The New Wilderness
| Author | Diane Cook |
|---|---|
| Genre | Climate fiction |
| Publisher | Oneworld Publications |
Publication date | August 11, 2020 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Pages | 384 |
| ISBN | 978-0-06233-313-1 |
The New Wilderness is a 2020 speculative climate fiction novel by American writer Diane Cook.[1] The novel takes place in a future where climate change and pollution have devastated the environment. A mother and daughter leave the City by taking a part in a study that will reintroduce humans to the last area of protected land in the world.
Background
Cook developed the idea for the novel while writing her 2014 short story collection Man v. Nature.[2]
Reception
The book received mostly positive reviews from critics at the time of its publication,[3][4] including starred reviews from Booklist,[5] Kirkus Reviews and Publishers Weekly.[6][7] Téa Obreht in a review for The Guardian called it "a fast-paced, thrilling story to ask stomach-turning questions in a moment when it would benefit every soul to have their stomach turned by the prospect of the future she envisions.[8] John Maxwell Hamilton, writing for Callaway Climate Insights, praised the book's prose and exploration of climate change.[9] Lamorna Ash of the Times Literary Supplement also praised it.[10]
Jonah Raskin, writing for The New York Journal of Books, offered a mixed review. Raskin praised "the finely drawn women characters" but critiqued it for being too long, noting that it "takes too many pages to get going, and wanders all over the place before it begins to dramatize the push and the pull between mother and daughter".[11]
The book was shortlisted for the 2020 Booker Prize[12][13] and longlisted for the 2021 Aspen Words Literary Prize.[14]
Television adaptation
In 2020, Warner Bros. Television Studios acquired the rights to adapt the book into a television series. Filmmaker Matt Reeves joined the production as an executive producer.[15]
References
- ^ Graham, Zack (24 November 2020). "Diane Cook's Morality Tales for Our Climate Future". ISSN 0027-8378. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
- ^ "Diane Cook discusses her prescient, buzzy debut novel 'The New Wilderness'". EW.com. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
- ^ "Book Marks reviews of The New Wilderness by Diane Cook". Book Marks. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
- ^ "Review | Diane Cook's 'The New Wilderness' is accidentally timely but also timeless". The Washington Post. 17 August 2020. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
- ^ Seaman, Donna (August 2020). "The New Wilderness". Booklist. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
- ^ "The New Wilderness". Kirkus Reviews. 17 May 2020. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
- ^ "The New Wilderness by Diane Cook". Publishers Weekly. 28 February 2020. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
- ^ Obreht, Téa (4 September 2020). "The New Wilderness by Diane Cook review – a dazzling debut". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
- ^ Callaway, David. "Book review: The New Wilderness tests whether man and nature can co-exist". www.callawayclimateinsights.com. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
- ^ "Other Edens". TLS. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
- ^ Raskin, Jonah. "a book review by Jonah Raskin: The New Wilderness". New York Journal of Books. Archived from the original on 27 April 2025. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
- ^ "The New Wilderness". The Booker Prizes. 13 August 2020. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
- ^ Mengiste, Maaza; Stuart, Douglas; Doshi, Avni; Taylor, Brandon; Cook, Diane; Dangarembga, Tsitsi (13 November 2020). "On the brink of a Booker: 2020's shortlisted authors on the stories behind their novels". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
- ^ "2021 PRIZE". Aspen Words. Archived from the original on 2 March 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
- ^ Rosario, Alexandra Del (6 August 2020). "Diane Cook's 'The New Wilderness' Novel In The Works For Television From Matt Reeves' 6th & Idaho & Warner Bros. TV". Deadline. Retrieved 5 February 2026.