E.G. Condé

An indigenous futurist science fiction novella

In the ruin created by climate disaster and a devastating civil war, survivors in Puerto Rico and the Yucatán peninsula struggle to rebuild their communities and heal their lands, but powerful forces from abroad plot against them. Desperate for answers, Puerto Rican journalist Vero Diaz seeks the counsel of the Maya revolutionary known as the Loba Roja, triggering a chain of events that will forever reshape his destiny and the fate of the Caribbean world.

ISBN 9781777682361

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“Dreamy and vengeful, a character unto itself…At its heart, Sordidez is a clarion call to recognize that the political and biological ecosystems of the world are intertwined.”

— Foreword Reviews

“Condé’s brutal, mystical, and deeply felt speculative debut lifts up a vision of Indigenous resistance and renewal in the face of climate change and colonizers…Though Condé’s dystopia encompasses grand worldbuilding innovations in the realms of both technology and politics, it still feels plausibly derived from the state of today’s world. The author’s depiction of Taíno culture is profound, his evocative images of a land in ruin are visceral, and the grief and sheer determination expressed through his characters is often so vivid as to be overwhelming.”

— Publishers Weekly Starred Review

“E. G. Condé’s new novella Sordidez stands out as a bold example of decolonial Latinx futurist storytelling.”

— Taryne Jade Taylor, Los Angeles Review of Books

“At its core, Sordidez is about healing…intricately woven through the narrative by Condé’s deft hand amidst beautiful and at times profoundly moving prose.”

— P.A. Cornell, 2022 Short Works Prize for Fiction Recipient

“E.G. Condé picks up a kaleidoscope in Sordidez and peers into the future, in the direction of Puerto Rico and the Yucatán peninsula, forming a vibrant Latinx vision of our future, and fulfilling the promise of speculative fiction to inspire us in the process of decolonization. Amidst the strange new horrors created by both humans and AIs in this future world, the trans protagonist Vero Diaz endeavors to heal the people and the land through the revolutionary spirit of the Taíno.”

— Matthew David Goodwin, editor of Speculative Fiction for Dreamers

“There is so much love, and compassion within this book, but also anger, grief, and loss – some big topics – challenging re-colonization by foreign powers, the impacts of the climate crisis, the questionable intentions and priorities of aid efforts, the after effects of dictatorships, and collective resistance. I left feeling both energized, inspired, and also curious about the history of the areas mentioned.”

— Michelle, Goodreads Review

“Condé weaves an elegant and intricate narrative of healing and courage that is sure to touch and inspire.”

— Ai Jiang, Nebula Finalist and Author of LINGHUN

“In Sordidez, E.G. Condé’s vivid, vital imagining of a near future Puerto Rico and Yucatán, indigenous groups cannot overcome their climate crises without decolonizing their politics and themselves. Condé gives us a clear-eyed, optimistic vision of how storytelling can transcend borders and create solidarity among resistance movements…With great respect for history and heritage, identity and environment, Sordidez depicts the future hurtling toward us, as well as the courage we’ll need to meet that future head-on.”

— Lisa M. Bradley, author of The Haunted Girl and Exile

“Sordidez is an instant classic that deals with issues many occupied and colonized people deal with: intolerance, trauma, loss of history, necessity to reclaim indigenous culture, the poisoning of land and climate disaster. Sordidez offers a future vision that, though broken like the present, has hope.”

— Scott Russell Duncan, Somos En Escrito

“A novella that defies every genre and breaks out of every mold in existence…Every sentence is poetry.”

— Felix Hommy Gonzalez, Goodreads Review

“The novella gripped me in its unashamed battling of ideas and concepts of how life would be in a human-created climate crisis and how to reconnect with your roots and the growing pains of change…there is simply so much life – in these characters, their surroundings and their story – that shows how important reclaiming land and language and culture can be.”

— Little Book Terror, Goodreads Review

“The various socio-political events that occurred in this story successfully resemble the historical events that shaped and continue to mold Latin America..”

— Rafael Morillo, Author of The Kiskeyano: A Taino Story