Venemous Lumpsucker is a thought-provoking novel that offers a fresh perspective on environmental issues and government corruption. The author introduces a brilliant and original concept surrounding credits, which provides a unique angle on how society interacts with the environment.

While I found the book to be enjoyable and well-thought-out, the pace did stagnate towards the final third of the novel, and the ending was somewhat underwhelming. Despite these minor drawbacks, I still found the book to be an engaging and thought-provoking read, and I appreciated the author's attention to detail and clever writing style.

Overall, "Venemous Lumpsucker" is a worthwhile read for those interested in environmental issues and government corruption, and the novel's originality and unique perspective make it stand out from other books in the genre. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

While the synopsis seems a little far fetched, is it really? When you realize that the commodification of nature is something that is already occurring, it's not a huge stretch to imagine a future in which the existence of a species can be stamped out for a price. When greed and guilt lead conservation meet, Venomous Lumpsucker is what you get.

This is one that will keep me thinking for a while.

Thank you to NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for allowing me to listen to this audiobook in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion.

This was a strange book, and it weirdly made me love it. It's a near-future sci-fi story about the extinction industry and capitalism told in a darkly comedic way. It reminded me a lot of Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut.

What I think really made me like this book is the narrator, John Hastings. His rendition of Mark Halyard so absurdly matched the character Steve from the TBS series Wrecked that I was highly entertained by the whole thing. The narrator's voices for women weren't that great, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Venmous Lumpsucker is strange, and yet highly plausible. And it made me want to check out more from Ned Beauman.

I requested an advanced audiobook copy of this title from NetGalley the instant I came across this glorious cover and title. It had me immediately curious. The audiobook narrator was fantastic and the tone of the story reminded me a lot of Hitchhiker’s Guide. I loved that about it; witty, snappy dialogue and an outlandish story about ecological collapse that felt original and fresh. I recommend it for anyone who enjoys a quirky read.

The audiobook is not available elsewhere at the time, I received that version thanks to NetGalley. Narration by John Hastings.

I will start with the narration. Mr. Hastings did a wonderful job bringing all the characters to life, especially the main two, Karin Resaint, the obsessive animal cognition scientist whose sole mission is to certify the Venomous Lumpsucker as an intelligent endangered species and Mark Halyard, the I don't give a F***CK corporate extinction industry executive who reluctantly has to ally himself with Restraint due to, shall we say, a predicament he has gotten himself into.

Throughout the book, Hastings pivots nicely from character to character including those that we meet along the way, using distinct voice tones to clearly differentiate each person. His reading style brought the book alive, it flows, ensuring the author's end of nature as we know it, the dark and comic thriller enthralls and captivates you.

Now on to the story. Mr. Beauman's tale is not too far off, set in the 2030s, only 8 years or so from present time a world where our animals and other living organisms, aquatic and land based, are being killed off not hundreds at a time each year, but tens of thousands annually, so much so that the global community develops a scheme to address this calamity by creating a body that focuses on extinctions, where companies and nations are incentivized or de-incentivized, (depending on how one approaches the subject), to help preserve the remnants of all kinds of species, big and small.

For folks who do not believe in global warming/climate change, the dying off of rare species due to man's recklessness in taking care of our one and only home, Mother Earth, then this book probably is not for you. For everyone else who want a glimpse of what could take place if nothing changes, if hard questions are not asked and answered about humanity's responsibility to the damage being done to our oceans, our air, the forests, etc., and the resulting consequences, then pick up this book which will have you weeping one moment and laughing out loud the next all while marching towards an unforeseen ending.

Venomous Lumpsucker is a climate change dystopian satire (yes, intriguing!) following events in the semi-near future when environmental protection measures are completely eliminated as a result of late-stage capitalist greed. In the book, companies are able to buy credits giving them the right to drive an animal to extinction, with the amount of extinction credits needed varying on the importance and perceived intelligence of the species. The credits are expensive to the average human, but incredibly affordable to corporations and therefore driving several thousand species to extinction.

Scientist Karin Resaint is on the verge of classifying the venomous lumpsucker as "intelligent", which would be very bad news for Mark Halyard, who works as a lobbyist. Together, Resaint and Halyard are working to find the elusive lumpsucker, both with different motives.

Listening to this book sometimes felt like having a conversation with someone who keeps going on tangents and taking me on more journeys than I could possibly keep track of. In my heart of hearts, I know the world building and backstory was mostly necessary, but due to all of the explanations that had to be given combined with the fact that I could not connect with the characters, I grew tired of it very quickly. The narrator was fantastic however, and had an impressive grasp of the difference accents needed to differentiate characters and cultures.

The writing itself was the redeemer of this book, in fact at times I was incredibly impressed by Beauman's take on the events of the future and his ability to weave humor into a scenario in which humor is hard to find. It's evident there was a lot of thought, research, and creativity poured into the book and I can't discount that.

Thanks so much to Highbridge Audio as well as NetGalley for the advanced listening copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I didn't quite know what to expect going into this one. I wanted to read it solely because of the title. I am not normally a fan of dystopian/dystopian adjacent novels, but this one was so much fun. Beauman's writing is clever and entertaining with a sharp wit. I found myself laughing out loud at so many moments while reading. This was such a fresh take on human destruction, and the characters were fantastic. The world building was wonderful. Even if you do not enjoy reading about bureaucratic/capitalist events, I think this novel would still appeal to you because it is very approachable and hilarious. This was such a fun time, and I am so glad I read it.

The audiobook narrator is fantastic and does a great job of adding to the humor with their narration.

The Venomous Lumpsucker, Cyclopterus venenatus, is an ugly little fish that feeds on parasites and algae of bigger fish. It could also be the most intelligent fish in the world. Karin Resaint just finished studying the fish to determine just how intelligent it is. Mark Halyard is a corrupt executive for the mining company that might have just destroyed its breeding ground. Now Karin and Mark are on a global hunt to find any surviving Lumpsuckers for their own selfish reasons.

Venomous Lumpsucker is the newest book by British writer Ned Beauman. Considered among the most promising British authors of his generation, Beauman explores the absurdity of the vast array of human action and reaction to species extinction. This is an amusing cautionary tale of a future that includes an extinction industry. Even though they demonstrate growth and change, Beauman’s characters represent the wide spectrum of human morality in the face of ongoing environmental struggles. Beauman’s near-future story contains predictions in technology, industry, environmentalism, social and political views that are extremely plausible. He masterfully paints a grim picture with wit and satire. This is a dystopian story for anyone who loves wildlife, from giant adorable mammals to an ugly and intelligent little fish.

This exciting dystopian drama is narrated by John Hastings. His voice and timing goes great with Beauman’s text. Hastings makes this great story an excellent audiobook.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of the audiobook in exchange for honest feedback.

First- I loved the narrator. I think he did a wonderful job capturing the characters and conveying their personalities. Well done!

Second- this book was amazing. I definitely had a lot to think about when I was listening to the story- the whole concept of extinction credits really doesn't feel far-fetched at all. I think the author really conveyed a scenario that is actually really likely. I liked that the author dived in to some philosophical decisions of the characters. I liked that the author dived in to some philosophical decisions of the characters and the implications that are very much something that we are facing in real life. I will be getting a physical copy when it is out.

Goodreads review here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4846152066

Full of fascinating ideas of what the future could look like, the character development and overall plot just fell a bit short for me. The narrator of the audiobook made up for that, so I did finish the book. A little surprise at the end but I wish it had been built up a bit more. Overall, an interesting read with a truly unique premise.

thanks netgalley for providing me of an arc of the audiobook! i enjoyed this story- i found it to be extremely unique. the idea of extinction credits to be such a comment on our capitalist society today and honestly wouldn’t be surprised if something happened. money > nature is so often the case for our world. while the plot itself was lacking in some aspects, i was still happy to listen to the novel and see what the characters were doing (also the narrator was so pleasant !!) the ending was super satisfying as well! overall, a solid read :)

This book drove me crazy. It's clever, sardonic, hilarious, important, and seriously long-winded. Do I like it? I don't know. I don't hate it, but reading it felt like work. Here's why this type of book makes me frustrated, I wanted to love it, and I felt like I should love it. I made so many excesses because the writing is great, but there is too much of it. It just becomes words words words.

There is an enormous amount of unique world-building and it is all fantastic and fascinating, but it slows down the pace of the actual "going on right now" story of the book so much that I find myself groaning every time it happens. I stopped caring what happens to the characters. I stopped caring about the fish. I stopped having any empathy for their admittedly close to our "not-too-distant-future" world. I just wanted to be done reading it.

I feel like the only thing this book needs is editing. As Stephen King says, "kill your darlings." Cut the fat. The book is so good, but I want it to be better. The message here is an important one to hear, but don't make us swim through a sea of dead Y flys to get there. 3.5 stars

Thank you to Ned Beauman, HighBridge Audio, and NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book.

This book had me very intrigued with the title and the cover. Thank you NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for the ALC.
This book was an interesting listen. I think the crowd of characters may be a tad hard to follow for people who might be newer to audiobooks. The events were bizarre and the quirky characters made it fun. While there wasn't anything wrong with the narration, I found it a little bit grating.

I really liked this story. It was interesting and creative but listening to the audio felt like listening to a textbook! How does that happen?! The audio really ruined the experience for me. I may try this again as an ebook or physical book to see how I feel then. Maybe it’s the narrator, or maybe it’s the book. Hard to say.

Fascinating concept, but definitely don't recommend listening to the audiobook, at least not while busy doing other things. I couldn't Have cared less about what I was listening to.

Excellent exploration of the relationship between capitalism and conservation. The commentary was wry and thought-provoking without becoming preachy. The narrative shows how our reliance on technology can be a way to postpone guilt and justify selfish actions. The characters were such an asset to the story, well-written and believable. This is one of the best books I have read this year, and I know it will stay with me far into the future.

Recommended for those who enjoyed Steel Beach by John Varley, or simply want a funny and intelligent book regarding our environmental crisis.

I didn't finish this. I made it about a third of the way through, but then was just not motivated to continue because it was too . . . weird.

A delightful romp through the end of the Holocene. A hilarious, satirical future thriller that often feels eerily accurate. Beauman's premise on how capitalism will warp and distort extinction feels so real as to be an actual glimpse of the future. The plot is very fast-paced which is a perfect vehicle to bring even more oddball characters to the fore; be they British agricultural ministers with an odd (or obvious?) protectionist streak or Musk-like billionaire super-dummies.

“An extinction credit could buy you bulldozing rights to any species on earth — except when the species was certified as ‘intelligent’ by experts on animal cognition like the Swiss woman on the Varuna. In that case, you had to expend not just one but thirteen extinction credits, a figure which had no superstitious or metaphysical significance, but rather was the result, like every other detail of this framework, of wranglings at the birth of the World Commission on Species Extinction. Everyone agreed that to lose an intelligent species was the gravest loss of all, and so, although such extinctions could not be prohibited outright — that would not be a nimble free market solution — they could be very sternly disincentivized.”

“But you came here to work on the cattle ranches for eight euros a day, and then you all got a disfiguring fungus, and then you had to flee the wildfires, and now you’re stuck in a camp because your own government won’t take you back, and for the last six weeks you’ve had dead gnats raining on your head. It’s fucking biblical.” “We certainly have had an eventful little holiday, Wilson said.”

I didn’t find this book as hilarious as the blurb suggests, but it is clever, amusing and extremely original. It explores the monetization of extinction; there is a market for extinction credits. In addition to the financial speculators there are eco-terrorists, scientists, a mermaid, powerful artificial intelligence and people who have really shady motives. The fact that the venomous lumpsucker, a very intelligent species of fish, has been accidentally obliterated throws a monkey wrench into a lot of plans. This was an entertaining trip and I certainly haven’t read anything else like it. John Hastings did an excellent job narrating the audiobook.

I received a free copies of the ebook and audio book from the publisher.

Dnf @20%

This book was just way too stressful / depressing for me. I know that the world is frankly headed in this direction, but listening to it was much too stressful for me at the moment.