sacrifice few to save many (I highly doubt that data remain relevant as years go by). I’d assumed an analog to Wikileaks, or found a person, who is suffering from a terminal disease to announce data through them if anonymity is paramount.
Also the choice of ‘only women’ team is based on "No matter the country, no matter its professed stance, women tended to be overlooked more than men. Part of the background, all the grains of sand in a desert." While I agree that what is stated is true, the next step – grouping up environmental scientists for me breaks the point. I mean, yes, on average women run 100m slower than men, but if you take women Olympic runners, they will (in 99% cases) overrun any average person disregarding their gender. Same руку – if I am an evil corp, which murders people to keep secrets, I’ll have environmental scientists under close observation disregarding their gender.
March 8, 2020
The Stone Wētā is a sharp and bold book about climate change and the vital importance of science to understand climate change and, maybe, reduce its impact. It’s also a book about the importance of cooperation. In the story, Cade shows us teams and groups of scientists working together to gather data and hone their ideas. In a broader social context, teamwork and cooperation are also shown to be vitally important in order to mount a successful resistance to counteract the oppression by corporations and governments.
The Stone Wētā feels like an important and urgent read in today’s world. It is also a compelling and intricately crafted piece of science fiction. It’s a dark vision of the future, but Cade’s story also offers hope and inspiration, and that is sorely needed these days.
My full review: https://mariahaskins.com/2020/03/06/b...
The Stone Wētā feels like an important and urgent read in today’s world. It is also a compelling and intricately crafted piece of science fiction. It’s a dark vision of the future, but Cade’s story also offers hope and inspiration, and that is sorely needed these days.
My full review: https://mariahaskins.com/2020/03/06/b...
April 20, 2021
Hurrah! Finally!
I know about five people who've read this and they all rave about it. I was completely with them for the first half of the book or so. Then the book got very repetitive and boring. I considered dnfing. There is no plot. So once you get over the initial wow factor there is nothing left to keep reading for. I think this would have worked better as a shorter work. I also feel like maybe I would have enjoyed this more as an audiobook. If a beautiful voice was reading this to me I think it would have been a really relaxing, lovely experience. But eye reading was very boring after a while.
Prose *****
Concept*****
Message*****
Artfulness*****
Plot*
Length*
Sexual violence? No. Other content warnings? Violence, murder/assassination.
I know about five people who've read this and they all rave about it. I was completely with them for the first half of the book or so. Then the book got very repetitive and boring. I considered dnfing. There is no plot. So once you get over the initial wow factor there is nothing left to keep reading for. I think this would have worked better as a shorter work. I also feel like maybe I would have enjoyed this more as an audiobook. If a beautiful voice was reading this to me I think it would have been a really relaxing, lovely experience. But eye reading was very boring after a while.
Prose *****
Concept*****
Message*****
Artfulness*****
Plot*
Length*
Sexual violence? No. Other content warnings? Violence, murder/assassination.
May 6, 2021
Interesting and compelling read - even more so shortly after The Ministry for the Future.
I find both takes on the climate war to come very believable
I find both takes on the climate war to come very believable
May 11, 2021
I found myself skipping paragraphs pretty early in. This book is not so much a novel as it is a bunch of people's innermost thoughts about science and climate. I found it confusing, boring and depressing.
I can see from the reviews that most people love it, but I read for entertainment. So if you are like me, and you read to enjoy yourself and unwind from the stresses of daily living, this is NOT the book for you, either.
I can see from the reviews that most people love it, but I read for entertainment. So if you are like me, and you read to enjoy yourself and unwind from the stresses of daily living, this is NOT the book for you, either.
May 30, 2021
4 1/2 stars, rounded up of course!
An incredible story, and having survived the era of Trumpian climate denial and fabrication, not so far fetched.
An international group of female scientists, known to each other only by their operative code names, copy and hide climate science data from nefarious business moguls, motivated by greed and profit rather than the survival of ecosystems. The story is told in an interesting and alternating lens perspective of various scientists, each one cut off from the others by fear of exposure, arrest, and possible disappearance. Their stories begin with an excerpt of adaptive characteristics of the plant or animal species that they're known for - the stone wētā, the bristlecone pine, the Japanese star fish.
This is an excellent story. I only wish it were longer.
An incredible story, and having survived the era of Trumpian climate denial and fabrication, not so far fetched.
An international group of female scientists, known to each other only by their operative code names, copy and hide climate science data from nefarious business moguls, motivated by greed and profit rather than the survival of ecosystems. The story is told in an interesting and alternating lens perspective of various scientists, each one cut off from the others by fear of exposure, arrest, and possible disappearance. Their stories begin with an excerpt of adaptive characteristics of the plant or animal species that they're known for - the stone wētā, the bristlecone pine, the Japanese star fish.
This is an excellent story. I only wish it were longer.
May 21, 2021
The Stone Wētā is a story about resistance. In the near future, climate research has been targeted by powerful corporations and/or governments who want to deny the reality of capitalist-driven climate change. Hunted and operating in secret, a network of scientists work to disseminate and preserve research data that is at risk.
I wanted to give this book a higher rating. There is a lot about it that's impressive. The atmosphere of paranoia that Cade cultivates powerfully articulates what it means, emotionally and psychologically to be part of an underground insurgency that could get you killed. The prose is fantastic in places. The exploration of the ethics of science and the speculative extrapolation on already-existing forms of censorship and academic repression are a welcome addition to the climate fiction subgenre of SF.
On the other hand, the plot moves slower than the rate of our melting glaciers. The initial worldbuilding never develops past its initial premise, which left me frustrated through to the end. Each chapter covers a different character largely articulating similar experiences of paranoia at feeling watched, and determination to continue the work. As a result, there's too much repetition in tone throughout, not enough variation in energy and pace to carry the narrative. The novel was expanded from a previous short story which makes up the first chapter here, and it's clear that was an excellent story on its own. Expansions like this don't always fully work, and that seems to have been the case here.
Cade's bio in the book says she has a PhD in science communication, and that passion really shows in this book. I loved that aspect. It very much had a Kim Stanley Robinson, scientist-as-hero vibe.
I wanted to give this book a higher rating. There is a lot about it that's impressive. The atmosphere of paranoia that Cade cultivates powerfully articulates what it means, emotionally and psychologically to be part of an underground insurgency that could get you killed. The prose is fantastic in places. The exploration of the ethics of science and the speculative extrapolation on already-existing forms of censorship and academic repression are a welcome addition to the climate fiction subgenre of SF.
On the other hand, the plot moves slower than the rate of our melting glaciers. The initial worldbuilding never develops past its initial premise, which left me frustrated through to the end. Each chapter covers a different character largely articulating similar experiences of paranoia at feeling watched, and determination to continue the work. As a result, there's too much repetition in tone throughout, not enough variation in energy and pace to carry the narrative. The novel was expanded from a previous short story which makes up the first chapter here, and it's clear that was an excellent story on its own. Expansions like this don't always fully work, and that seems to have been the case here.
Cade's bio in the book says she has a PhD in science communication, and that passion really shows in this book. I loved that aspect. It very much had a Kim Stanley Robinson, scientist-as-hero vibe.
August 10, 2021
What a neat little novella. I am so into this unqiue intersection of climate scifi and nature writing! This book contains a series of brief viewpoint chapters from different women who are a part of an international climate data smuggling ring. I'd definitely recommend this for fans of literary fiction who are looking to pick up some scifi!
February 22, 2021
This is exactly what I am looking for in Sci-Fi! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and have an entire video review dedicated to it. It's got hard science, a passion for ethics and the environment, a focus on marginalized communities and women, and just really neat nature writing - all in addition to a really neat espionage thriller premise! I'd definitely recommend this and hope so many more people give it a try.
April 7, 2020
If you've read Octavia Cade before, you know the exact deliciousness that awaits. But if this is your first venture into a book by Cade, I envy all the things you are about to discover for the first time. Cade is a singular treat.
December 19, 2020
Just couldn't get into this book - had a super difficult time telling who the characters were, what the plot was - heck I don't even know what the setting was! (Maybe space, maybe earth, maybe microscope ecosystems??)
February 21, 2025
I really enjoyed this. I am a science AND English teacher so this was right up my alley. I loved the little nature biographies revealing the nature of the POV. The drama and tension was convincing.
This was scary because of how real it is. The bravery and anger of these characters is both inspiring and daunting - I hope it never need come to this.
This was scary because of how real it is. The bravery and anger of these characters is both inspiring and daunting - I hope it never need come to this.
August 24, 2021
Simultaneously interesting and boring, and that’s kinda interesting in and of itself. Cool concept, though.
May 30, 2021
Spoiler Alert!
I am sorry. I feel guilty for giving the book 2 star. I had high hope for The Stone Wētā. Ecology, climate change and feminism are among my favorite topics in books. I do like the snippets of animals and plants, and the link between these animals/plants and the characters symbolized by them. I also like the fact that the book features women from Sub-Saharan Africa and Pacific Islands, as these two areas are among the places that will take the hardest hit by the climate change.
I am sorry. I feel guilty for giving the book 2 star. I had high hope for The Stone Wētā. Ecology, climate change and feminism are among my favorite topics in books. I do like the snippets of animals and plants, and the link between these animals/plants and the characters symbolized by them. I also like the fact that the book features women from Sub-Saharan Africa and Pacific Islands, as these two areas are among the places that will take the hardest hit by the climate change.
May 14, 2020
Built on the bones of an earlier short story, each chapter is from a different perspective, and shows a different part of the argument. But it feels a little episodic as a result. Its based on real-world events - the US and Australian governments are already censoring climate data, trying to silence the voices who point out their continuing insanity and the destructiveness of their actions - amped up into a war of spies. The world-building is pretty thin, but then, its not really about that - its an argument about science and ethics, and what scientific honesty demands, wrapped up as a story.
November 24, 2021
Started reading this novella (133 pages or thereabouts) and really did, for the shortest time, wonder what on earth I'd started. THE STONE WĒTĀ isn't your normal enviro-thriller, oh boy is it not your normal enviro-thriller.
"With governments denying climate science, scientists from affected countries and organisations are forced to traffic data to ensure the preservation of research that could in turn preserve the world". From Antartica to the Chihuahuan Desert, to the International Space Station, a fragile network forms. A web of knowledge. Secret. But not secret enough."
A web made up of female scientists, all operating under a series of (once you work it out) clever pseudonyms, cooperating to try to save the data that is so vital to understanding the range and impacts of the climate crisis. An author with a PhD in Science Communication, Cade has developed a short, sharp, impactful thriller that maybe a few years ago would have been veering towards science fiction, but is definitely in urgent and immediate threat dystopian territory now.
The initial "what the" moment for this reader was all to do with direction, and understanding the premise - who these people are / why the pseudonyms / what's the mission here? Despite patches of circularity of storyline (after all, all the women here are involved in the same attempt), there was something utterly compelling about this story that just kept me reading. (And awake well into subsequent nights thinking about some of the points being made).
Balancing a careful line somewhere between a dark, bleak future, and hope and inspiration, this reader found THE STONE WĒTĀ utterly compelling.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...
"With governments denying climate science, scientists from affected countries and organisations are forced to traffic data to ensure the preservation of research that could in turn preserve the world". From Antartica to the Chihuahuan Desert, to the International Space Station, a fragile network forms. A web of knowledge. Secret. But not secret enough."
A web made up of female scientists, all operating under a series of (once you work it out) clever pseudonyms, cooperating to try to save the data that is so vital to understanding the range and impacts of the climate crisis. An author with a PhD in Science Communication, Cade has developed a short, sharp, impactful thriller that maybe a few years ago would have been veering towards science fiction, but is definitely in urgent and immediate threat dystopian territory now.
The initial "what the" moment for this reader was all to do with direction, and understanding the premise - who these people are / why the pseudonyms / what's the mission here? Despite patches of circularity of storyline (after all, all the women here are involved in the same attempt), there was something utterly compelling about this story that just kept me reading. (And awake well into subsequent nights thinking about some of the points being made).
Balancing a careful line somewhere between a dark, bleak future, and hope and inspiration, this reader found THE STONE WĒTĀ utterly compelling.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...
January 8, 2025
What an interesting book! A network of female research scientists spread out all over the world are responsible for caching climate data that otherwise would be manipulated to suit governments and corporations. Each scientist has a code name in the form of a different living entity, eg Bristlecone Pine, Fish Scale Gecko, Japanese Sea Star, and each lives in fear of their lives, carefully collating, passing, receiving and hiding climate change data. More than one person will be murdered during the course of the book. Very different and not a long read.
August 13, 2021
Topical story about climate change and the lengths some scientists feel they are driven to in order to protect important data that will decide the fate of the planet.
Characters are only known by their code name, and I did like the link between the animal/insect and its characteristics and its human scientist.
Characters are only known by their code name, and I did like the link between the animal/insect and its characteristics and its human scientist.
June 7, 2021
It was hard to figure out how to rate this one. It's well written, but not my cup of tea.
Pros:
-the premise of this book is awesome. Undercover climate scientists with species-related codenames that reflect their personalities? Heck yeah.
-the biological facts are super solid and interspersed at fitting intervals. It shines through that the author is a PhD; I can feel her passion for the biology.
Cons:
-the plot does not lead this book - it feels more like an afterthought. The narrative style feels like an introduction chapter for each character full of exposition, and then it's suddenly over. I found the premise fascinating and wanted more plot.
-I learned something about myself: I don't connect with characters that have biological code names instead of names. I found myself connecting more to the side characters with real names. Who knew?
-while the voices of the many characters are reasonably varied, most of them have the same thought patterns (fear of getting caught etc), so the book feels repetitive.
Overall, I really wanted to enjoy this more than I did.
Pros:
-the premise of this book is awesome. Undercover climate scientists with species-related codenames that reflect their personalities? Heck yeah.
-the biological facts are super solid and interspersed at fitting intervals. It shines through that the author is a PhD; I can feel her passion for the biology.
Cons:
-the plot does not lead this book - it feels more like an afterthought. The narrative style feels like an introduction chapter for each character full of exposition, and then it's suddenly over. I found the premise fascinating and wanted more plot.
-I learned something about myself: I don't connect with characters that have biological code names instead of names. I found myself connecting more to the side characters with real names. Who knew?
-while the voices of the many characters are reasonably varied, most of them have the same thought patterns (fear of getting caught etc), so the book feels repetitive.
Overall, I really wanted to enjoy this more than I did.
July 25, 2021
I can't quite put my finger on why I didn't love it, but this was more of a 3.5 star read for me despite the modest length and the panache of the prose.
I did quite like the premise. Nowadays, there are a fair number of climate change apocalypse books with big action set pieces and a growing number of intimate character studies involving the climate crisis. However, this book isn't really either. It's an interesting reflection on science as truth and as a form of rebellion, told through the eyes of female scientists who reflect their homelands and the creatures they take their codenames after. Building a book out of a 'keepers of knowledge' angle, rather than that being a supporting storyline, felt fresh.
I did quite like the premise. Nowadays, there are a fair number of climate change apocalypse books with big action set pieces and a growing number of intimate character studies involving the climate crisis. However, this book isn't really either. It's an interesting reflection on science as truth and as a form of rebellion, told through the eyes of female scientists who reflect their homelands and the creatures they take their codenames after. Building a book out of a 'keepers of knowledge' angle, rather than that being a supporting storyline, felt fresh.
March 18, 2021
This is such a beautiful, clever book. Such an intricate story, painted more with what isn't rather than is said. Almost none of the characters are referred to by name; certainly none of the viewpoint characters are. All are characterised by an organism relevant to their research and/or their location, and parallels are drawn between their behaviour and the organism.
I love that both climate research and biological research get mentioned here.
Cade has also managed to weave in some pointed commentary about misogyny and racism, and who gets missed in the intersection between the two.
I love that both climate research and biological research get mentioned here.
Cade has also managed to weave in some pointed commentary about misogyny and racism, and who gets missed in the intersection between the two.
March 5, 2021
Loved the concept and structure - the sections providing information about the animals and plants that are the pseudonyms chosen by the scientists was a really interesting way to get to know the characters and how they might act/react in their individual environments and situations. Apart from that, the idea of a scientist's resistance to money over ecology, and the importance of free and open information in that fight, is so incredibly important right now. This was a great read.
February 20, 2023
An excellent novel where a group of key animals and plants are teamed up to survive the rigors of space travel, to establish a colony on Mars.
The author has manifested delightful and colourful characters from the group of flaura and fauna, making a compelling story of competing interests and survival in the harshest climates of all.
The author has manifested delightful and colourful characters from the group of flaura and fauna, making a compelling story of competing interests and survival in the harshest climates of all.
March 11, 2021
A wholly original book. I don't think I've ever read anything like this before. I loved the structure of the book, the different POVs, and the beautifully lyrical writing along with the abundance of complex characters. I look forward to reading more from Octavia Cade.
June 10, 2021
The women in this book are incredibly strong and I loved how the author explored the personality of each woman connecting it to their code name of an animal. Most interesting book I've read in a while!
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