A review by jayisreading
Sordidez by E.G. Condé

challenging reflective fast-paced

3.75

Sordidez was a fascinating and incisive exploration of colonialism in a near-future Yucatán and Puerto Rico, as well as a push for collective resistance against it. Condé, who identifies as a queer diasporic Boricua writer, is one of the creators of a genre known as “Taínofuturism,” which “imagines a future of Indigenous renewal and decolonial liberation for Borikén (Puerto Rico) and the archipelagos of the Caribbean),” and this novella very much situates itself in the genre in the way it uplifts the identities, histories, and cultures of this region. Furthermore, Sordidez shows how issues are deeply interlocked as a result of colonialism, one of which is climate crises. Relatedly, there were some great critiques of countries and organizations (notably, the United Nations). Another thing I greatly enjoyed was the inclusion of a Deaf character and how sign language was incorporated into the dialogue.

With that said, as much as I really enjoyed the concepts and themes of this novella, I had a lot of trouble with the prose. This is absolutely a me problem and not a critique of Condé’s writing style by any means, and I couldn’t really tell you why it just didn’t work. In addition, I really wish this novella could have been an actual novel, especially considering how many incredible ideas there were that could have been explored more in-depth.

Ultimately, though, this novella was a great introduction to the Taínofuturism genre that I’d love to read more of. It’s also a great addition to the growing list of speculative fiction centering Indigenous voices.
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