Solarpunk ideas are close to my heart. I would love to read more good fiction about a sustainable future, but it's hard to find it. Sure, there are anSolarpunk ideas are close to my heart. I would love to read more good fiction about a sustainable future, but it's hard to find it. Sure, there are anthologies I approach with plenty of hope, just to be disappointed shortly after. I feel too many solarpunk writers focus too much on ideas and not on characters. It doesn't work. It's by making a character relatable, or the story fun and entertaining you'll engage the reader and let him think about ideas explored in the plot.
Even though some stories were weak, I think Ecopunk! is the best solarpunk anthology on the market. It explores important issues and contains some excellent stories.
Mr. Mycelium by Claire McKenna ★★☆☆☆
Disappointing. Also, the first story in the anthology. After finishing it, I asked myself what I was getting into?
It presents a high tech Australian society, engineered animals, farming, fungi and various conflicts between people (concerning the pros and cons of the agricultural technology, pollution, traditional marriage, and multiple partners). While some ideas impressed me (applications of the fungi in bioleaching of waste materials) I found it uninspiring.
The Right Side of History by Jane Rawson ★★★☆☆
Was it supposed to be a satire? A twisty little story? I'm not sure. In the near future, humans are abandoning their houses and lands to make more room for animals. Some go as far as to go through the process of the “transference” to become an animal. Others aren't crazy about the idea. Two closely related POV characters make very different choices.
The Wandering Library by D.K. Mok ★★★★★
I need more stories from DK Mok. In a future of risen seas and fractured communications, Lani Bashir runs a mobile library service. With her faithful alpacamel, she brings colorful stories to the children of the isolated communities. When she meets an enigmatic boy with an aversion to stories, she is forced to question her own understanding of friendship, purpose, and home. Great pacing, distinct voice, relatable characters, and an intriguing story. Also, it shows a dystopia brought by scientific overreach (genetic manipulation of animals).
The Radiolarian Violin by Adam Browne ★☆☆☆☆
Meh. Nice visuals, but it barely has a plot.
Broad Church by Tess Williams ★★☆☆☆
A climate-change dystopia, with the story focusing a woman dealing with her son’s choice to become a dolphin. It didn't thrill me.
Trivalent by Rivqa Rafael ★★☆☆☆
Not for me.
Milk and Honey by Jason Fischer ★★★★★
An alternate history story in which Adolf Hitler became a famous painter and is considered one of the most influential Jews in the world. Eloise Hitler wants to do good by cloning and genetically enhancing Diprotodons, but she soon discovers death makes her feel good. Brilliant ending. Memorable and entertaining.
Island Green by Shauna O'Meara ★★★★☆
Three teams of scientists compete in an ecological reality show. They are supposed to restore food production to the salinated land and depleted reef of a former resort island to fight with food shortage. It has growing stakes, believable conflict, sense of danger, and good humor.
The City Sunk, The City Raisen by R. Jean Mathieu ★☆☆☆☆
Boring, bland, uninspiring. Sorry.
Monkey Business by Janeen Webb ★★★★★
Fast, furious, doesn't treat itself too seriously. Plus, it confirms my belief that life without coffee would be unbearable.
The story revolves around politics, environment, and illegal crops of the coffee plant. It entertains but also shows the escalating conflict between food security and biodiversity. Captain Brunelli - the coffee lover, physically and cybernetically augmented woman warrior rescues a baby capuchin monkey while defending a precious patch of rainforest. She then travels to rescue a daughter of her employers and wreaks havoc. Frankly, I wouldn't mind reading more adventures of Cap Brunelli.
The Today Home by Jason Nahrung ★★☆☆☆
Today Home touches issues of a mass-migration caused by climate changes. A good idea, but it didn't speak to me.
The Mangrove Maker by Jason Nahrung ★★☆☆☆
From the Dark by Emili Coyler ★★★☆☆
Indigo children, refugees.
The Butterfly Whisperer by Andrew Sullivan ★★★★★
An ambitious journalist on a mission to unmask the true face of Terry Shark, a mysterious billionaire helping people. She believes he does it by manipulating the weather for his financial gain. Terry Shark rhymes with Tony Stark, and it's a good parallel. The story is fast-paced, exciting, and clever. Loved it.
Future Perfect by Matthew Chrulew ★★☆☆☆
A climate change artist mourns dying species. Interesting idea, but nothing in this story hooked me.
The Scent of Betrayal by Jane Routley ★★☆☆☆
It turns out arcologies are populated by depraved one percenters. Stereotypical, and uninspiring.
First Flightt by Ian Nichols ★★★☆☆
The inaugural flight of a new airship approaches and transport and air companies have a problem with that. How far will they go to stop the ecological air travel?
Happy Hunting Ground by Corey J. White ★★☆☆☆
Dystopia set in the future in which food is controlled by corporations supported by the police. Obviously, there's a community that opposes them. It's the type of setting that allows for creative and new ideas. Unfortunately, what we get instead is a boring story about responsibility, parenthood, and (gay) love.
Pink Footed by Marian Womack ★★☆☆☆
I suppose it was intended as humorous, but it isn't. A sad little tale about the last pink-footed goose.
As you see most stories didn't work for me, but that's ok. I'm glad I've read Ecopunk anyway as I've found few veritable gems. My favorite ones are:
The Wandering Library by D.K. Mok - after finishing it I bought two books by DK Mok and I plan to read them shortly. Milk and Honey by Jason Fischer The Butterfly Whisperer by Andrew Sullivan Monkey Business by Janeen Webb - I need more stories about Captain Brunelli. Island Green by Shauna O'Meara
I enjoy dystopias and postapocalyptic wastelands, but they don't present the future I want for myself or future generations. I wanActual rating: 2.5/5
I enjoy dystopias and postapocalyptic wastelands, but they don't present the future I want for myself or future generations. I want an optimistic future founded on renewable energies. I believe people can coexist peacefully with nature. Yes, I'm that naive.
Solarpunk's ideas are close to my heart. In short, the genre can be described as a type of optimistic science fiction that focuses on visions of a brighter future.
The seventeen stories packed into this anthology approach a variety of ethical and technological issues while trying to present a sustainable world. I loved most ideas and conceptions presented in the stories. Some of them are simply mind-blowing, some merely exciting.
However, clever ideas and thought-provoking concepts aren't enough to make an excellent story. As a reader, I want strong conflict and distinct characters. I didn't get much of it in Glass and Gardens.
Let's take a quick look at each story.
Caught Root - Julia K. Patt ★★
Sweet, hopeful, but the relationship development felt unbelievable. Also, the stakes are low here. Some scenes retell the daily routine of the narrator and lack of action killed my engagement in the story.
The Spider and the Stars - D.K. Mok ★★★★
A touching and hopeful story about a girl fascinated by insects and arachnids and their strange and alluring worlds. While the plot is fairly simple it's packed with fascinating concepts of sustainable living (convection ventilation systems, climate-resilient crops, tree-planting drones). Excellent.
Riot of the Wind and Sun by Jennifer Lee Rosman ★★★
The story happens in the future Australia, where the major cities tend to hoard energy reserves sending the outback villages into a blackout. In one of such villages, people start working together to put themselves back on the map. Hopeful, easy to read, but unfortunately not really exciting.
Firewall - Stefani Cox ★★
Nothing special to be honest. Totally unmemorable.
Watch Out, Red Crasher! - Shel Graves ★★
A great idea here. In this world, people's emotions are visible to everyone through colours. People hope to achieve their perfect colour. If someone can't balance the emotions he has to leave the community. The execution, though, lacks strength.
The Call of the Wold - Holly Schofield ★
Slow, introspective, and boring. I'm brutal here but it's just my opinion. I'm sure some readers will enjoy Julie's reflections on her life, both past and future. I'm not one of them though.
Camping With City Boy - Jerri Jerreat ★★★★
The story is simple, but the voice of the narrator never cease to entertain. Makemba's excursion into the wilderness with her city boyfriend, Rich, isn't as thrilling as she expected it to be. It turns out Rich may not be a minor god people in the city choose to see in him. And Makemba expresses her feelings in a witty, funny way. A great story.
A Field of Sapphires and Sunshine - Jaymee Goh ★
Great title, disappointing delivery.
Midsummer Night's Heist - Commando Jugendstil ★★★
Entertaining heist story written by two real-life writer’s collectives — Commando Jugendstil (“a small collective of Italian solarpunk creators”) and Tales from the EV Studio (“a posse of emigrant Italian writers who specialise in historical fantasy”). A decent story.
Heavenly Dreams of Mechanical Trees - Wendy Nikel ★★
Good concept, decent execution, but It didn't have much impact on me.
New Siberia - Blake Jessop ★★
Nice, touching story. Despite low stakes, it's a worthy, hopeful read. And they drink vodka.
Grover: Case C09 920, "The Most Dangerous Blend" - Edward Edmonds ★★
We get a full-on murder mystery into the solarpunk theme. It was ok.
Amber Waves - Sam S. Kepfield ★★
A married couple struggles to protect their crops from destructive weather and the interference of a large agricultural corporation. Cool idea, poor execution.
Grow, Give, Repeat - Gregory Scheckler ★★
Imaginative, but meandering and slightly pointless story.
Cable Town Delivery - M. Lopes da Silva ★★★
Short and entertaining. It proves that librarians are the true heroes.
Women of White Water - Helen Kenwright ★★
A woman with psychic powers becomes involved in a love triangle. She tries to follow a set of rules, her ethical code. Not always an easy task.
Under the Northern Lights - Charlotte M. Ray ★★
A love story in an imaginative future. Nice, and sweet, but also bland.
I don't want to discourage anyone from giving this anthology a try. I think that most stories here are based on great ideas. Unfortunately, with two or three exceptions they lack a strong narrative voice or a conflict that would engage the reader.
Having said that, I plan to delve into solarpunk genre. I hope I'll find the books that not only display the kind of sustainable future I want but also relatable and three-dimensional characters. Let me know if you have such a book in mind....more