Seeds for the Swarm

“Kern doesn’t pull any punches on the environmental consequences of consumer capitalism, nor do they avoid the social and emotional impacts of living through an age of mass extinctions. The subject lends itself to nihilism, but Rylla’s commitment to family, friends, and justice provides a glimpse of hope that is badly needed in the coming fights, real and fictional. Perfect for teen readers struggling with their own feelings of despair in our own unstable world, it is also a welcome and provocative read for all fans of YA.” ⁠— Amy Nagopaleen for Strange Horizons

“A deeply humane journey through a near-future where climate change has progressed well past the point of no return. Sim Kern never shies from the ethical implications of their own world-building. It’s easy to valorize hope, but what happens when our desire for hope leads us to embrace facile, counter-productive solutions? In this queer, self-aware take on the Ender’s Game scenario of a bunch of brilliant kids drawn together to save the world, you’ll genuinely be cheering at how Rylla and her friends manage to maintain their belief in the power of science, the value of human life, and need to keep struggling against cynicism and hopelessness.” ⁠— Naomi Kanakia, author of Enter Title Here and We Are Totally Normal

"A satisfying ecological take on the dystopian science-fiction novel." — Kirkus

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