''Why Fish Don't Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life'' is a 2020 personal memoir written by American science reporter and author

Lulu Miller Louisa Elizabeth Miller, better known as Lulu Miller, is an American writer and Peabody Awards, Peabody Award-winning science reporter for NPR. Miller's career in radio started as a producer for the WNYC program ''Radiolab''. She helped create th ...

and illustrated by scratchboard artist Kate Samworth. It incorporates the life and work of 19th century fish

taxidermist Taxidermy is the art of preserving an animal's body by mounting (over an armature) or stuffing, for the purpose of display or study. Animals are often, but not always, portrayed in a lifelike state. The word ''taxidermy'' describes the process ...

David Starr Jordan David Starr Jordan (January 19, 1851 – September 19, 1931) was the founding president of Stanford University, serving from 1891 to 1913. He was an ichthyologist during his research career. Prior to serving as president of Stanford Universi ...

, exploring the search for objective meaning and order "against the chaos of the world". The memoir was published by Pushkin Press. In 2025, it was shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Non-Fiction.

Synopsis

The book has a non-linear narrative structure, interspersing Miller's account of Jordan's life with personal anecdotes, including her experience with depression and her relationship with her father, Chris Miller, who manages to find beauty in life despite his belief that it is meaningless. Throughout her memoir, Miller grapples with the conflict between her admiration for Jordan's relentless determination in his work and her research into his alleged involvement in the death of

Jane Stanford Jane Elizabeth Lathrop Stanford (August 25, 1828 – February 28, 1905) was an American philanthropist and co-founder of Stanford University in 1885 (opened 1891), along with her husband, Leland Stanford, in memory of their only child, Leland S ...

, and his ardent support for

eugenics Eugenics is a set of largely discredited beliefs and practices that aim to improve the genetic quality of a human population. Historically, eugenicists have attempted to alter the frequency of various human phenotypes by inhibiting the fer ...

. Examining the psychological debate around "

positive illusions Positive illusions are unrealistically favorable attitudes that people have towards themselves or to people that are close to them. Positive illusions are a form of self-deception or self-enhancement that feel good, maintain self-esteem, or avoid d ...

" and Jordan's fixation on the preservation of biological hierarchy, she warns against his dogmatic and certain approach to order, pointing to recent scientific breakthroughs that have diminished the existence of fish as a distinct evolutionary category as evidence that "nature is more boundless and bountiful than anything we can imagine". Miller concludes, contrary to the beliefs of her both her father and Jordan, that, whilst the universe is fundamentally chaotic, the subjective search for meaning is attainable, through our interpersonal relationships with one another and curiosity for the world around us.

Reception

In 2020, ''Why Fish Don't Exist'' was a finalist for the ''LA Times'' Book Prize for Science and Technology. In 2022, it was chosen as one of the novels for

Stanford Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth governor of and th ...

's Three Books program, on the theme of biodiversity.

Booklist ''Booklist'' is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. ''Booklist''s primary audience consists of libraries, educators, and booksellers. The magazine is ...

described it as "gripping, and sure to be on readers' minds long after the final pages" whilst

Folio Prize The Writers' Prize, previously known as the Rathbones Folio Prize, the Folio Prize and The Literature Prize, is a literary award that was sponsored by the London-based publisher The Folio Society for its first two years, 2014–2015. Starting ...

winner

Carmen Maria Machado Carmen Maria Machado (born July 3, 1986) is an American short story author, essayist, and critic best known for ''Her Body and Other Parties'', a 2017 short story collection, and her memoir '' In the Dream House'', which was published in 2019 and ...

described it as "a sumptuous, surprising delight". Writing for the

Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...

, Christoph Irmscher wrote: "leavened by a healthy dose of self-irony, Ms. Miller wields this familiar format with panache, spinning a tale so seductive that I read her book in one sitting". New York Times bestselling author

Mary Roach Mary Roach (born March 20, 1959) is an American author specializing in popular science and humor. She has published seven New York Times bestsellers: '' Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers'' (2003), '' Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife ...

commented: "this book is perfect, just perfect. It's both lyrical and learned, personal and political, small and huge, quirky and profound".

References

{{reflist American memoirs 2020 non-fiction books Books about depression Nonlinear narrative literature Existentialist books Books about scientists Books about the history of science American biographies Works about eugenics

Synopsis

Reception

See Also

References