The Annual Migration of Clouds

by Premee Mohamed

Overview

AURORA AWARD WINNER

“This packs a punch.” — Publishers Weekly

“One of the most unique and engaging voices in genre fiction.” — Booklist

“In this rich and nuanced universe, Mohamed offers an emotionally fierce and human story that takes the time and space to personalize apocalypse.” — STARRED review, Quill & Quire

A novella set in post–climate disaster Alberta; a woman infected with a mysterious parasite must choose whether to pursue a rare opportunity far from home or stay and help rebuild her community

The world is nothing like it once was: climate disasters have wracked the continent, causing food shortages, ending industry, and leaving little behind. Then came Cad, mysterious mind-altering fungi that invade the bodies of the now scattered citizenry. Reid, a young woman who carries this parasite, has been given a chance to get away — to move to one of the last remnants of pre-disaster society — but she can’t bring herself to abandon her mother and the community that relies on her. When she’s offered a coveted place on a dangerous and profitable mission, she jumps at the opportunity to set her family up for life, but how can Reid ask people to put their trust in her when she can’t even trust her own mind?

With keen insight and biting prose, Premee Mohamed delivers a deeply personal tale in this post-apocalyptic hopepunk novella that reflects on the meaning of community and asks what we owe to those who have lifted us up.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781770415935
Publisher:	ECW Press
Publication date:	09/28/2021
Series:	The Annual Migration of Clouds , #1
Edition description:	No Edition
Pages:	168
Sales rank:	486,365
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 7.80(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	610L (what's this?)

About the Author

Premee Mohamed is an Indo-Caribbean scientist and speculative fiction author based in Edmonton, Alberta. Her short fiction has appeared in a number of venues. Her debut novel, Beneath the Rising, is out now from Solaris Books, with the sequel A Broken Darkness due out in 2021.

Read an Excerpt

Cad doesn’t move sideways. It appears spontaneously: and then, implacably, silently, it moves down through genes and time like water seeking its lowest level. A heritable symbiont, they used to call it; once and only once, I cried out to Henryk, But it’s not, it’s a fucking parasite, and the pain that shot through me was impossible to describe. Perhaps if I had been hit by lightning I would have had the words. Sight gone, sound gone, a roaring whiteness, transfixed throat to heels as if on a pole of molten metal hurled by a god. I never said it again.

This thing is of me, does not belong to me. Is its own thing. Speaks its own tongue. A semi-sapient fungus scribbling across my skin and the skin of my ancestors in crayon colours, turquoise, viridian, cerulean, pine. I imagine it listening now, keenly, sipping my happiness. Hatred twists my face for a moment before I can force it back down.

“Are you okay?” Henryk says, as if we had not both said aloud that the worst punishment for a child molester should be the transmission of my own disease. “Is it ... do you think it’s ...”

“Getting worse? I don’t think so.”

“But you would know.”

“Yeah. It makes sure you know.” I don’t want to think about it anymore. Quick, change the subject. Easy enough, given the morning’s coup. “Look at what I got.”

“Holy shit. Holy shit. Is that — it can’t!”

His shock is gratifying. I didn’t think I’d get to tell him first, but I wanted to tell someone. I’m glad it was him, I realize. Everything he feels just pours from him like sunshine from an open window, he cannot help it, he has no shadows in him.

“How is this even possible?!” He throws an arm awkwardly around my shoulder, startling me nearly off the step. “Reid! Oh my God. You got in! Look at you! You got in! Do you know what the odds are against that? Do you know —”

“Actually, they put it in the letter. See.” I unfold the crackling thing, Dear Ms. Reid Graham, We have received your application to Howse University and are extremely pleased to confirm your acceptance, and hand it to him. His fingers are black with dirt, but the paper seems to disregard it; nothing transfers.

Editorial Reviews

07/05/2021

In gorgeous prose, Mohamed (Beneath the Rising) conjures a post–climate apocalypse future in which “the chain of knowledge and study” has broken and humanity “live in the scattered links that remain.” With few resources left, survival hinges on collective collaboration. So when 19-year-old Reid receives an acceptance letter from a college many believe to be a myth, she’s equally elated and guilt-ridden: how can she leave her community and ailing mother for a place that may not even be real? Complicating her decision is the Cad, a “semi-sapient” fungal parasite that lives beneath her skin. It lies dormant for years before “going off,” and there’s no cure for it and no guarantee as to how it will affect those infected. As Reid argues with her mother about her future and navigates her changing relationship with her best friend, she begins to fear that the Cad is controlling her actions. Mohamed grounds her complex, chilling vision of the future in accessible human drama, keeping a tight focus on Reid’s difficult decision and the tension it creates in her relationships. It’s an impressive feat of worldbuilding made stronger by the sensitive, nuanced characters and urgent questions about what people owe to each other. This packs a punch.(Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

In gorgeous prose, Mohamed (Beneath the Rising) conjures a post-climate apocalypse future ... Mohamed grounds her complex, chilling vision of the future in accessible human drama, keeping a tight focus on Reid’s difficult decision and the tension it creates in her relationships. It’s an impressive feat of worldbuilding made stronger by the sensitive, nuanced characters and urgent questions about what people owe to each other. This packs a punch.” — Publishers Weekly

“One of the most unique and engaging voices in genre fiction ... Science-fiction and horror readers alike will enjoy Mohamed’s novel, which will appeal to fans of Jeff VanderMeer, Kameron Hurley, and Tochi Onyebuchi.” — Booklist

“Through Mohamed’s breathtaking prose, this post-apocalyptic story unravels meditations on community building, adaptation, and collective survival ... In this rich and nuanced universe, Mohamed offers an emotionally fierce and human story that takes the time and space to personalize apocalypse.” — Quill & Quire, starred review

“Premee Mohamed’s graceful storytelling transports us to a future that is both brilliantly imagined and utterly believable. I devoured this gorgeous gift of a novella, and it will stay with me.” — Kate Heartfield, award-winning author of Armed in Her Fashion and Alice Payne Arrives

“A dark, strange tale of the future that elegantly balances existential horror against necessary hope. Premee Mohamed is astonishingly good, and if we’re lucky, will be writing books for us for a good long time.” — Chuck Wendig, New York Times bestselling author

“The Annual Migration of Clouds is a riveting look at a dire future that doesn’t feel too far away. Premee Mohamed has created an ominous world ravaged by climate change and a mysterious virus in a profoundly concise and captivating novel. The story expertly executes what all good dystopian fiction is meant to do: show us just how bad things could get if we don’t correct our course in the present day. The climate crisis is real, and The Annual Migration of Clouds is must-read fiction for a glimpse into a potential future.” — Waubgeshig Rice, bestselling author of Moon of the Crusted Snow

“A novella for people who want to see the post-apocalypse as more than simply bleak or hopeful. The Annual Migration of Clouds shows us how we can adapt, and hurt, and heal, all in one swoop.” — John Wiswell, Nebula Award–winning author

“To say a story is ripped from the headlines implies clumsiness. Premee’s work is infinitely finer than that. This is a story of personal apocalypses and what they make when we all have them and of the gnawing realization that the world ending is the easy option. Identity and duty, horror and awe, all wielded with the expert hand of one of the best new talents there is.” — Alasdair Stuart, award-winning author, podcaster, and critic

“Highly recommended ... I’ll be thinking about it for quite a while.” — Templeton Gate blog

“Beautifully written, poignant, and bittersweet it is a gorgeous read and one perfect to give us hope in dark times. Mohamed is again proving that they are one of the most interesting authors in today’s science fiction. Strongly recommended.” — Run Along the Shelves blog

From the Publisher

Eva Tavares narrates this short, poignant look at one possible outcome of global climate disaster. The cast is small, and the setting is claustrophobic. The survivors in this community are literally crammed into each nook and cranny. There is almost no place to be alone. The characters have the same accent, yet Tavares manages to make each person distinct while making it clear they are part of the community. Tavares's performance starts small and grows as the main character, Reid, grows. With each new discovery and with every new triumph, Tavares gets louder and her first-person narration becomes more confident. Ultimately, when the epic conclusion arrives, listeners will be cheering and full of hope in the face of the apocalypse. A.R.F. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

DECEMBER 2021 - AudioFile

Eva Tavares narrates this short, poignant look at one possible outcome of global climate disaster. The cast is small, and the setting is claustrophobic. The survivors in this community are literally crammed into each nook and cranny. There is almost no place to be alone. The characters have the same accent, yet Tavares manages to make each person distinct while making it clear they are part of the community. Tavares's performance starts small and grows as the main character, Reid, grows. With each new discovery and with every new triumph, Tavares gets louder and her first-person narration becomes more confident. Ultimately, when the epic conclusion arrives, listeners will be cheering and full of hope in the face of the apocalypse. A.R.F. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

DECEMBER 2021 - AudioFile