Reef Mind is a bold ecohorror novella, written by Hazel Zorn, and published by Tenebrous Press. A book that takes a current issue such as climate anxiety and uses it not to only weave a rich and complex story, but to also touch themes such as the fictions we tell ourselves to continue with our lives, how they are a protective layer over the ugly reality, while also delivering a fair share of spine tingling moments.

Something has shifted in the environment; fish and coral reefs are able to live outside of the war. Most of the people are getting sick, changing into something reef-like; those untouched have to face the loss of the beloved ones and the grief for a world in decay, all while trying to survive. We will be following Matt and Amanda during these first days of change, in a sort of post-apocalyptic story which shows many faces, from humanity and from nature.

During this ride, Zorn takes the opportunity to explore things such as when nature fights back against human progress, evolution on a personal scale and how pain can shape the vision of the world; all while gifting us with terrific scenes that are not afraid of going into the weird territory.

Reef Mind is an excellent novella, a proposal that subverts certain narrative structures to create something more visceral; if cli-fi and ecohorror are your jam, this novella should be at the top of your TBR list!