Spiracle Audiobook: The Doloriad — Missouri Williams

Winner of the Republic of Consciousness Prize 2023

“The Doloriad comes in hot like a blazing comet from a distant universe: wholly unexpected, shocking, brilliant.” – Elvia Wilk, Oval

In the wake of a mysterious environmental cataclysm that has wiped out the rest of humankind, a family descended from incest, cling to existence on the edges of a ruined city. The family is mercilessly ruled by The Matriarch who dreams of keeping humankind going. Her children and the children they have with one another aren’t so sure. Surrounded by the silent forest and the dead suburbs, they feel closer to the ruined world than to their parents. Nevertheless, they scavenge supplies, collect fuel, plant seeds, and attempt to cultivate the poisoned earth, brutalising and caring for one another in equal measure.