What is solarpunk?
A radical way to envision a future we want to be a part of.
SolarPunk Cities: Our Last Hope by DamiLee
Why solarpunk?
Because we need hope.
Hope is a catalyst for action.
My Reading List
My journey with solarpunk began in a series that isn’t quite solarpunk, but perhaps was an early precursor to it. The Earthseed series by Octacia E. Butler (Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents) paints a bleak near-future America where everything has fallen apart. Radical Christian Nationalists have taken the White House, the nation is in ecological decay, poverty is the baseline, and race is still ever problematic (hmm, sounds familiar). Despite all this despair, the main character somehow learns to carry a hope for a future she believes she can will to life. Her inner monologue and writings of her own religion of sorts are the throughline of hope that carry you through what is otherwise … a very dark dystopian novel.
After reading Butler’s work, I was hooked on the themes of hope and resistance she presented and sought out other works like it. This exploration is what led my to the genre of solarpunk, something that is ever still evolving and is gaining more attention as the people desperately desire to move towards a more socially and ecologically just future. Below you’ll find a list of books I have read (or I’m actively reading) that I believe fit into the genre or carry strong elements of it (perhaps falling into climate fiction). These are affiliate links provided by Bookshop.org.
Enjoy!📙
| Title | Author | Recommend Audiobook? |
|---|---|---|
| Parable of the Sower | Octavia E. Butler | If you like |
| Parable of the Talents | Octavia E. Butler | If you like |
| A Psalm for the Wild-built | Becky Chambers | Yes! |
| A Prayer for the Crown-Shy | Becky Chambers | Yes! |
| Death of the Author | Nnedi Okorafor | Yes! |
| Homebound | Portia Elan | have not listened to yet |