Feed Them Silence

Visceral and smart, this is a novella full of wonder and pain which practically vibrates with need. It is difficult if not impossible to put down once begun, and carries such a dangerous inertia that it must be read to be believed. Mandelo's prose carries such gorgeous weight, and such difficult themes which beg for thought and are at the same time so universal as to be utterly familiar.

I was in love with the book when I began it, and sobbing when I finished, and I can only thank the author for the experience and hold this book close.

Absolutely recommended.

Imagine experiencing the world through an animals eyes; feeling their heightened senses, their reflexes, their instincts, and their hunger. Dr. Sean Kell-Ludden doesn't have to imagine anymore. In this near future novella; Sean uses a neurological interface to experience first hand what it's like being a wolf in the wild. It's all new scientific research and despite objections from her wife - Sean can't stop obsessing over her project. Soon, the only thing she looks forward to is getting to the lab so she can "log on" and become one with her wolf. Stalking prey, running through the woods, smelling nature, and being with the pack doesn't seem trivial when you're experiencing it "first-hand." As Sean continues to lose herself in her work, show more her relationship with her wife deteriorates and she starts to lose the trust of her team. Is Sean even trying to collect data anymore? Is she just trading one pack for another? Exceptionally narrated by Natalie Naudus, who flawlessly conveys the growing feeling of unease as Sean loses herself within the wolf's mind. Verdict: this genre bending novella is perfect for those readers who love ethical quandaries touched with a bit of science fiction. Though short in length, the story will stick with readers long after they've listened to it. - Erin Cataldi show less

I received an advance copy via NetGalley.

An absolutely brutal Tor novella that is not for people sensitive to depictions of animals in dire circumstances. Sean is a queer scientist in a white man’s world, ready to push hard and give everything for her work— but didn’t anticipate that would include her marriage. Her current project, with private funding, uses her own body in an experimental procedure. A brain implant provides her a one-way connection with a wild wolf named Kate. During brief periods of live connection, she viscerally feels what it is like to live as a wolf—in contrast with her reality of despair as her relationship dissolves. Her time as a wolf begins to feel more real and vivid than her human time. This book show more reads fast, looking at relationships and scientific experimentation in blunt ways. It’s good, but harsh. show less

Feed Them Silence is a short science fiction novella with a premise that explores the ethical and psychological implications of using a neural interface to connect with a wolf. Dr. Sean Kell-Luddon, is a scientist obsessed with experiencing the world through the eyes of a wild wolf, one of the last of its kind. She uses a device that allows her to tap into the wolf’s mind and feel its sensations, emotions, and instincts. However, this comes at a cost to her personal life, her mental health, and her research integrity. She also faces the risk of losing her subject to the greedy interests of her funders, who want to exploit the technology for profit.

The novella is at times gripping and thought-provoking, raising questions about the show more nature of consciousness, empathy, and identity. Mandelo skillfully portrays the contrast between the human and the animal perspectives, as well as the ethical dilemmas that arise from such a radical experiment. The novella also touches on themes of environmentalism, conservation, and animal rights, as well as the challenges of being a queer woman in a male-dominated field. The writing is crisp and engaging, and the plot is fast-paced and suspenseful. There also times the story is bogged downed about sophomoric ethical philosophy and naivete that is ill suited for an accomplished researcher. show less

Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I got an eGalley of this book through NetGalley to review.

Thoughts: I wanted to read "Summer Sons" when it came out in 2021 and so when I saw "Feed Them Silence" up for review I thought it would be a great opportunity to read a Mandelo book. I ended up being pretty disappointed in this book. It feels unfinished and gets us part of the way "there" but just doesn't delve into this topic as deep as I hoped.

The story takes place in the near future, in Minnesota. The story follows Sean, who has finally gotten funding for her research project. Sean wants to know what drives one of the last wolf packs in America. She gets approval to put a neural network in her brain that links to one of the show more female wolves in the pack. Sean's wife has an issue with the morality of linking a wolf's brain to a human's (and she's not wrong here). However, Sean's obsession with the wolf pack drives her beyond logic; she has determined that understanding this wolf pack will help them understand climate change and help the world as a whole.

I had a lot of issues with this book. I work in a science field and a lot of things in this book just didn't ring true. There's a lot of hand-waving around the science here and the way the research grant was dealt with was weird. If you want to read this you have to set aside logic and just to go with it. I expected more of a science fiction bent to this novel, however most of the time here is spent on Sean's relationship issues with her wife. Sean is a person obsessed with her work and she really doesn't think much about the other people in her life. Surprise, surprise this affects her relationship with her wife.

I expected things to get a bit crazy here and the character and the wolf to start affecting each other or something...but things remain pretty ho-hum throughout. There is the very typical plot-line of a university research getting their project taken away by a corporation (sigh, so overused). The ending was disappointing just like the rest of this for me. I was expecting something interesting, intriguing or exciting. This had an interesting premise but just didn't do anything with it.

SPOILER START--------------------------
The research project is stopped because there have been some changes in Sean's brain structure. Then the corporation funding the research destroys the wolf Sean was bonded to and she is surprised by this?? Anyone who's ever been involved in medical device testing on animals knows this is what happens; Sean works in the field so she should know this. Then her solution to the whole issue is to write a book about the wolf's feelings?? Is this supposed to be ironic because we just read a book about Sean and the wolf and their feelings? This just felt so shallow and incomplete to me. The repercussions of Sean's change in brain structure are never really explored and everything ends up feeling very pointless. Is the point to this story that it's pointless?
SPOILER END----------------------------

My Summary (3/5): Overall I was pretty disappointed in this book, I went in expecting so much more. The premise sounds pretty cool but it just didn't go anywhere. This ended up being more of a book about a professor and her failing marriage rather than being about than deep human interactions with the wild or anything cool and sci-fi-ish about mind melding with nature. It was just "blah". The premise was initially intriguing and it was a quick read, but I learned that Mandelo is not the author for me. show less

Miserable lesbian couple slowly breaking up because Sean, the main character, is emotionally immature, unavailable, cold, and selfish. Have I mentioned how much I hate reading stories about miserable adults being miserable to each other?

Add to that Sean's casual racism, lack of empathy, and massive refusal to give a single shit about anything but what she wants?

I hate books with miserable queer protagonists and I don't think it's progress to be all "Oh look how far we've come, queers can be miserable like everyone else". If that's something you need to find queer people relatable, you're beyond missing the point.

Not quite a horror story, but more of a romance.