Book Review: The Fish by Joanne Stubbs (Fairlight Press 2021) by Alexia Wdowski

The Fish by Joanne Stubbs (2022) Fairlight Books

The Fish by debut author Joanne Stubbs is an intriguing addition to the growing genre of Cli-Fi’ or climate fiction - novels that seek to creatively address the climate crisis.

In the novel, set in a near future, still recognisable as our world but edging further into climate catastrophe, three protagonists react to a world-changing event where, as if things weren’t crazy enough with storms, sea rises, and day-to-day living, fish literally climb out of the sea on legs and start to walk on land. This is described in a compelling way backed up by lots of enjoyably plausible pseudo-science.

We follow Margaret in KL, Cathy and Ephie in Cornwall and Kyle and Ricky in NZ as the fish swim their way into their psyches and start to affect their lives, complicating their relationships with each other and to the natural world.

The three stories provide different global perspectives to highlight differences between governments and cultures in their response to risk. This all seems eerily familiar having just lived through a global pandemic. The novel even includes the phrase ‘the new normal’ and has people responding to the fish in recognisable ways ranging from conspiracy theories, to outpourings of help, to complete denial.

It works as a psychological exploration of denial, decision-making, grief and science managed with a deceptively light touch that keeps a very human perspective on global events. It reads with a self-assurance and scope that is extra impressive for a debut novel.

For a novel with the climate crisis at its core it doesn’t ever give up hope and resists leaning into existential despair. At the heart of the book are three very warm, human stories dealing as best as they can with extraordinary times – something we can all relate to.

Author Joanne Stubbs