keisman

The story begins long after the Earth loses its battle with a humanity that both depends on yet ultimately destroys it, leaving the planet an inhospitable furnace. Pope and his pack flee the raging inferno into which the out-of-control heat has turned Yellowstone, their natural habitat. It is a desperate journey across the Rockies and toward the promise of cooler weather and a new life in Canada. Ultimately, Pope stands as the last of his pack, and his encounters with humans and other wolves become increasingly fraught and dangerous, threatening his freedom, his sanity, and even his life.

Eleanor Keisman’s New Animal is no polemic, it is not a call to action-it is a deeply emotional and stupendously powerful paean to the planet and all who depend on it. It is the sort of book that does more than simply make you think-although it does that-it makes you feel the sorts of things that we read great literature to feel: love, hate, empathy, and finally understanding. While Keisman never explicitly advocates taking a particular action, it is impossible to read her story and not feel compelled to protect this orbiting blue orb we call home.

-Ted Flanagan, author of Every Hidden Thing

After reading New Animal, I can never again see the everyday sight of a person walking a dog without feeling uneasiness. What once seemed ordinary now appears heartbreakingly vulnerable-as climate disasters loom, even this simple pleasure might disappear at any time. Smelling the pheromones of animals throughout this sensuous novella, I was especially struck by its haunting portrayal of the bond between human and wolf: outwardly so different, yet alike in their lonely hunger for companionship. More precisely, they seek a companionship that is hierarchical rather than equal, for they aim to survive by all means, fair or foul. New Animal appears stoic on the surface, but underneath it pulses with raw desire and quiet desperation. The novella is cli-fi at its most profound: not merely describing environmental collapse, but exploring how it reshapes intimacies across species. I recommend it without hesitation-an unforgettable work that lingers long after the final page.

-Chi Ta-wei, author of The Membranes