The Past is Red
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- Create Date：2021-07-21 18:31:38
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Catherynne M. Valente
- ISBN：B08GZW6KF3
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Summary
Catherynne M。 Valente， the bestselling and award-winning creator of Space Opera and The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland returns with The Past is Red， the enchanting， dark， funny， angry story of a girl who made two terrible mistakes: she told the truth and she dared to love the world。
The future is blue。 Endless blue。。。except for a few small places that float across the hot， drowned world left behind by long-gone fossil fuel-guzzlers。 One of those patches is a magical place called Garbagetown。
Tetley Abednego is the most beloved girl in Garbagetown， but she's the only one who knows it。 She's the only one who knows a lot of things: that Garbagetown is the most wonderful place in the world， that it's full of hope， that you can love someone and 66% hate them all at the same time。
But Earth is a terrible mess， hope is a fragile thing， and a lot of people are very angry with her。 Then Tetley discovers a new friend， a terrible secret， and more to her world than she ever expected。
The future is blue。 Endless blue。。。except for a few small places that float across the hot， drowned world left behind by long-gone fossil fuel-guzzlers。 One of those patches is a magical place called Garbagetown。
Tetley Abednego is the most beloved girl in Garbagetown， but she's the only one who knows it。 She's the only one who knows a lot of things: that Garbagetown is the most wonderful place in the world， that it's full of hope， that you can love someone and 66% hate them all at the same time。
But Earth is a terrible mess， hope is a fragile thing， and a lot of people are very angry with her。 Then Tetley discovers a new friend， a terrible secret， and more to her world than she ever expected。
Reviews
Maira Ezerins
，
Absolute perfection。 Just， wow。 I loved everything about this little book。 Amazing world building， insight into our own future， heartbreaking relationships， well developed characters。 This might be my favorite book of this year。
John Rennie
，
This is a fable， so it doesn't play by the same rules as regular prose。 We should not expect the plot to be plausible and the characters to be realistic。 Like all fables the text is a device for exploring ideas not a realistic depiction of events。If you go into this novella with this approach then you'll find it a charming and at times heart breaking story。 It obviously has an environmental message and it occasionally veers close to being heavy handed in communicating the message， but the charm This is a fable， so it doesn't play by the same rules as regular prose。 We should not expect the plot to be plausible and the characters to be realistic。 Like all fables the text is a device for exploring ideas not a realistic depiction of events。If you go into this novella with this approach then you'll find it a charming and at times heart breaking story。 It obviously has an environmental message and it occasionally veers close to being heavy handed in communicating the message， but the charm of the story keeps it entertaining even when the reader may feel they are being preached at。If you really object to environmental messages then this isn't the book for you。 For the rest of us I can recommend this as a thoroughly enjoyable read。 。。。more
Kat
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4 trashy stars！ （out today！ July 20th！！！）**Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review。**#ThePastIsRed #NetGalleyPros+ future water-world dystopia where people live on floating garbage patches or boats+ humans of the past （known as "f*ckwits"） used up all earthly resources then died out as seas rose+ Garbagetown is sorted into trash types。 For example， Tetley is from Candletown， an area made of candle remnants， which flickers at night and smells good。 + Tetley （MC） is a 4 trashy stars！ （out today！ July 20th！！！）**Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review。**#ThePastIsRed #NetGalleyPros+ future water-world dystopia where people live on floating garbage patches or boats+ humans of the past （known as "f*ckwits"） used up all earthly resources then died out as seas rose+ Garbagetown is sorted into trash types。 For example， Tetley is from Candletown， an area made of candle remnants， which flickers at night and smells good。 + Tetley （MC） is a girl （10yo）， then young woman， then woman （29yo） who we follow as she lives， loves， and protects her beloved Garbagetown despite the consequences to herself。 + mood: relentless appreciation of life despite how terrible things get+ Tetley is bisexual/pansexual （has experiences with both a man and a woman on-page） although a label isn't named in-textNeutral/ Part of Tetley's daily life is verbal and physical abuse by everyone living on Garbagetown （a floating garbage patch） due to a past action。 Despite her being relentlessly positive， it is brutal to watch/read。 It may not be suitable for every reader。Cons- This book is both positive/hopeful and also very dark/brutalist。 The cover and description make it seem like it could be children's or YA lit and IT 100% IS NOT。 This is for adult readers only。TW: parental neglect， physical abuse/assault， verbal abuse （using words like b*tch， c*nt， wh*re。。。）， pill use， death 。。。more
Lynn Williams
，
5 of 5 starshttps://lynns-books。com/2021/07/19/th。。。My Five Word TL:DR Review : A modern day fairy taleI will start this review by saying short stories are not usually my thing， in fact I tend to avoid them because I know I’ll be left wanting more – and strangely enough， I want more of Tetley Abednego， but in this instance it’s not a criticism。 I want more because I can’t get enough of this character， this world， the words on the page， the emotional depth and the hope that is delivered in the fi 5 of 5 starshttps://lynns-books。com/2021/07/19/th。。。My Five Word TL:DR Review : A modern day fairy taleI will start this review by saying short stories are not usually my thing， in fact I tend to avoid them because I know I’ll be left wanting more – and strangely enough， I want more of Tetley Abednego， but in this instance it’s not a criticism。 I want more because I can’t get enough of this character， this world， the words on the page， the emotional depth and the hope that is delivered in the final pages。Valente has managed to write a story that on the face of it appears hopeless and yet she infuses this with her own whimsical style and instead of creating something bleak and full of doom comes up with a character who is so supremely hopeful， who sees the beauty in this strange world that is all she’s ever known and gives us a feeling that perhaps things could be better。Once upon a time a young girl， was born in Candlehole in a place known as Garbagetown。 Having managed to survive this strange and bizarre world， finding beauty in stories and looking for leftovers from the previous world before everything was covered in water， she became known as Tetley。 For a long period she was hated for a terrible mistake she made， although this was carried out in good faith。 She accepted her punishment， expecting sometimes to die on any given day and eventually she came to live alone – until she discovered she wasn’t alone at all。 The end。Obviously this is a story with a meaning behind it。 Valente handles this well and it isn’t the type of tale that feels like it’s preaching。 More， the author gives the story a kind of inevitability， the world is underwater， a handful of survivors live a bizarre life on a strange floating mass of waste left over from the days before everything went pear-shaped。 There’s a strange kind of irony that the rubbish from our throw away society becomes the means for life in this unusual story。This could be such a book of despair and yet it doesn’t go down that route。 For the survivors， they have never known any different so there isn’t the strange nostalgia of the ‘good old days’。 Instead， they have these mementoes from the past and they use them – not only to live but to create stories and myths。Tetley is a fantastic character to read。 She tells her tale simply， she doesn’t become involved in making excuses or feeling sorry for herself or blaming others。 It is what it is and I just loved her refreshingly direct manner。 I would happily read more in fact I would love to do so。I loved the writing。 Unlike garbagetown， which is made up of waste， Valente manages to give every word and sentence meaning。 Nothing is wasted here and to be honest she is a magnificent storyteller。 She grabbed my attention almost from the first page and I was hooked from there onwards。 She brings her creation to life in the mind’s eye with an ease that belies the difficulty of such an undertaking。Valente – I salute you。I received a copy through Netgalley， courtesy of the publisher， for which my thanks。 The above is my own opinion。 。。。more
M。
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Novella。 Loved it。 Weird timing to read this at the exact time a bunch of billionaires are trying to escape a dying planet。 Lovely， intelligent writing from the author of The Refrigerator Monologues， which I recommend all the time。Makes you think of how people inn the future， presuming they exist， will see us。
Bradley
，
I came to this latest book by Catherynne Valente （wonderful storytelling goddess that she is） thinking that I'd be reading another short story collection。This is not that。BUT。 It does have a new incarnation of biggest novelette in The Future is Blue from the collection by the same name， updated and filtered through a new lens。 You see the previous story was written through the lens of the 2016 election woes， giving us a very bleak post-apocalyptic eco-punk nightmare for our generations to come。 I came to this latest book by Catherynne Valente （wonderful storytelling goddess that she is） thinking that I'd be reading another short story collection。This is not that。BUT。 It does have a new incarnation of biggest novelette in The Future is Blue from the collection by the same name， updated and filtered through a new lens。 You see the previous story was written through the lens of the 2016 election woes， giving us a very bleak post-apocalyptic eco-punk nightmare for our generations to come。 The old story was quite apt， living in Garbage Town and having leaders be named after old， partially expired medications from the world of the fuckwits， （I。E。， *US*）。But no worries， folks。 This updated version of that tale is much longer， and quite updated to show us a little hope through the much darker lens of our PRESENT day。 You know， the day that just keeps laughing at 2016 because we JUST HAD TO TELL IT TO HOLD OUR BEER。The story is quite an upgrade。 Hell， I wouldn't be surprised or even displeased if it became a full novel eventually。 Valente has wonderful SF。 Clever， detailed， gloriously vicious。 And， just so we don't grow so complacent， she makes sure that we taste the full spectrum of emotions including happiness， and even hope when by all rights we really shouldn't have any of that。One little note: I LOVE that little lava lamp。 You'll know what I mean when you read it。 All in all， this is the superior tale and yet I still don't have a problem re-reading the parts that I had just read in the previous collection。 It's just that good。 。。。more
Jazz
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I approached The Past is Red with gallons of glee and a drop of trepidation。 Plenty of books disappoint me， even ones written by my favorite authors。 I am happy to report The Past is Red is the hopepunk tale of the apocalypse I have been waiting for。 Reading it felt like seeing my name up in lights on a marquee--surreal and marvelous。 It filled me with warm feelings for humanity at large because if our narrator Tetley， someone with plenty of pain in her life， can love the future， so can I。The Pa I approached The Past is Red with gallons of glee and a drop of trepidation。 Plenty of books disappoint me， even ones written by my favorite authors。 I am happy to report The Past is Red is the hopepunk tale of the apocalypse I have been waiting for。 Reading it felt like seeing my name up in lights on a marquee--surreal and marvelous。 It filled me with warm feelings for humanity at large because if our narrator Tetley， someone with plenty of pain in her life， can love the future， so can I。The Past is Red begins with Catherynne M。 Valente's novella The Future is Blue and expands the story of the narrator。 In Part I， Tetley Abednego is the most optimistic girl in Garbagetown。 Despite living on a floating garbage heap in the ocean centuries after the oceans rose high enough to swallow all dry land on Earth， Tetley finds beauty and hope all around her。 Her best friends are an elephant seal named Big Bargains， a gannet bird called Grapecrush， and her twin brother Maruchan。 She finds solace in her savior St。 Oscar the Grouch。 When the mobile theme park Brighton Pier arrives in town with news of dry land， all of Garbagetown prepares to turn on their engine to get there--a journey that will use all of the electricity that powers the town。 When Tetley discovers a terrible secret， she makes a choice that turns her into the most hated girl in Garbagetown， and she learns the brutal lesson that no good deed goes unpunished。In Part II， Tetley is some years older， and still suffering the consequences of her choice。 She's also still the most optimistic girl in Garbagetown， albeit one who lives on a boat circling the garbage heap。 Told in alternating timelines， Tetley recounts how she made the choice to flee her punishment only to end up tricked into being the wife of a self-proclaimed king for 13 whole days。 Along the way she meets the acquaintance of a mysterious talking machine she calls Mister and the girl Big Red Mars， the only person to never hate her。 What unfolds is beautiful， tragic， and wondrous。It is unusual to find a bright and bubbly narrator in Valente's work， which is part of what makes Tetley's voice so thrilling。 Long-time fans and newcomers will find Valente at her best， relishing in elaborate sentences packed with imagery that sort of make you want to visit Garbagetown despite it being the result of decadence and apathy towards the climate crisis left behind by the Fuckwits （that's you and me， dear reader）。 I want to pull the tangled string of baby dolls so they wail at me like "the death of joy" as saltwater pours from their mouths， which I like to imagine arcs in high-order Bézier curves reminiscent of a fountain。 I want to visit Tetley in her house made of wax candles and compliment her on her moringa tree。 Then I want to go home。 Of course， the tragedy of Garbagetown is that you can't visit。 Once you're there， you're stuck。 You're stuck among a group of humans with a concept of happiness so narrow that they would rather be told a lie they know is a lie than process the truth because a lie is so much easier to live with。Much of the tension in the novel comes from the inability of others to understand Tetley。 Why is she so happy when everyone wants her to be miserable？ Why does she love Garbagetown when everyone else wants to leave？ It's true that optimism can sometimes be insufferable， but our girl Tetley does not engage in toxic positivity。 She very much understands the sorry state of the world， but still appreciates humanity's innate goal， that North Star guiding every one of us: survival。In her afterword， Valente writes， "The oceans can erase our cities， but they cannot drown our existential malaise。" I agree with Valente's point here。 It is easy and even comforting to be defeatist about humanity's existence， to want someone else to call the shots。 That's why people like Tetley are necessary to help us progress。 We are going to survive whether we like it or not。 Yet to move forward， to change， to make things right， we need someone to tell us the truths we do not want to hear。As for why Tetley has so much hope， consider this。 The citizens of Garbagetown may live on a hideous trash heap， but what a miracle it is that they still live， worship， and love。 It is with great pleasure I assure you this view of the apocalypse does not come with roving gangs of cannibals。 Grimdark can launch itself to Mars in Tetley's world。If you want a soundtrack to accompany this brilliant book， fire up David Bowie's Scary Monsters （and Super Creeps）。 There's a reference to the track "Ashes to Ashes" in chapter four， and the album encapsulates the tone of the book perfectly。 。。。more
The Book Gawdess
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I received a free advance reader's copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily。Let me start by saying this review would include obscene language。 Tetley is such a sweet character that you can't help but love her。 She's an inhabitant in a post apocalyptic world created after the "Fuckwits" （I assumed that's our generation） destroyed the past world。 She's hated by everyone after some major catastrophe she caused （no details but I read between the lines）。 Everyone who meets her beats her o I received a free advance reader's copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily。Let me start by saying this review would include obscene language。 Tetley is such a sweet character that you can't help but love her。 She's an inhabitant in a post apocalyptic world created after the "Fuckwits" （I assumed that's our generation） destroyed the past world。 She's hated by everyone after some major catastrophe she caused （no details but I read between the lines）。 Everyone who meets her beats her or tells her the most awful things yet she still finds beauty in her life and Garbagetown （the floating island made of garbage where she lives）。 The only bitterness I got from her was when she mentioned the Fuckwits。 The story was written in first person through her eyes and I really loved her perspective。 However， everytime someone hit her or told her vile things I cringed。 It made me feel the same way it would to see a puppy get kicked。The author described this new world quite well。 I loved the words used to illustrate the various environments Tetley found herself in。 I knew that the world was literally trash but it sounded gorgeous。 I felt sad throughout this story， though， mainly because I knew what would have happened for this world to be created。 This story made me think seriously about climate change and what can eventually happen if we don't start treating it as the disaster it can eventually become。 There's some sexual content and obscene language and quite a bit of violence towards Tetley。 This book should be read by older teens or adults。 。。。more
Anthony
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In The Past is Red， Catherynne M。 Valente’s novella-length expansion of her short story “The Future is Blue，” Tetley Abednego navigates life as the most hated girl （and later， woman） in Garbagetown with a combination of complacency and curiosity。 Tetley’s first-person narration is engaging， reminding me of the way older people who are not accustomed to visitors will enthusiastically share their life story。 Words and scenes come out in a rush of lush detail interspersed with moments of deep intro In The Past is Red， Catherynne M。 Valente’s novella-length expansion of her short story “The Future is Blue，” Tetley Abednego navigates life as the most hated girl （and later， woman） in Garbagetown with a combination of complacency and curiosity。 Tetley’s first-person narration is engaging， reminding me of the way older people who are not accustomed to visitors will enthusiastically share their life story。 Words and scenes come out in a rush of lush detail interspersed with moments of deep introspection or pain or longing for what has been lost。Tetley does not waste time or energy on longing for what was lost in the collapse of civilization precipitated by the rising of ocean levels – she and her contemporaries call those who lived before the rising waters “fuckwits” and blame them what happened to the world。 And yet， as the novel goes on， it becomes apparent that some things are ingrained in human nature and will never change。 Regardless， there’s a certain amount of curiosity about life pre-flood evident in the details Tetley shares， such as when she discovers a long-lost award for “best wife。” She may not be able to mourn a world she never knew， having been born a generation or more after everything flooded， but she can certainly express interest in it while she describes the world she actually inhabits。The fact that Tetley exists as a social outcast in her own world colors the way she describes it。 She tells us several times that Garbagetown – the former Pacific Ocean floating garbage patch that has solidified enough that people can live on it – is the most beautiful place on the Earth。 I can’t help but feel her outcast status infuses her opinion with a certain amount of nostalgia for something that never really was。 The first arrivals on the patch sorted the trash to create districts （“Candle Town，” “Electric City，” “Aluminumopolis，” and so on） that have become somewhat rigid and codified and even judgmental of each other。 Cycles of “haves and have-nots” repeat even in places where people have truly little。The first half of the novella is comprised of the original short story， which I had never read， and introduces us to Tetley， her estranged family， her first love， and the society around her。 We never get to see the event that turned her into the most hated girl in Garbagetown， but we do get to see the aftermath and her on-going punishment。 Valente doesn’t spell out the worst of it， but plenty of violence is done unto Tetley throughout the first half of the book – violence she must accept humbly， and which someday could result in her death。 It’s a tough dichotomy to get used to – Tetley’s clearly enthusiastic personality and the way she draws into herself when she gets visitors， not knowing what will happen and if this will be the time they kill her。The second half of the novella is narrated from a later vantage point in Tetley’s life。 Her enthusiasm for telling her story is still the same， but she’s learned more about the world outside of Garbagetown and has a new place to live。 This expansion of what she （and therefore we） knows allows the story to breath and prevents it from becoming repetitive。 It also allows a peak into Tetley’s dreams。 Valente allows Tetley to mislead us a couple of times， describing what she wishes would have happened before telling us what really did。 I don’t think this quite makes her an unreliable narrator， but it did make me question some of the narrative – which I think was the author’s intent。 Tetley is still convinced that what she did， while devastating to her fellow citizens， was the right thing to do to save them from a worse fate。 Nothing in the book directly contradicts this belief， but when Tetley is faced with making a similar choice will she decide the price she’s already paid is worth making people hate her all over again？The Past is Red is more than just a look at the world post-climate-change。 It’s a rumination on acceptance， complacency， curiosity， and the ways in which knowledge can be freeing or can be a burden。I received an Advance Reading Copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 THE PAST IS RED will be published on July 20， 2021。 。。。more
Jess
，
In talking about The Past is Red， I have to first talk about Valente’s afterword。 In it， she details that she wanted this post-apocalypse not to look back on our “world” as something beautiful but as the mess we are。 And I find that in this to be a great strength。 Also I find a lot to relate to when it comes to the sentiment。 In our current world， both during and before the pandemic， there was this idea that the world how is used to be was perfect。 It is what we want everything to be again。 But， In talking about The Past is Red， I have to first talk about Valente’s afterword。 In it， she details that she wanted this post-apocalypse not to look back on our “world” as something beautiful but as the mess we are。 And I find that in this to be a great strength。 Also I find a lot to relate to when it comes to the sentiment。 In our current world， both during and before the pandemic， there was this idea that the world how is used to be was perfect。 It is what we want everything to be again。 But， as with the world of Garbagetown， the past is gone。 While the overall story of Tetley paints a picture about a world post climate change catastrophe that we ourselves brought on， it also rings to true to those who cling to what was and refuse to embrace what we have。 We can waste all of our resources on grasping at the ghost of the past or we can keep ourselves alive and focus on now。 We learn from that past but move on。 Maybe I got the wrong message from Valente’s novella。 I felt a lot of things reading it， even if it was a short read。 That is the mark of something well done。 。。。more
Siavahda
，
HIGHLIGHTS~All hail St Oscar of the Trashcan~sometimes you have to save the idiots from themselves~a lot of the time， actually~garbage is precious tooDepending on how you look at it， The Past Is Red is either incredibly depressing or incredibly hopeful – and I don’t think that’s an accident。If you’ve read Valente’s anthology， The Future Is Blue， then you already know Tetley。 If you haven’t， that’s okay – the short story the anthology is titled after is the first part of The Past Is Red， so in pi HIGHLIGHTS~All hail St Oscar of the Trashcan~sometimes you have to save the idiots from themselves~a lot of the time， actually~garbage is precious tooDepending on how you look at it， The Past Is Red is either incredibly depressing or incredibly hopeful – and I don’t think that’s an accident。If you’ve read Valente’s anthology， The Future Is Blue， then you already know Tetley。 If you haven’t， that’s okay – the short story the anthology is titled after is the first part of The Past Is Red， so in picking up this book， you have absolutely everything you need to fully appreciate it。 And there is a lot to appreciate。I don’t think that’s an accident either。Rubbing a seal’s stomach is the opposite of nihilism。 Tetley lives in Garbagetown， a floating not-land inspired by the very real North Atlantic garbage patch。 There may be a handful of other sea-drifting cities， and there’s at least one band of performers that travels back and forth between them， but for the most part humanity is gone – wiped out by environmental collapse and most especially risen sea levels。There are some things you just can’t ever get back。 Years。 Gannet birds。 Husbands。 Antartica。 Or rather， wiped out by themselves， the Fuckwits – that’s us， by the way， you and me and we – whose gluttony and laziness and entitlement caused that collapse。There is something bitterly hilarious in seeing the people of our time universally referred to as The Fuckwits; I remember genuinely laughing， the first time I read The Future Is Blue in 2018。 Maybe it’s just the general malaise of *waves vaguely at everything*， but it felt much more bitter this time around。 Still funny， but almost too on the nose when I’m feeling this raw about the state of the world。Still accurate， though。ANYway。I don’t know how long it’s been since I loved a character as much as I love Tetley。 I think most of us would consider it horrifically awful and depressing to be living on a giant garbage heap， but Tetley sees so much beauty in it that instead it feels almost like some fairytale realm。 It’s a dissonance that reminds me of Room by Emma Donoghue， and other books with narrators who are not so much unreliable as genuinely don’t comprehend what’s going on。 The reader can see how angry and bitter the people around Tetley are， how unhappy they are， but Tetley really and truly doesn’t get it， because to her， the world she has is beautiful。 The world they have is beautiful。 Yes， lots of things are hard or outright impossible now， but look at what they do have！ It’s just stupid pointless greed to want more。“the kind of hope I have isn’t just greed going by its maiden name。 The kind of hope I have doesn’t begin and end with demanding everything go back to the way it was when it can’t， it can’t ever， that’s not how time works， and it’s not how oceans work， either。” And people hate her for it。Read the rest at Every Book a Doorway！ 。。。more
Tammy
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The nitty-gritty: Fragments of an old， dead world become something quite new in this emotional and surprisingly hopeful post apocalyptic tale。Catherynne M。 Valente is truly one of a kind。 I have never read another author that comes close to matching her whimsical writing style， so when I picked up The Past is Red， I knew I would be reading something unique and special。 And wow， this blew me away。 If you’ve read her novel Radiance， then you will have some idea of what to expect （in terms of style The nitty-gritty: Fragments of an old， dead world become something quite new in this emotional and surprisingly hopeful post apocalyptic tale。Catherynne M。 Valente is truly one of a kind。 I have never read another author that comes close to matching her whimsical writing style， so when I picked up The Past is Red， I knew I would be reading something unique and special。 And wow， this blew me away。 If you’ve read her novel Radiance， then you will have some idea of what to expect （in terms of style and boundless imagination）。 You might recognize the first section in the book called The Future is Blue， which was published as a short story in 2018。 Apparently Valente had more to say about Tetley and Garbagetown， which resulted in this novella。In the future， Earth has been devastated by climate change and the land has disappeared under the seas， and except for a handful of scattered survivors， everyone is long dead。 Tetley and her twin brother Maruchan were born on a huge， floating island of garbage called Garbagetown and don't know any other way of life。 Tetley’s story is divided up into two sections: first， when she is about seventeen， we are introduced to her life in Garbagetown， her fateful meeting with a boy named Goodnight Moon， and an unexpected act of violence that turns everyone in Garbagetown against her。 The second section takes place when Tetley， now twenty-nine， is living by herself on a boat， having left her beloved Garbagetown after a series of events。 It’s during this section that she recounts those adventures， taken against her will from her home in Candle Hole to a place called Pill Hill where she reunites with Goodnight Moon。 The story alternates between the past and present， as Tetley paints a strange yet magical picture of post apocalyptic life atop an ever shifting pile of garbage。The Past is Red doesn’t have a driving plot， so much as it’s a series of slice of life events that happen to Tetley over the course of about nineteen years。 I happen to love stories like this， and combined with Valente’s descriptions of her unusual world， I found this such a joy to read。 I want to talk about Tetley first， as she is a wonderful character。 Valente gives her a childlike innocence that was so endearing。 She knows nothing about Earth as it used to be—the world that the fuckwits destroyed with their selfish ways （"fuckwits" being us）—except through artifacts of the past。 Throughout Garbagetown are piles and piles of items that survived the floods: books， electronics， maps， cassette tapes， clothing and much more， items we would call “junk” but which Tetley and the others in Garbagetown consider to be treasures。 I loved the moments when Tetley discovered something new， like a menu from the Dorchester Hotel， and the way she gleefully read the menu items， not really understanding what they are but reveling in the idea of “chicken drizzled with a balsamic reduction and rosemary honey” anyway。One of Tetley’s most beloved possessions is an Oscar the Grouch backpack， and I loved the way she treats Oscar as a family member， rather than an inanimate object。 It’s clear that Tetley is damaged in many ways。 She’s physically abused by her “friends” in Garbagetown， after an act of destruction turns her into a pariah， but she knows what she did was wrong and takes these beatings in stride。 It was heartbreaking to read these sections， but her optimism and love of Garbagetown allows her to rise about the pain and keep living。 Her relationships with people are inconsistent and often disappointing， but she has a few constant animal companions who make her days more bearable。Valente’s world of Garbagetown was unexpectedly magical。 You wouldn’t think piles of garbage would be fun to read about， but I was fascinated by the different parts of Garbagetown: Candle Hole （where Tetley lives） is made up of melted candles and smells like them too; Pill Hill is where all the drugs and pill bottles have ended up; Electric City has batteries and machines and solar panels， and you get the picture。 There is a floating pier that occasionally stops to visit and put on a show， and there is always the possibility that somewhere out there， dry land exists。 Valente’s tale is a cautionary one about taking care of our planet， but I also loved her message about nature always coming back， no matter what humans do to destroy it。 Tetley has a hibiscus flower that has bloomed on her roof， and I loved this little touch of wild nature， proof that Earth has started the healing process。My favorite part of the story， though， is when Tetley acquires a smooth black object that looks like a paperweight， but turns out to be oh so much more。 If you’ve read the Rampart Trilogy by M。R。 Carey， you will love this part， because it reminded me a lot of Koli and Monono and their relationship。 This object， named “Mister，” leads Tetley to a truly amazing discovery， which elevated the story to another level entirely。I literally burst into tears at the end， when something was revealed that I wasn’t expecting。 I love when books hit me with an emotional punch like this。 It doesn’t happen very often， but when it does， I know I’ve found a very special book。Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy。 。。。more
Melissa Nowark
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“Humans are trash， therefore we are holy。 Humans are filth; therefore we are blessed。 Amen。”Tetley lives in Candle Hole， a town made purely of discarded candles on Garbagetown， a floating island of trash。 She meets Goodnight Moon in Electric City， the only place left with any kind of power。 This is where the rich people of Garbagetown live。When a traveling circus comes through promising dry land， the hopes of the residents skyrocket。 One of the carnies breaks Tetley’s bubble though: they’re lyin “Humans are trash， therefore we are holy。 Humans are filth; therefore we are blessed。 Amen。”Tetley lives in Candle Hole， a town made purely of discarded candles on Garbagetown， a floating island of trash。 She meets Goodnight Moon in Electric City， the only place left with any kind of power。 This is where the rich people of Garbagetown live。When a traveling circus comes through promising dry land， the hopes of the residents skyrocket。 One of the carnies breaks Tetley’s bubble though: they’re lying。 They’ve never seen dry land。 As Garbagetown prepares to find the dry land， Tetley does something terrible in their eyes and becomes a pariah。I really enjoyed The Past Is Red！ It’s set in two parts: The Future is Blue， which is Tetley’s childhood and early adult years， and The Past is Red， which is Tetley’s older adult years。 Tetley was a great character。 I love how she kept her optimism no matter what happened。While this may seem a fun story about pill bottles and tags of cheese， it really is a climate change story。 It is very serious。 The characters lament constantly on the fact they do not have a choice in whether or not they can throw out half-used items， or waste water， or waste power。 They are forced in this life。 But Tetley doesn’t see that as a bad thing。 She sees that this is the one life we have， we may as well enjoy it instead of looking toward the could-have-been。 Thank you to Net Galley， Tordotcom， and Catherynne M。 Valente for this advanced review copy！ The Past is Red releases on Tuesday， July 20th。 。。。more
Dana
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TL;DR: The Past is Red is undeniably gritty， quirky and fun， but the slow pace of the plot dampened my initial interest and I DNF at 30%。 I requested this title on NetGalley because I had read and enjoyed Valente’s unique re-imagining of the Russian folktale， The Death of Koschei。 I was immediately drawn into The Past is Red because it is WEIRD。 I love books that surprise me; and Valente’s abundant， inventive swearing and funny， biting prose did that for me in the first chapter alone。 Despite be TL;DR: The Past is Red is undeniably gritty， quirky and fun， but the slow pace of the plot dampened my initial interest and I DNF at 30%。 I requested this title on NetGalley because I had read and enjoyed Valente’s unique re-imagining of the Russian folktale， The Death of Koschei。 I was immediately drawn into The Past is Red because it is WEIRD。 I love books that surprise me; and Valente’s abundant， inventive swearing and funny， biting prose did that for me in the first chapter alone。 Despite being set in a horrifying future where all land has been submerged and the remainder of humanity lives on floating refuse， I loved how totally flippant the tone of the first-person narrator， Tetley， is。 The references to various cultural artifacts that now make up the garbage landscape were also humorous and creative。 BUT as I kept reading on， the writing and plot simply didn’t evolve much。 At 30% I decided to call it quits and DNF。 The things I was surprised and delighted by at the start felt overdone a third of the way in， and I still hadn’t learned anything about Garbagetown， Tetley， or why everyone physically and verbally abuses her。If you can stick it out， there is sure to be a big reveal about what Tetley did to become so despised in Garbagetown; I just lacked the patience。 Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for giving me advance access to this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Shannon （It Starts At Midnight）
，
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight Wow so I fell in love hard with this one。 And I won't pretend that I am not a little surprised by just how much。 Sure， I thought it would be entertaining and fun。 But I had no idea how much heart it would have。 So when you look at the synopsis and think "um girl living on garbage？" and are skeptical。。。 well look， it's only 160 pages， what have you got to lose？I loved Tetley from the firs You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight Wow so I fell in love hard with this one。 And I won't pretend that I am not a little surprised by just how much。 Sure， I thought it would be entertaining and fun。 But I had no idea how much heart it would have。 So when you look at the synopsis and think "um girl living on garbage？" and are skeptical。。。 well look， it's only 160 pages， what have you got to lose？I loved Tetley from the first page。 She is hilarious， but also very sharp。 This creates problems for Tetley， since， as we should all know by now， people are often quite keen to revel in their ignorance。 But Tetley isn't just smart， she has such a lovely insight， and a really positive outlook on life despite how easy it would be for her to hate it all。The world itself is， as you can imagine， not great， when the best you have to offer is piles of trash。 Basically， Earth has flooded， and the only way humanity has been able to survive at all is via random outposts of our own past （well， Tetley's past， our current） besmirchment。 And as always， people can be cruel and selfish。 The world itself， and the turns the story takes in general， definitely surprised me， in the best possible way。Bottom Line: I could not put this book down， nor did I ever want it to end。 Tetley had my whole heart from the start， and I fell wholly in love with her story。 。。。more
Alejandra
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* Thanks to Macmillan-Tor/Forge and Netgalley for an advance copy for review purposes *"The Past is Red" is quite a punch in the gut， while also filled with the hope。 The story is told from the perspective of a young girl， Tetley， who lives in Garbagetown， a floating pile of garbage that sustains human life in a not so distant future where climate change has caused the ice caps to melt， and the entire surface of the Earth to be swallowed by water。 Tetley's life is rough， but she holds so much op * Thanks to Macmillan-Tor/Forge and Netgalley for an advance copy for review purposes *"The Past is Red" is quite a punch in the gut， while also filled with the hope。 The story is told from the perspective of a young girl， Tetley， who lives in Garbagetown， a floating pile of garbage that sustains human life in a not so distant future where climate change has caused the ice caps to melt， and the entire surface of the Earth to be swallowed by water。 Tetley's life is rough， but she holds so much optimism and hope， based on acceptance。 while others sink into despair and violence once their only source of hope is gone。I had previously read "Space Opera"， from the same author。 "The Past is Red" is an entirely different beast， with no humour whatsoever （although some of the things like Oscar the Grouch being elevated to deity status by Tetley are kind of funny in a sad way）， I don't expect it to be as polarizing as "Space Opera" was。"The Past is Red" leans into popular culture to stress its point - humanity is very adaptable， but our tendency to dole out blame and to abdicate personal responsibility in lieu of comfort remains。 Its most poignant moments come from looking at our current days of abundance from a perspective of scarcity - a scene involving piles of trophies was particularly powerful in highlighting what we actually value versus what it seems we would value when looking at what is left behind。The structure of the book can be a little confusing at points， as it alternates between the voice of a 17 year old girl and a 29 year old girl， but they don't sound that different。 Based on clues of the environment， it is straight forward to put stuff in the correct timeline。 The ending is a double punch and quite in line with the little faith in human kind one can have these days when looking at the news or straying into social media。 There was never much background provided regarding the attitude of Tetley's parents toward her prior to the big incident， other than the way she spoke （but that was due to Tetley already noticing a difference in treatment between her and her twin brother）。 I wish that had been fleshed out a little more to truly understand the society depicted， but there is only so much fleshing out that can be done on a novella。 For a very short read， this is one that will stick in my head for a long time。 I keep mulling over the scene in the trophy room 。 Do we still have time to be truly alive？ 。。。more
Stacy40pages
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The Past Is Red by Catherynne M。 Valente。 Thanks to @tordotcom for the gifted copy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️“My name is Tetley Abednego and I am the most beloved girl in Garbagetown。” After an incident， Tetley is hated by Garbagetown。 Residents can do anything they want to her by law， except kill her。 She stays away from land as much as possible， on her pontoon boat， with her very best friends。 This was such a unique and interesting read。 While I like dystopian reads， I don’t like ones that are too fantasy-esque The Past Is Red by Catherynne M。 Valente。 Thanks to @tordotcom for the gifted copy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️“My name is Tetley Abednego and I am the most beloved girl in Garbagetown。” After an incident， Tetley is hated by Garbagetown。 Residents can do anything they want to her by law， except kill her。 She stays away from land as much as possible， on her pontoon boat， with her very best friends。 This was such a unique and interesting read。 While I like dystopian reads， I don’t like ones that are too fantasy-esque if that makes sense。 This one made a lot of sense。 There was some world building in the beginning to understand what happened and what the current world was like， but it wasn’t difficult to understand。 The story did jump around a little bit and I lost the timeline a few times， but i still enjoyed the read。 Behind the dystopian environment， there was a pretty good coming of age story。。 and even some romance。 PS。 This is a novella。 It is 150 pages but packs a powerful punch。 “But you can’t imagine what you’re going to care about when you turn into the version of you that’s waiting on the other side of five years from now。 That’s a stranger waiting to ambush you， and all you can do is plant your feet and try not to get thrown。”The Past Is Red comes out 7/20。 。。。more
Taylor
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I hadn’t read a novella in a while， so I was excited when I got my hands on this one！The Past is Red is a fascinating post-apocalyptic satire。A quick synopsis: Tetley lives on a literal pile of trash that’s floating in the ocean， after an environmental apocalypse destroys most of Earth。 As a child， she made a big mistake that caused a lot of people in Garbagetown to hate her。 But soon， she makes a new friend – and a discovery。At first， I wasn’t quite sure about this one。 It was a bit odd – almos I hadn’t read a novella in a while， so I was excited when I got my hands on this one！The Past is Red is a fascinating post-apocalyptic satire。A quick synopsis: Tetley lives on a literal pile of trash that’s floating in the ocean， after an environmental apocalypse destroys most of Earth。 As a child， she made a big mistake that caused a lot of people in Garbagetown to hate her。 But soon， she makes a new friend – and a discovery。At first， I wasn’t quite sure about this one。 It was a bit odd – almost dreamlike。 But everything started making more sense and it quickly pulled me in！This story is super imaginative and unique。 You definitely won’t ever read another book just like it。 It’s also pretty strange， but for the most part it worked for me （and it made me think！）。It was much more poignant than I was expecting， based on its slim appearance。 But it tackled some really deep questions/themes centering around the environment， humanity， and survival。Overall， this novella is definitely worth the read。 The main character had such a unique voice， and the story itself is one I won’t forget！ **Thank you Tordotcom for the gifted review copy 。。。more
USOM
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（Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgalley。 This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest。） The Past is Red tells the story of a world swallowed by water。 In which they find mementos of times passed drifting by as life rafts。 The ways that humanity is able to survive from ashes and remains， from literal trash。 But our concept of life is， in some ways， irreparably changed， while motives like greed， manipulation， and love remain central to who we are。 Where The Past is Red go （Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgalley。 This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest。） The Past is Red tells the story of a world swallowed by water。 In which they find mementos of times passed drifting by as life rafts。 The ways that humanity is able to survive from ashes and remains， from literal trash。 But our concept of life is， in some ways， irreparably changed， while motives like greed， manipulation， and love remain central to who we are。 Where The Past is Red got me is in the world building。 All these questions about how life as we know it changes。 The ways language is susceptible to change and （mis）use。 How we make sense of families， loyalty， and community afloat。 And then The Past is Red morphs into a story about hope。 How intoxicating hope can be， how manipulating it can be。 It seems to shimmer before our eyes like a mirage， beckoning from momentarily gilded hands。 Showing us a glimpse of a future that could be ours。full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind。com/revi。。。 。。。more
Metaphorosis
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4。5 stars， Metaphorosis ReviewsSummary Tetley Abednego lives on the only solid surface around - Garbagetown， formed from a great patch of garbage in what used to be the Pacific， but is now just one big world ocean。 She's a girl with principles and determination， and when she acts to save Garbagetown's resources from waste， she's willing to pay the price， with a smile on her face。 Review My average book rating is just about 3。0， and I sometimes wonder how that is， when I feel I’m giving so many b 4。5 stars， Metaphorosis ReviewsSummary Tetley Abednego lives on the only solid surface around - Garbagetown， formed from a great patch of garbage in what used to be the Pacific， but is now just one big world ocean。 She's a girl with principles and determination， and when she acts to save Garbagetown's resources from waste， she's willing to pay the price， with a smile on her face。 Review My average book rating is just about 3。0， and I sometimes wonder how that is， when I feel I’m giving so many books 2 or 2。5 star ratings。 The answer is books like this one。I know little about Catherynne Valente; I liked one of her stories in an anthology once， and have read one or two others。 Still， I’ve heard the name often enough that I was interested to pick up this novella。 While it’s technically in two parts， they read as an integrated whole。Tetley Abednego， the protagonist of the book， has a fun， but unusual voice， and I feared I’d tire of it before the end of the book， but I never did （here， the book’s short span may work in its favor）。 She’s a relentless optimist in a truly trashy world， and – aside from a muddled sequence here or there – a delight to spend time with， even when very bad things are happening to and around her。 The central romantic element of the story doesn’t quite work， and the love interest’s back story doesn’t quite make sense， but the story as a whole does work and does make sense， largely due to Tetley’s quirky personality。Valente has envisioned a depressing world， but her protagonist is so upbeat that you tend to forget about it， in part because – as Valente points out in an afterword – this is the world Tetley knows and accepts。 The fact that it’s a world devastated by ‘fuckwits’ （that’s us） doesn’t really bother her。In short， this is a fun book。 Read it。 I’ve got some more of Valente’s writing on my TBR shelf， and I’m looking forward to getting it down。I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
julia ☆ [owls reads]
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The Past Is Red was a pretty cool and quick read， but it wasn't really for me。 The premise was interesting and the amount of detail and world-building， especially for a novella， was excellent！ Valente painted a vivid picture of life post-humans ruining everything and it was pretty fun reading about how people made a home out of what was left。That said， some of the execution was at times confusing and I'm sure quite a bit of the social commentary just went over my head。 The writing style was real The Past Is Red was a pretty cool and quick read， but it wasn't really for me。 The premise was interesting and the amount of detail and world-building， especially for a novella， was excellent！ Valente painted a vivid picture of life post-humans ruining everything and it was pretty fun reading about how people made a home out of what was left。That said， some of the execution was at times confusing and I'm sure quite a bit of the social commentary just went over my head。 The writing style was really super mega not my favorite and that did impact my reading experience and comprehension。 There was a lot of emotion in it， though， and Tetley's perspective was sweet and utterly heartbreaking。 。。。more
Nicole Field
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This was such a weird and interesting read。 Even though it goes through 3 different periods of Tetley's life， it really does read like it is two distinct sections。 There's a reason for that， as the author describes in her afterword。 The first half of this novel was a short story that appeared in an anthology。 It was written before the 2016 election。 The second half is a much less optimistic piece that was written after the 2016 election。 Unlike the first half， which starts where Tetley is 9 year This was such a weird and interesting read。 Even though it goes through 3 different periods of Tetley's life， it really does read like it is two distinct sections。 There's a reason for that， as the author describes in her afterword。 The first half of this novel was a short story that appeared in an anthology。 It was written before the 2016 election。 The second half is a much less optimistic piece that was written after the 2016 election。 Unlike the first half， which starts where Tetley is 9 years old and then goes to when she's 17， the whole of the second section takes place while Tetley is 29 years old。The weird thing for me is that， all the way through this 20 year period， the voice of the first person narrator is。。。 kind of the same。 I realise that this is a character who is uneducated as， after the end of the world， where most people she knows are sailing around on floating garbage， there's no such thing as schools。 So Tetley's language doesn't evolve like one might expect from an adult in our world。 This likely was deliberate， but it was strange。 A big thing that happens between first and second parts of this book is described but never actually shown。 Tetley is despised for actions she took against the idea that there was solid land， which would lead those around her to uselessly use their remaining resources on a false hope。 The fact that we don't actually see this happening really does lead to us wondering whether Tetley was reasonable in the act that she took that effected the life of so many around her。 Tetley is a self admitted unreliable narrator。 At times， she branches into things that she wishes had happened， such as last words with her twin。 This sometimes makes it difficult to read what is true and what is her dream version of things。 I did， however， love the return of Goodnight Moon in the latter part of this book， and the brief backstory of what he had gone through while we'd been focusing on Tetley。 。。。more
Tony
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http://www。arfarina。com/home/the-past。。。Catherynne M Valente's latest work， which is really a combination of a previous story， The Future is Blue， with it's sequel， The Past is Red， asks a question of it's readers。 What will happen to humanity when we finally destroy the earth？ Pretty heavy stuff that in the hands of some other writer could possibly turn preachy and trite， but in Valente's more than capable hands， this book is neither of those things。 There are big questions asked here and dire http://www。arfarina。com/home/the-past。。。Catherynne M Valente's latest work， which is really a combination of a previous story， The Future is Blue， with it's sequel， The Past is Red， asks a question of it's readers。 What will happen to humanity when we finally destroy the earth？ Pretty heavy stuff that in the hands of some other writer could possibly turn preachy and trite， but in Valente's more than capable hands， this book is neither of those things。 There are big questions asked here and dire warnings issued for those who want to see them。 It isn't even subtext， it is text。 However， Valente manages to keep the readers going because she is such a gifted storyteller。 At times， I laughed out loud and three sentences later I had to take a break because I was uncomfortable and I had to sit with what I was reading。 The hero of these stories， Tetley Abednego， is honestly one of the most likeable and trustworthy narrators I have stumbled across in some time。 She tells us her ugly， horrible truths all the time and in doing so， we can't help but love her。 This is one of those books that will sit with you for a long time when you close the back cover。 I received this ARC from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review。 Please， preorder this book now！ 。。。more
Mike
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This book was bizarre （in a good way）。 It was my first Cat Valente book， and it certainly has me curious to read more of her stuff。 I’d call it almost， but not quite， a New Weird dystopia。 Throw in a completely nonlinear approach to telling the story， along with some episodes where the narrator tells you what she would have *liked* to have happened （but doesn’t specify that until afterwards）， and the whole thing left my head spinning in a manner reminiscent of *Catch-22*。It’s set in the future， This book was bizarre （in a good way）。 It was my first Cat Valente book， and it certainly has me curious to read more of her stuff。 I’d call it almost， but not quite， a New Weird dystopia。 Throw in a completely nonlinear approach to telling the story， along with some episodes where the narrator tells you what she would have *liked* to have happened （but doesn’t specify that until afterwards）， and the whole thing left my head spinning in a manner reminiscent of *Catch-22*。It’s set in the future， when the Earth has warmed and the seas have risen to the point where the entire surface has been covered with water。 Our protagonist is Tetley （named after the tea）， a resident of Garbagetown。 Garbagetown is a floating island made of literal trash， where people survive on the remnants of the civilization that wrecked the planet。 Tetley is an optimist， a very happy person （she insists） and life in Garbagetown is just *amazing* even if no one appreciates it like her， especially all her neighbors who regularly beat her and whom she then has to thank for their instruction。This book is chock full of social commentary on consumer culture， broadly defined。 I certainly felt keenly aware that I was reading the book on my Kindle， or sometimes my phone if it was more convenient， in a comfortably air conditioned house。 The literal trash of our society is enough to sustain Garbagetown for generations。 And yet the citizens of Garbagetown have learned very little。 They dream of a future where dry land will emerge， and where they can all have plenty of food and air conditioning and gerbils and medicine and cars and jacuzzis （most of them aren’t sure what a jacuzzi is， but it sure sounds nice）。 As Valente said in the afterward， “The oceans can erase our cities， but they cannot drown our existential malaise。 That shit’s waterproof。”The cover quotes Ken Liu as calling this book “The *Candide* of our #@$*%？！ age，” and I think that’s a better comparison than anything I can come up with。 。。。more
A
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"The Past Is Red" is a phenomenal exploration of climate change。 In it， the author imagines a future in which the Earth as we know it has long been submerged as a result of global warming。 When the sea swallowed the land， most surviving humans took refuge on a giant， floating patch of trash known as Garbagetown。 Our narrator， Tetley Abednego， is born generations after this event takes place， and as a result， she is entirely accustomed to life in Garbagetown。 The strange， post-apocalyptic domain "The Past Is Red" is a phenomenal exploration of climate change。 In it， the author imagines a future in which the Earth as we know it has long been submerged as a result of global warming。 When the sea swallowed the land， most surviving humans took refuge on a giant， floating patch of trash known as Garbagetown。 Our narrator， Tetley Abednego， is born generations after this event takes place， and as a result， she is entirely accustomed to life in Garbagetown。 The strange， post-apocalyptic domain she inhabits is at once horrible and beautiful， and we， as readers， are introduced to both of these aspects through Tetley's eyes。 Tetley herself is an extremely likeable character， and her personal journey is so interesting to follow。 This novel is satirical， witty， heartbreaking， and hopeful。 Valente really captures what it means to be human。"The Past Is Red" was one of my most anticipated reads for 2021。 It exceeded my expectations by far， and I'll be recommending it to everyone I know。 I'm so grateful to Tor and Netgalley for granting me access to the e-arc。 。。。more
Ab
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Catherynne M。 Valente writes beautifully and has such a knack for wit， and this book contains both beauty and wit in equal measure。 For something so ugly - a post-apocalypse world， drowned by climate change， leaving survivors stranded on mega-islands of garbage floating in the oceans - I am astounded by how lovely the writing was and how thoughtfully frightening the concepts about the planet and humanity were。 This book has many difficult things - parental hatred， displacement and homelessness， Catherynne M。 Valente writes beautifully and has such a knack for wit， and this book contains both beauty and wit in equal measure。 For something so ugly - a post-apocalypse world， drowned by climate change， leaving survivors stranded on mega-islands of garbage floating in the oceans - I am astounded by how lovely the writing was and how thoughtfully frightening the concepts about the planet and humanity were。 This book has many difficult things - parental hatred， displacement and homelessness， sanctioned abuse - but it has some lovely moments about what it means to be hopeful， whether hope can come from small places， as well as big picture stuff， and about connectivity and finding place。 The afterward by the author was especially illuminating， as she mentions that Jonathan Strahan asked her to write a story to include in the anthology "Drowned Worlds，" to which her contribution was "The Future is Blue。" This story is apparently a continuation of a story connected to Tetley， exploring the world she created in that original story， further here in this novella。 I haven't read that anthology or story， but this story， "The Past is Read，" brought to mind elements of "Waterworld" （without the Mad Max style battles， just the existing in a world of water）， as well as elements of "The Drowned World" by J。 G。 Ballard （which is a magnificently throbbing， humid， desperate， and bleak contemplative novella， but I love it haha）。 But this book， "The Past is Read，" is wholly unique with Valente's wit and ability to paint an entire place so in detail in such brief text。 I loved that we seem to follow different segments of Tetley's life， from some of her childhood memories and how she "found" her name， to her exile， to her connections with another person and the amazing addition of technology and AI。 I also LOVED that one of her best buds is an elephant seal named Big Bargains。 The imagery she paints is also really interesting， from the idea that there were "sorters" of the original Garbagetown creators， who just sorted stuff， so areas are named by descriptors of that stuff。 For example， Tetley grew up in Candle Hole， a place where all manner of scented wax candles were piled， and people melted/molded the wax into homes。 There's also areas full of electronics， pills and needles， trophies， just all manner of human belongings， discarded to the waters that now cover the Earth。 。。。more
Cari Allen
，
Once again， Catherynne Valente knocks it out of the park with The Past is Red。 Written with the satire of Jonathan Swift， the boundless hope of Voltaire’s Candide， and Valente’s own incredible imagination， Tetley navigates us through the remnants of Earth that the so-called Fuckwits have carelessly left behind。 Full of hope and redemption in a post apocalyptic world where humans are living on islands of sorted garbage。 Recommended for fans of Valente， climate fiction， and satire。 4。5 StarsThank Once again， Catherynne Valente knocks it out of the park with The Past is Red。 Written with the satire of Jonathan Swift， the boundless hope of Voltaire’s Candide， and Valente’s own incredible imagination， Tetley navigates us through the remnants of Earth that the so-called Fuckwits have carelessly left behind。 Full of hope and redemption in a post apocalyptic world where humans are living on islands of sorted garbage。 Recommended for fans of Valente， climate fiction， and satire。 4。5 StarsThank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this digital advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Dan
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A very different kind of post-apocalyptic story which is set in the future after Earth's rising oceans have drowned the land and the remnants of humanity survive on ships and floating "islands" of garbage， this novella follows the story of a young woman named Tetley。 One day， when a visiting group of performers has come to the island Garbagetown， Tetley commits a grave mistake by speaking the truth that no one wants to admit。 For this， she's ostracized and driven out of her home， and is also for A very different kind of post-apocalyptic story which is set in the future after Earth's rising oceans have drowned the land and the remnants of humanity survive on ships and floating "islands" of garbage， this novella follows the story of a young woman named Tetley。 One day， when a visiting group of performers has come to the island Garbagetown， Tetley commits a grave mistake by speaking the truth that no one wants to admit。 For this， she's ostracized and driven out of her home， and is also forced into an arranged marriage with someone who says he hates her and wishes he could strike her from memory。 The world-building is excellent， especially for a novella， with more portions of Garbagetown revealed as the story unfolds。 I just wish I hadn't set the book down for a couple of months after I read the first half。 。。。more
Milana M （acouplereads）
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Welcome to Garbagetown， the most magical place on Earth where you can love and hate someone 66% the time。 Where you can find anything left by the Fuckwits of old times， from batteries and lightbulbs in Electric City to sports equipment in Sportington Gap。 Tetley is Garbagetowns most beloved resident， but only she knows that。 When Tetley discovers a secret it’ll upend her entire life。I absolutely loved Tetley， a character that’s dark and off beat but full of hope and wonder。 I loved how as a read Welcome to Garbagetown， the most magical place on Earth where you can love and hate someone 66% the time。 Where you can find anything left by the Fuckwits of old times， from batteries and lightbulbs in Electric City to sports equipment in Sportington Gap。 Tetley is Garbagetowns most beloved resident， but only she knows that。 When Tetley discovers a secret it’ll upend her entire life。I absolutely loved Tetley， a character that’s dark and off beat but full of hope and wonder。 I loved how as a reader you’re discovering Garbagetown， getting to know Tetley and unravelling the mystery of whether Garbagetown exists solely on its own。 The character development was incredible and moving in a way some 400 page novels aren’t。Valente’s writing is reminiscent to me of her Fairyland middle grade novels I adore。 The Past Is Red had that same eerie quirkiness to it with a loveable main character。 No sentence is wasted in this novella， each one adds meaning and depth to the story’s overarching meaning。The Past Is Red is science fiction but it’s not far from reality。 In fact it’s a very real possibility because guess what we have our own Garbagetown floating in the ocean right now。 Valente， just like I， was horrified by The Great Pacific Garbage Patch （I did my 4th year thesis on for a class in University）， and the events of this novella was inspired by our own trash heap。 If you haven’t heard of this google it。 Valente brings a truly horrific possibility to life in The Past Is Red in their dark， quirky and magical style。 An absolute gut punch of a book with a character I’ll never forget。 Thank you @tordotcompub for sending me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review， 5✨。Check out @acouplereads on bookstagram！ 。。。more
Chris
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*copy from Netgalley in exchange for a review*The Past Is Red is a new novel from Catherynne M。 Valente， who has a penchant for producing clever， thoughtful stories， with strong messages， human characters， and the sort of prose that makes you sit up and take notice。 I’m happy to report that this tendency continues here。 The Past Is Red is a rather good book， and a damn fine story。Before I delve into it any more though， it’s worth noting that a portion of it has turned up as a novella before， in *copy from Netgalley in exchange for a review*The Past Is Red is a new novel from Catherynne M。 Valente， who has a penchant for producing clever， thoughtful stories， with strong messages， human characters， and the sort of prose that makes you sit up and take notice。 I’m happy to report that this tendency continues here。 The Past Is Red is a rather good book， and a damn fine story。Before I delve into it any more though， it’s worth noting that a portion of it has turned up as a novella before， in Strahan’s Drowned Worlds collection， and more recently， as the standalone The Future is Blue。 So if you get an odd sense of deja-vu for the first section of the book， don’t worry， you’re not alone。 That said， even as a re-read， the first section is an enjoyable and incisive commentary on climate change， on humanity， and the choices that we make on a personal and systemic level – and it pairs beautifully with the rest of the text， making something new， and greater than when read on its own。This is a quiet story， and a story that speaks truth。 It’s the story of a young woman， who lives on an island made of garbage。 That’s humanity now。 Scattered enclaves on a blue marble， living in the detritus of a civilisation which has literally sunk without trace。 Every scattered， broken doll， every pill bottle， every broken CD player has its place， as a means of exchange， as a trinket， as a totem， as a home。 It’s a world built on the ruins of what we have built， and a world built on the traceless remains of what we destroyed。 Modernity is known simply as “The Fuckwits”， and if the people of the garbage heap are sometimes violent， sometimes cruel， they are still a people of love and generosity as well。 And a people of betrayal， and old hatreds， yes。 People。 And this is the future， on a soundless ball of blue， scrabbling in what’s left。And of course， some of them hate it。 Some of them look at what was and what they live within， and live a dream of hope， of something else， of difference。 Of land。 And then there’s Tetley， our protagonist。 Tetley knows that what there is， is all there is。 She knows that the people of garbage island are there to stay。 She knows that this is all there is。 And she loves it， and is fierce in her affection， and passionate acceptance that this is all there is。 Tetley is passionate and fierce and young。 Tetley is kind and generous and in love。 And Tetley is true to herself。 As a character， she is pitch perfect。 A person shaped by pressures that we cannot know， in an environment we can barely comprehend， but recognisably a person， doing their fragile best in an often hostile world。 You can see Tetley， feel her conviction and her tracery of pain and the sheer joy that burns through her。 She’s strange and wonderful and human。As are those around her， those guttering flames of humanity standing in a world surrounded by lapping waves。 They’re everything we are， shaped by what we do。 They are our grandchildren and our future， and the indictment cast back upon us by all of them， from the most sympathetic to the least， is searing。 There is power in these words， in what they say and the quiet spaces in between。 Tetley is the future， and the past is us， the past is red。I don’t want to spoil the plot， though I will note that the second part occurs some time after the first。 Tetley the girl is replaced by someone more weary， more contained perhaps， but with that humanity， that potential to reach for anything and also to be satisfied with who and what she is， that makes this such a wonderful character piece。 Because that’s what we have here， a woman traversing her world， and making choices that leave her true to herself。 And sometimes those choices may change the world， for her， or for everyone else。In any case， this is a beautifully crafted story， and one which sat with me for days afterward， as I mulled on Tetley and her rights and wrongs。 It’s a warning and a truth and a call to humanity to be people。 It’s a good book， and a damn fine story， and you should read it。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Past is Red
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Past is Red&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Past is Red&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0