Coiling Marks and Coiling Stories: Review of Anna Orridge’s Parch Marks

Kate Towner Under Review:Parch Marks. Anna Orridge. Goldsmiths Press, Sept. 2026. I love when I learn a new fact by reading a novel. Parch marks, it turns out, are signs used by archaeologists to show where an ancient structure may be found. Where soil lies over brick or stone, it becomes thin or poor quality, and so the plants have weaker roots and less access to water. The outlines of historical structures are thus revealed in hot and dry weather as the plants wilt and fade. The Parch Marks of Anna Orridge’s title are a plot device, but they are also the book’s central metaphor and the link between its two main concerns: the impact of the past on the present and future and the droughts, famines, and disruptions caused by climate change. Fascism in post-climate change Britain is a fairly common topic in SFF writing, such that it has become a microgenre within climate fiction (cli-fi). This includes P.D. James’ Children of Men (1992) and Gwynneth Jones’ Bold as Love series (from…