Ex Partum
by emma burnett
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Pub Date Jun 02 2026 | Archive Date Not set
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Description
New mother Panya lives in the perfect environment of Blocks 6-8, where all amenities are on site and goods are delivered by drone. Little Liber is perfect, their residence is fully enclosed, her world is regulated, sterilised, and safe.
Panya feels stretched to her limits, with her partner working away to cover their bills. So what if she feels isolated? So what if she struggles to manage expectations? It’s what they have to do to remain in their community. It’s how they take care of their child.
But Liber is struggling. She’s refusing to switch to eating nutribulbs, like everyone in their community. And people are starting to ask questions. Her partner. The doctors. The authorities. Besieged by norms and expectations, what choice does Panya have? The consequences could break her world.
A Note From the Publisher
Cover Art by Ellen Burnett
Advance Praise
“Ex Partum is a dystopian novella reminiscent of The Giver while exploring parental anxieties and exhaustion, invasion of privacy, sacrifice for choice, unlearning and relearning, corporate greed, and over-confidence and reliance on tech. Burnett delivers a heartrending story that illuminates the flaws of every society as well as ourselves.” —Ai Jiang, author of Linghun and A Palace Near the Wind
"Ex Partum is a brilliant and characterful examination of parenting in dystopia." —Miles Cameron, author of Artifact Space
"A sharp and often uncomfortable read of a dystopian future where people have been led by evil corporations, to the extent of having their entire lifestyles and mindsets brainwashed. Likewise, it's a harrowing tale of a young mother struggling to feed her child and find her own muddled identity. Read this and reflect because such behaviours are evident even now and we often turn an indifferent eye at marginalised groups and post-partum depression." —Joyce Chng, author of Wolf's Path
“emma burnett's Ex Partum is a gripping read that pulls you screaming through its ultracorporate dystopia and then deposits you, shivering with relief, before the promise of a better world. But the book isn't just an SFF must-read. It's a deeply human, almost claustrophobically intimate portrait of what it takes to care for an infant—and yourself—when everybody else cares only for conformance.” —Stewart C Baker, author of The Butterfly Disjunct
"Ex Partum is a gripping debut novella exploring corporate control and the sterile loneliness of gentrified motherhood. It feels familiar yet prescient, dystopian yet grounded. emma burnett creates characters we identify with and root for, in a futuristic world not far from our own." —Vivian Chou, Speculative Fiction author
“Ex Partum presents a harrowing extrapolation of today’s societal trends. What do we lose when we choose convenience over reason? Who suffers when we allow corporations unlimited control of our world? This story hit me on a visceral level, as the plight of new mother Panya resonated with my own slough through early motherhood. Author emma burnett lays bare an all-too-plausible future—and shows that, even in an entrenched corporatocracy, hope can still sprout in the margins." —Myna Chang, author of The Potential of Radio and Rain
“Ex Partum is a clever dystopian parable about corporate exploitation and dysfunctional relationships seen through the eyes of a vulnerable new mother as she fights against the machine. Highly plausible and engaging, it illustrates the disempowering and dehumanising potential of technology in the wrong hands." —Eve Smith, author of The Cure and One
Available Editions
| EDITION | Ebook |
| ISBN | 9781961654433 |
| PRICE | |
Available on NetGalley
Average rating from 11 members
Featured Reviews
Camden R, Reviewer
This book follows a real, heartbreaking, and beautiful mother-daughter relationship overlaying a background of corporate horror. It felt very relevant to this time, and Hadley some fascinating scene. I loved how sometimes I hated Panya and sometimes I loved her, but I always understood where she was coming from.
The ending was exactly what I needed, and the beginning mirrored it well. It started a bit slow, but once I was a few chapters in a I couldn’t put it down. It’s an intense read, but definitely one I recommend for anyone interested in motherhood stories or stories about the weight of capitalism.
Elly M, Reviewer
I really enjoyed this. It’s a quiet, unsettling dystopia that feels far too believable, especially in the way corporate control is wrapped up as care and convenience.
The world of the Blocks is clean, regulated, and supposedly optimal. Health is monitored constantly, food has been reduced to personalised nutribulbs, and every decision is guided by data. It all sounds reassuring, until you see how little choice is left. Nothing here feels exaggerated, which is what makes it so uncomfortable.
At the centre is Panya, a new mother struggling to wean her baby in a system that insists there is only one correct way to do things. The focus on motherhood works really well. The pressure, the doubt, and the quiet panic of feeling watched and judged felt very real.
The writing is sparse and controlled, which suits the setting. It’s repetitive in a deliberate way that mirrors Panya’s exhaustion and isolation. I did find myself wanting a little more time with the world and some of the relationships, but that’s the trade-off of the novella format.
A sharp, believable dystopian snapshot that stayed with me after I finished.
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