Clorophilia, by Cristina Jurado
15 Jan 2025The Book
Synopsis:
Would you sacrifice your humanity to save the world?
Kirmen is different from the other inhabitants of the Cloister, whose walls protect them all from the endless storm ravaging Earth. As a result of the Doctor’s cruel experiments, his physical form is gradually evolving into something better fit for survival in the world outside.
Kirmen worries about becoming a pariah, an outcast among the other denizens of the domes. But his desire for affection and acceptance, and his humanity, fade away as the Doctor’s treatments progress. What will happen when the metamorphosis is complete? What will be left of Kirmen and the group of survivors that he knows and loves?
In English for the first time (translated by Sue Burke), ChloroPhilia, an Ignotus Award-nominated novella by Cristina Jurado, is a strange coming-of-age story while addressing life after an environmental disaster, collective madness, and sacrifices made for the greater good.
My Review
Clorophilia is a dystopian sci-fi novella, written by Cristina Jurado (translated to English by Sue Burke), published by Apex Book Company. A dystopian setting that uses climate catastrophe as the kick-start for a story that explores themes such as identity, evolution and the extremes people would go for what they consider the greater good.
A story that is woven around Kirmen's journey and his own metamorphosis; the result of an experiment and a specimen that should be better at survival in the hostile environment, which is only the result of humans' actions. However, his own existence is marked by rejection and insecurity, brought by how others treat him; but part of this journey is Kirsten accepting and embracing his metamorphosis.
Jurado's prose is quite poetic, lyrical at points, and the own narration is mixed with some more thought-provoking fragments, which are a bit of a parallel with the transformation Kirsten is experiencing. I'm a bit on the edge with the ending, as despite I can see why the author chose it, I felt this could have been a longer piece.
Said that, Clorophilia is a really interesting and thought-provoking piece, a perfect read to accompany those convulse times we are living; a cli-fi novella that I totally recommend if you want to read something shorter but equally impacting.
The Author/s
Cristina Jurado
Cristina Jurado Marcos (born 1 February 1972) is a Spanish writer and publisher of fantasy and science fiction, the winner of three Ignotus Awards. She has written two novels, several short stories, and edited multiple anthologies, as well as numerous articles and interviews in the magazine Supersonic, which she also directs.