Blackfish City

A Novel

by Sam J. Miller

eBook, 331 pages

Published April 16, 2018 by Ecco.

ISBN:: 978-0-06-268484-4

(6 reviews)

After the climate wars, a floating city is constructed in the Arctic Circle, a remarkable feat of mechanical and social engineering, complete with geothermal heating and sustainable energy. The city’s denizens have become accustomed to a roughshod new way of living; however, the city is starting to fray along the edges—crime and corruption have set in, the contradictions of incredible wealth alongside direst poverty are spawning unrest, and a new disease called “the breaks” is ravaging the population.

When a strange new visitor arrives—a woman riding an orca, with a polar bear at her side—the city is entranced. The “orcamancer,” as she’s known, very subtly brings together four people—each living on the periphery—to stage unprecedented acts of resistance. By banding together to save their city before it crumbles under the weight of its own decay, they will learn shocking truths about themselves.

Blackfish City is a remarkably urgent—and ultimately very …

Blackfish City is a remarkably urgent—and ultimately very hopeful—novel about political corruption, organized crime, technology run amok, the consequences of climate change, gender identity, and the unifying power of human connection.

1 edition

Matt K reviewed Blackfish City by Sam J. Miller

urban ecopocalypse seasteading heist

No rating

*original review with images here

Just finished Sam Miller’s beautiful book in the wee dark hours and it is a GEM. Qaanaaq is a place – I can see it and feel it’s culture, smell the noodles and the brine, feel the bitter cold. It’s like a long Geoff Manaugh article come to life. The nano-bonded orca-amazon that opens the book is one of the least weird things in it.

This book is start to finish what Robin Sloan calls gold coins, fascinating little surprises. Beyond the end actually – in the acknowledgments I discovered Bradley Silver’s modern tattoo work at white rabbit studio.

I enjoyed this as much as The Fifth Season, which is to say: immensely. Ended up checking it out twice from the NYPL on my Kobo just to savor through it.

Rev. Dr. Sir Wayne Murillo III reviewed Blackfish City by Sam J. Miller

Review of 'Blackfish City: A Novel' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

1/Sam J Miller's (@sentencebender) #BlackFishCity explores a city built in a post-climate apocalypse artic on oil platforms. This delightful futurist romp combines plagues, human-animal mind melds, and governance by artificial intelligence.

2/If older science fiction seems to be missing an ecological angle, Black Fish City adds that and more.