2025 Selection
The Big Read selection for 2025 is by Sam J. Miller.
After the climate wars, a floating city is constructed in the Arctic Circle, a remarkable feat of mechanical and social engineering, complete with geothermal heating and sustainable energy. The city’s denizens have become accustomed to a roughshod new way of living, however, the city is starting to fray along the edges — crime and corruption have set in, the contradictions of incredible wealth alongside direst poverty are spawning unrest, and a new disease called “the breaks” is ravaging the population.
When a strange new visitor arrives — a woman riding an Orca, with a polar bear at her side—the city is entranced. The “orcamancer,” as she’s known, very subtly brings together four people, each living on the periphery, to stage unprecedented acts of resistance. By banding together to save their city before it crumbles under the weight of its own decay, they will learn shocking truths about themselves.
"Blackfish City" is a remarkably urgent, and ultimately very hopeful, novel about political corruption, organized crime, technology run amok, the consequences of climate change, and the unifying power of human connection.
Grab Your Copy
- Be one of the first 100 CWI students to .
- CWI students can through the CWI Library.
- Additional books will be distributed to members of the community at a kickoff this spring.
Join the Fun
Join us for a dynamic lineup of events that turn reading into a shared experience. The Big Read kicks off with free book giveaways, followed by thought-provoking discussions, and unique events that explore the book’s themes through art, culture, and community connection.
Faculty — bring Blackfish City into your classroom as part of the General Studies Common Read project. Reach out to Carl Della Badia for ideas and support.
Be inspired and try your hand at fiction with local author, Christian Winn.
Saturday, March 21
11 a.m.
Join author, Sam J. Miller, at Storyfort.
Friday, March 26
Noon – 1 p.m.
1 - 2 p.m.
Join author, Sam J. Miller, on campus this spring!
Thursday, March 27
1 p.m.
(NCAB), Room 102E
Meet the Author
Sam J. Miller is the last in a long line of butchers and the Nebula-Award-winning author of "The Art of Starving", one of NPR's best books of the year. His second novel, "Blackfish City" was a must read according to Entertainment Weekly and O: The Oprah Magazine and one of the best books of 2018 according to the Washington Post, Publishers Weekly, and more. He lives in New York City, and at .
Meet Miller on campus this spring. Stay tuned for details!
This project was supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts and Arts Midwest. To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit .
Questions?