Welcome to Litsy!

This brief, powerful novella by Ray Nayler, author of The Mountain in the Sea, depicts one woman's doomed efforts to save wild elephants, and how her unique knowledge and understanding is applied long after her death in an attempt to bring mammoths back from extinction in Siberia. Deftly written, this story would make a particularly haunting Black Mirror episode. A one sitting read for me, and not one that will be easily forgotten.

Received a copy to review!

I really wasn't sure about this concept when I read the blurb, but saw people enthusing about it and decided to give it a try anyway. It sounded, I don't know, kinda goofy from what I first read about it; I don't know what I was picturing exactly -- but no, it's very serious, and a very emotional story. I think each thread of it is handled well.

This speculative fiction quick listen definitely rings with some frightening authenticity at times. Across multiple future timelines, African elephants have become extinct, but mammoths have been recreated to once again roam Siberia. It‘s an interesting listen but one that I think I would have preferred to read because of some of the transitions between perspectives. A definite discussion starter— and I appreciate the research and references used!

Mammoths are brought back from extinction-- but after humans have already hunted elephants to the point that they only exist in captivity, will wild mammoths really be able to survive, much less thrive? I really enjoyed Nayler's new books which focuses on mammoths and poachers instead of octopuses and fishing. It's shorter and not as mysterious, but just as good.