I love a niche genre and discovering a range of books that have things in common that I love. Solarpunk is a new one for me, and maybe for you too, so I'm here to explain what it is and the books that you should add to your TBR if you're interested!
What is Solarpunk?
After reading a whole bunch of horror (and talking about three of the niche genres I found out about over there), I moved to Sci Fi and discovered a new favourite genre that is still growing and expanding but that I think will continue to take up more space in our reading lists. SolarPunk is a combination of visionary/utopian science fiction, stories that take place in a future where things are finally going better and humanity has figured things out. There's a focus on nature and us living with renewable alternatives, a vision of a world of social equity and harmony that can feel like a bit of a balm to the doom and gloom I am often reading about.
SolarPunk is more optimistic than dystopian fiction, set in a future where people are more enlightened and technology has helped us make progress (sometimes hard to imagine). There's still sometimes drama and conflict, but what I love about the genre is it shows a way forward - a path of possibility towards a world that maybe we could create. The robots are usually benevolent, the environment is thriving and so we are too.
Where did it start?
I think the unofficial starting point for the genre might rest with Queen of Sci Fi herself, Ursula LeGuin. Her novel, 'The Dispossessed' takes on a philosophical examination of a society where humans live within their limits - managing resources and respecting the need to care for the land when they live in a harsh environment. It's not as green and lush as some of the later books in the genre but it is the start of sci-fi that examines humans if we took another, much needed, approach. Another of her novels, 'Always Coming Home' is also one that fits in the genre in my opinon - a story about an ecological catastrophe caused by capitalist industrialism and the society that grows out of this into something healthier and more illuminated.
Sci-Fi classic Aldous Huxley also deserves a mention with his novel 'Island'. A journalist visits an island in the Pacific that has been a 100 year long experiment in creating paradise on earth. This book is special - if you read his 'Brave New World' which is a lot less hopeful, this is a worthy counter example and a vision of his utopia.
Modern Solar Punk
One of my favourite sci-fi authors, Kim Stanely Robinson, has written an incredible account of our future that is a perfect example of speculative storytelling with a vision of how we might deal with climate issues and face our uncertain future. In 'Ministry for the Future, as he always does, Robinson combines science fiction with politics and economics to create one of those examples of a fiction book that reads a bit like non-fiction and can teach us more about the future than most text books. I'd recommend any of his but this one in particular feels fitting for the solarpunk genre with it's path laid out for us.
The one you all must read:
Possibly the best example of the cozy side of the solarpunk genre is one of my favourite novels (technically two novellas combines) - The Monk and The Robot by Becky Chambers. This post-utopian story about a self aware robot who meets a traveling tea monk is a like a modern version of 'The Alchemist', Together these two unlikely characters travel across the land of Panga, a place where robots and humans live in ecological balance with a focus on community rather than expansion. Through their conversations and encounters we explore the meaning of existence and our place in the universe in the most delightfully quiet and gentle way. If you read one book from this entire post, let it be this one.
I would love to know if you've heard of this genre of Science Fiction and speculative writing before, and what books you would add to this list!
Lizzy makes sure the Book Hero bookstore is an integral part of our local Hobsonville community, welcoming readers of all ages with a genuine kindness and love of books. The Fantastic Mr Fox ignited her passion for books as a child, and now she’s read thousands of books and loves matching the right book to the right reader - both in our bookstore and online. When she’s not recommending her next favourite read, she’s enjoying life’s small joys with her husband, Edd, and their chaotic but lovely child.
