This took me a long time to read, despite my enjoying every page, and I think that was because despite it being quite intense in terms of stuff happening, it didn't feel urgent. The plot - even describing the plot later in full - make this book sound like a political eco-thriller, but actually, it was like a really fun parade of cool ideas, being narrated for you by some very interesting and witty but not really likeable people. I'm not sure if that conveys how much I enjoyed it? Cause I really did, I just didn't feel compelled to hurry through it.

Was unsure about the ending (or, the second epilogue, rather) but having mulled, I think it's perfect.

The first 3/4 of the book was excellent! The futuristic premise of a decaying world entirely devoid of environmental morality seemed eerily familiar, and the intricate political system allowing companies to purchase/expend extinction credits was very unique. I bought into it and was invested in the futures of the characters... until I wasn't. The ending was rushed and confusing, which may have been the point, but it didn't sit well with me. There is a very specific brand of readers for this title who I will recommend it to heartily, but the branch is limited.

I really enjoyed this book! The description was enough to make me think that it would be a novel that I’d vibe with, and without a doubt it was an excellent read. Great characters, great story, and what a journey!

If, like me, you believe Earth is on an environmental death slide with no brakes, then this book is for you. A very elaborate and believable look into the hell that will torment future generations. Great characters, humorous writing and an ending that shouldn't work but somehow does.

This book, with humor, deals with the climate crisis, corporate greed, and humans destroying the planet. I really enjoyed the writing style.

Though “Venomous Lumpsucker” is named for a species of fish around which the plot is ingeniously arranged, it could equally well apply to the attitude of its darkly hilarious author. Ned Beauman’s new wry cli-fi novel swims through the Baltic and the North Sea uncovering new and emerging details of how governments and capitalism systemically entwine. Though describing a future where thousands of animals go extinct every year, it’s a satire on the current state of our formalized systems of carelessly destructive greed.

I didn't quite know what to expect going into this one. I wanted to read it solely because of the title. I am not normally a fan of dystopian/dystopian adjacent novels, but this one was so much fun. Beauman's writing is clever and entertaining with a sharp wit. I found myself laughing out loud at so many moments while reading. This was such a fresh take on human destruction, and the characters were fantastic. The world building was wonderful. Even if you do not enjoy reading about bureaucratic/capitalist events, I think this novel would still appeal to you because it is very approachable and hilarious. This was such a fun time, and I am so glad I read it.

I’m not really into sci-fi, so this was an unusual choice for me - but that title and the premise lured me in … and it was a great read!
Karin, a troubled scientist, and Mark, a dodgy lobbyist, come together to find the possibly extinct venomous lumpsucker.
It’s a wild story, tackling themes of climate disaster, extinction, capitalism, morality, tech and cyber attacks.
It’s tightly written - clever, sharp and compelling with interesting characters. And it’s funny too, dry, satirical humour.
I love when a book surprises you! Good stuff!
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. All views are my own.

Thank you to Soho Press and NetGalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love scifi that is a little off the rails and, these days, that really just builds on the possible. This is just that: it's about the world in the not-so-far-future and extinction and nihilism and heroism and a lot more. It's Jeff VanderMeer-esque but this time it actually works, unlike most other things I've read recently. I really liked the two main characters, though they're both unlikable, and I found the science and the tech to be clear enough that I was willing to shrug and go along with it.

It was also funny while being self-aware and not too pretentious. I like that it felt realistic but not hopeless -- the way that everyone dealt with the slow demise of the world felt like something I will see eventually. And that last chapter! Worth it for that.

4 stars.

Funny, fascinating, compelling. I couldn't get through this one fast enough, I just wanted more and more of it.
This is the second climate disaster imagining that I've read in a row (shoutout Eleutheria) and it's safe to say it's radicalizing me. This one did it with more heart and humor than the other.
Delightfully fresh take on human destruction. I loved the characters, which felt less real than fun but I won't fault them for that because it was a hoot.
I agree with the readers who have said that this might not appeal to a wide audience, but I see it becoming a cult favorite. Just a bit dense for me, but I press on.

Venomous lump sucker is a satire dystopian sci-fi that tells the tales of Karin Resaint and Mark Halyard, a scientist and a lobbyist by trade, as they deal with the impending extinction of the Venomous lumpsucker. It's hard to describe this weird late late capitalistic oligarchy set up in the book, And people smarter than me will certainly enjoy breaking that down for you. I'm just here to read books and have a good time.
All that aside, I thought the world was perfectly crafted in this book. I felt the bureaucratic and lobbyistic energy pouring out of any page yet it was very nice to enjoy the statical points that this author brought up. However, if you're not really into all of that and you just want to enjoy a funny read, I think that this is definitely a very approachable novel as well. Pacing is very important to me as a reader, but I never felt that this was too rushed or too slow for any of a long period of time that made it unreadable. There were certainly parts of this book that I feel like maybe could have read a little bit more smoothly and I was afraid that it was going to completely lose me until the last 3rd of the book because at that point it was getting a little above my head. But in general this is a very solid read. I definitely enjoyed it and I would recommend it highly for fans of sci-fi and satire alike.

Good stuff. Entertaining and some humor along the way. While this certainly won't be for everyone, those seeking light sci-fi may like this. Humor can be hard to pull off, but it seems to work here.

Thanks very much for the free ARC for review!!

“If we ever get to the point where there’s only one surviving dog, I hope I’m already dead.”

So very pleased to have received this ARC, thank you SOHO Press! Venomous Lumpsucker is a genre mashup I’m almost always searching for, so it’s no surprise I enjoyed it. This is a book that will have a very specific audience. I doubt it will have widespread appeal, but I think it will be loved by the readers it’s intended for.

4.5 stars. The writing is dense (but not too dense), and we follow unlikable characters in an absurd, depressingly believable near future. We are clearly meant to dislike these characters, so the author isn’t condoning their behavior. Quite the opposite, actually. This entire book is like a warning of what not to do. I saw this called “laugh out loud funny”, but I don’t know if that’s accurate. At least not for me. There were funny bits for sure, but a lot of them were smiling-on-the-outside-frowning-on-the-inside funny. I do like that kind of humor, so I appreciated it. The dynamic between our two main characters made for some pretty great moments, and it got funnier the more I got to know them. As someone with a not-funny addiction to food, I feel like I related to Halyard in a way I’m ashamed to admit. For example, I was/am so afraid of getting COVID for several reasons, but since I’m mildly agoraphobic and never left my home even before the pandemic, my main fear was less that I’d give it to a loved one and more that I’d lose my sense of taste. Halyard is a real prick in many ways, but I enjoyed seeing that aspect of his personality play out in the story.

The main darkly humorous element for me was the general absurdity of it all. The book feels utterly ridiculous most of the time, and it just kept getting stranger the further along I got. Weird, crazy shit keeps happening or being revealed to us about the state of the world, and yet somehow it was all believable in the context of this future. I can’t fault the logic. I loved it.

That being said, everything about this book is technically depressing, but also very interesting. There were times I forgot that we were discussing a fictional fish and forgot that this isn’t (yet) my world. It was scary, intriguing, and presented a very honest, bleak reflection of humanity and our possible future, all while sounding like parts of science textbooks had been cobbled together around a central narrative. Ned Beauman must have some big brain juices. I can’t imagine writing something like this myself.

There are some truly insightful and quotable lines here. I plan to get myself a physical copy when it comes out, for that reason as well as loving the cover art. I think this is worth your time if this is the type of book you know would appeal to you. If you like challenging stories that focus on philosophical/moral/ethical issues, the environment, animals, conservation, science, and humanity’s role on the planet, and if you like stories written in a depressing, dense, and occasionally humorous writing style, you might like Venomous Lumpsucker. Just don’t expect to root for the humans in this one.

"The murder of animals was an enormous collaborative project, perhaps the fundamental human project, like a charity drive or war effort to which everybody made their little contribution."


TW: discussions of suicide/suicidal ideation

This is the most delightful book about mass species extinction that you’ll ever read. Ned Beauman employs pitch-perfect gallows humor to engage with human-caused environmental destruction in a fresh and exciting way.

I was quite charmed by Beauman’s madcap storytelling and clever writing and I lost count of the number of times I highlighted an amusing passage or chuckled to myself whilst reading this book. It’s very, very funny.

The highest praise I can give a book is that it has “readability” and Venomous Lumpsucker has this in spades – fast paced, an engaging story, smart humor, and interesting characters. This book is a winner.

This was so much fun and absolutely terrifying. Ned Beauman is excellent at writing a dystopian landscape that feels like it could 100% happen. It was super witty, and I loved Mark and Karen. Both characters had their own agendas to why they wanted to save the venomous lumpsucker.

Sometime in the not so distant future, Science has progressed to the point where humans can digitize the DNA sequences of the species we are driving into extinction. The hope is, that some point in the future, science will be able to recreate the species. Unfortunately, cyber attacks are just as prevalent as they are today and much of the collected biodata is lost. Mark Halyard and Karen Resaint are especially concerned about the loss of unfortunately named venomous lumpsucker, an ugly bottom dweller that just happens to be the most intelligent fish on the planet. The two are on the hunt for a survivor of the species, Resaint because she feels the loss of yet another important species, Halyard because his corporation destroyed the last known habitat of the lumpsucker. Both funny and terrifying, Beauman paints a portrait of a bleak dystopian future where profit means more than anything else. If you like Carl Hiaasen, you’ll love Ned Beauman