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.
"In Solarpunk we’ve pulled back just in time to stop the slow destruction of our planet. We’ve learned to use science wisely, for the betterment of our life conditions as part of our planet. We’re no longer overlords. We’re caretakers. We’re gardeners." - From The Solarpunk Manifesto
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. These novels embody the spirit of solarpunk as a genre and laid the groundwork for the ones I see coming through the sci-fi genre now.
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.
One of my husband, Edd's, recent reads was 'Green City Wars' by Adrian Tchaikovsky. Although the story itself fits more in a sci-fi/crime genre, the setting feels very solarpunk in that it's set in a solar-powered future where humans live in a lush, green, luxurious utopia (with a darker underbelly world with enhanced animal servants...). Tchaikovsky's books always sound uniquely interesting, and this one with a freelance racoon investigator and a fugitive mouse scientist is no different.
I would also argue for Emily St John Mandel's novel, Station Eleven, being included in the genre even though it's more speculative than Sci Fi. Set in the near future, after civilization has collapsed and Shakespeare is still being performed in a dangerous but hopeful new world. It's at least connected with the solarpunk genre because it has a focus on the themes of creativity and community in a post-apocalyptic society, and the ways in which we rebuild culture after it is dismantled. Also it's just a really excellent book and perfect if you tend more towards literary books than the sci-fi genre itself, but still want a taste of solarpunk!
The one you all must read:
Monk and Robot by Becky Chambers
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 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.
"Solarpunk is a movement as much as it is a genre: it is not just about the stories, it is also about how we can get there. ." - From The Solarpunk Manifesto
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.
