Casual is a ground-breaking, thought-provoking sci-fi novel, written by Koji A. Dae, and which will be published in February by Tenebrous Press. A story woven around a relevant theme as it is women's body autonomy, incarnated in the figure of our main character and how the surrounding people are trying to manipulate her, and ultimately, take the control over her life.

Our main character, Valya, is a pregnant woman living in Old Sofia, who relies on her neural implant, Casual, to regulate her anxiety and depression. However, the law forbids her to keep Casual running when she gives birth, as a sole mother, it is deemed as dangerous for her daughter; she's now facing a complicated decision, as she would have to renounce to use Casual or enroll into an experimental study that would put an untested implant on her daughter.

With this premise, Dae creates an intimate story focused on Valya, and how she's pressured into taking a decision; at the same time, through flashbacks, we experience how Valya dealt with life before the implant, and how she became the kind of broken women she's. Despite all, there's still hope in this story, as Valya is determined to be the best mother possible for her newborn; even in this climate, where from different positions she is experiencing pressure, she aims to do the best for her daughter.
At the same time, it is clear how many of the characters on the story (the psycher, her obstetrician, the scientist) are just trying to take control over Valya's life, infantilizing her, always trying to pressure her into following what they deem the best for her, stripping her of her autonomy.

The world of Casual could be called a soft dystopia, as there are some positive aspects, such as a basic income established, but still it is a bleak future where money means power; in this context, Valya is a just a woman struggling with her mental health, a condition that was the main driveway to use her implant, but a piece that she has to renounce if she wants to keep her daughter, with the consequent increased difficulty.

Casual is a powerful novel, a story that explores body autonomy in a world that pushes towards stripping individuals of it for their own safety; an excellent piece that I recommend if you are looking for a thought-provoking novel. A banger to start Tenebrous' 2025 lineup.