Clade

Starred review from September 11, 2017
Moving and nuanced characterizations distinguish this subtle look at an Earth suffering the consequences of climate collapse. In the near future, the effects of global warming have become more severe: the oceans are dying from increased acidity, rising sea levels have flooded millions of square miles in the U.S. and India, and Europe and Africa suffer from intense heat. In the opening section, with planet-wide disaster looming, scientist Adam Leith gathers sediment samples in the Antarctic to better understand prior periods of warming, even as he awaits word about his partner’s possible pregnancy. Adam’s evolving relationship with Ellie, an artist, and his other family members grounds the grim story. Attempts to connect or reconnect with others remain focal points, even as succeeding chapters trace the devastation that ultimately affects the Earth’s crust. John Wyndham fans will find the presence of small, intimate moments in the midst of catastrophe familiar, and will appreciate a shout-out to his most famous creation: trees that have been genetically modified to absorb more carbon dioxide are dubbed “triffids.”

September 15, 2017
It begins and ends with the summer solstice. In the years between, Earth undergoes unimaginable changes in this chilling novel about climate change. Beginning sometime in the near future, seemingly small events cascade into ever larger and more disastrous calamities until humanity's very future seems in doubt. Bradley follows one family through the generations as they grapple with their place in the shifting world. Adam, a scientist, and his wife, Ellie, an artist, undergo taxing fertility treatments in order to have a child. As she grows, so do the consequences of the carbon-polluted environment, from rolling blackouts due to the demands put on the grid by air conditioning battling the heat, to the ever-more-silent forests as entire species die off, to a lethal plague that spreads with terrible speed. As in a time-lapse video, Bradley moves quickly through the lives of his protagonists, sketching their stories during key moments in the unfolding narrative. But the real story here is the all-too-realistic vision of an ecosystem in the throes of collapse, portrayed in stunning, sobering detail.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)

January 29, 2015
In his first novel in 10 years, James Bradley writes about the members of an extended family in a soft-dystopian near-future, where violent climate events have brought rapid changes to the way people live and connect in the world. Clade opens with Adam, a climate scientist, and Ellie, an artist, grappling with the moral and practical suitability of bringing a child into a world they know to be threatened. The structure of the book—broken into chapters that can be read almost as self-contained stories—allows for a vast scope of time, place and characters, yet still the book remains concise and resonant with emotion. Many years can pass between pages, and previously unknown characters can take over the narrative of a new chapter. Bradley’s writing bends to capture the voices of these diverse characters, and imbues the story with a sadness appropriate to the book’s focus on the earth’s changing climate. But despite carrying a political message, this book is not didactic in its tone. Clade is recommended for readers of accomplished contemporary literary fiction, but will also appeal to those interested in the climate science debate.

Brad Jefferies is news editor for Books+Publishing