Review: Eradiction - Jonathan Miles

Genre: Eco-fiction, novella Published: Quercus Books by Riverrun, February 2026 My Rating: 4/5 stars

“Nature doesn’t give a fuck.”

Eradication is an apt eco-novella with a strong undercurrent of grief and morality, both personal and with regard to the larger world around us.

We follow Adi, a former jazz musician-turned-schoolteacher, as he accepts a curious “eco-conservation” job on the tiny, isolated Pacific Island of Santa Flora. Here, armed with nothing but survival gear and a gun, he’s tasked to reckon with its invasive population of goats that's sent the ecological balance severely out of whack…

Eradication takes full advantage of the ridiculous irony of the task; to eradicate a species to “protect nature”… Adi’s time on the island is filled with stark contradictions, at times scathing, at times hilarious. Isolated, yet surrounded by the teeming life of the island flora- and fauna, Adi goes back and forth on the morality of his job as a “killer”. In this light, he is also forced to confront a deep personal grief he’s been trying to outrun, following the violent death of his son. This added layer of grief and the teetering balance between bitterness towards the world and tentative hopefulness towards its beauty, elevate what might otherwise have been a simplistic eco-tale to a new level. What will win out in the end? Is nature beautiful or cruel? Is it worth protecting, or is Adi justified in lashing out in anger towards it?

This is an easy recommendation for fans of climate-fiction with a satirical undertone, anti-hero protagonists, and goats alike. Fair warning though; considering the job Adi’s set out to do, there’s the obvious violence against animals and people to contend with.

Many thanks to Quercus Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

You can find this book here on Goodreads.