Art courtesy of Jessica Perlstein, titled The Fifth Sacred Thing. https://jessicaperlstein.com/collections/artwork/products/the-fifth-sacred-thing-1

We know all the ways things could go wrong, courtesy of dystopian fiction. But how could things go right? Together let's discuss fiction and non-fiction that shows us a path towards a better, more sustainable world.

Feel free to share books, articles and podcasts on social and ecological improvement of all kinds, both fiction and nonfiction. All the names below link to places where the media can be viewed. The point of this list is to give us visions of better days ahead. These do not need to be perfect worlds, but they do need to be stories with positive and hopeful arcs.

Art courtesy of Jessica Perlstein, titled The Fifth Sacred Thing. https://jessicaperlstein.com/collections/artwork/products/the-fifth-sacred-thing-1 

We know all the ways things could go wrong, courtesy of dystopian fiction. But how could things go right? Together let's discuss fiction and non-fiction that shows us a path towards a better, more sustainable world.

Feel free to share books, games, articles and podcasts on social and ecological improvement of all kinds, both fiction and nonfiction. All the names below link to places where the media can be viewed. The point of this list is to give us visions of better days ahead. These do not need to be perfect worlds, but they do need to be stories with positive and hopeful arcs.

Fiction

• Termination Shock by Neal Stephenson

• Universitas by H.Bottlefield

• Hopepunk, by Preston Norton

• Undergrowth, by Ellen King Rice

• Aquicorn Cove by K. O’Neil

• World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments, by Aimee Nezhukumatathil

• Email from the Future: Notes from 2084, by Michael Rogers

• Foxhunt by Rem Wigmore

• Liberation's Garden, by DJ Rankin

• The Fifth Sacred Thing (Maya Greenwood), by Starhawk

• Walking to Mercury (Maya Greenwood), by Starhawk

• City of Refuge (The Fifth Sacred Thing), by Starhawk

• The Monk And Robot Series, by Becky Chambers 

•  The  Wayfarers series, by Becky Chambers

• Ministry For the Future, by Kim Stanley Robinson

• The Dandelion Insurrection Series, by Rivera Sun

• The Nothing Is Promised Series, by Susan Kaye Quinn

• The Sung Home series, by Laura Ramnarace

• World Made by Hand, by James Howard Kunstler

• The Road to Nowhere Series, by Meg Elison 

• SkyWhisperers by Natasja Hellenthal

• Oryx & Crake, by Margaret Atwood

• Even the Queen by Connie Willis

• New York 2140, by Kim Stanley Robinson

• Lower Heaven, by Benjamin Loomis

• Wilders (Project Earth Book 1) by Brenda Cooper

• Pet, by Akwaeke Emizi

• As the World Burns: 50 Simple Things You Can Do to Stay in Denial#A Graphic Novel by Derrick Jenson, Stephanie McMillan

• Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov

• The Years of Rice and Salt: A Novel 

• The Summer Prince Hardcover, by Alaya Dawn Johnson

• The Dispossessed (Hainish Series), by Ursula K. Le Guin

• Always Coming Home, by Ursula K. Le Guin

• The Left Hand of Darkness, by Ursula K. Le Guin

• Culture Series, by Iain M. Banks

• Escape Pod 689: Spectrum of Acceptance

• Dies the Fire: A Novel of the Change by S.M. Stirling

• Science In The Capital trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson

• Quantum Night by Robert J. Sawyer 

• Star Trek: Insurrection - Wikipedia

• The Commonwealth Saga by Peter F. Hamilton

• The Honor Harrington Series-David Webber

• The Foundation Trilogy (Foundation, #1-3) by Isaac Asimov 

• Dinotopia by James Gurney

• Expendable (League of Peoples) by James Alan Gardner

• Alan Dean Foster Book List

• The Best of All Possible Worlds: A Novel by Karen Lord

• The Long Earth Series by Terry Pratchett

• Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH

• The Endworld Series, David L. Robbins

• Earth by David Brin - Goodreads

• Red Mars (Mars Trilogy) by Kim Stanley Robinson

• The Goddess Twins by Yodassa Williams

• The Summer Prince Hardcover, by Alaya Dawn Johnson

• The Uplift books by David Brin: Sundiver; Startide Rising; The Uplift War; Brightness Reef; Infinity’s Shore; Heaven’s Reach

• A Requiem for Homo Sapiens by David Zindell: The Broken God; The Wild; War in Heaven

• The Idiot Gods by David Zindell

• More than Human by Theodore Sturgeon

• To Marry Medusa (a.k.a. The Cosmic Rape) by Theodore Sturgeon

• Venus Plus X by Theodore Sturgeon

• The Hyperion Cantos by Dan Simmons

• The Heartstrikers series by Rachel Aaron

• The Celestial Way by Drake Vato

• The Way series by Greg Bear

• The Golden Oecumene series by John C. Wright

• Bannerless by Carrie Vaughn

• The Wild Dead by Carrie Vaughn

• Incandescence by Greg Egan

• Always Coming Home, by Ursula K. Le Guin

• The Left Hand of Darkness, by Ursula K. Le Guin

• Culture Series, by Iain M. Banks

• Last Tango in Cyberspace: A Novel, by Steven Kotler

• Voyage from Yesteryear - James P. Hogan

• Ecotopia, by Ernest Callenbach

• The Monkeywrench Gang, by Edward Abbey

• Bolo'Bolo, by  P.M.

• Bone Dance, by  Emma Bull

• The Aces High, Jokers Wild Series- O.E. Tearmann

Anthologies

• Real Sugar Is Hard To Find by Sim Kern

• And Lately, The Sun: Speculative fictions for a climate-thrashed world, by Calyx Press

• Almanac for the Anthropocene: A Compendium of Solarpunk Futures, by Phoebe Wagner Et Al

• Tomorrow's Parties: Life in the Anthropocene (Twelve Tomorrows),  by Jonathan Strahan

• Afterglow: Climate Fiction for Future Ancestors, by Grist

• No More Fairy Tales: Stories to Save our Planet, by Kim Stanley Robinson Et Al

• Hope Riot: A Collection of Hopepunk and Hopeful Sci-Fi and Fantasy Stories, by Jessica Gunn Et Al

• Take Us to a Better Place: Stories by by Madeline Ashby Et Al

• HyphenPunk Summer 2022: Issue 4 (HyphenPunk Magazine) by Jasen Bacon Et Al

• Sunvault: Stories of Solarpunk and Eco-Speculation Paperback, by A. C. Wise et.al.

• Planet Democracy: Stories of Hope, Courage, Unity & Compassion, by Salik Shah Et Al

• Save the World: Twenty Sci-Fi Writers Save the Planet, by J. Scot Coatsworth Et Al

• Walking the Clouds: An Anthology of Indigenous Science Fiction, by Grace L. Dillon et. al.

• Glass And Gardens: Solarpunk Summers, by Sarena Ulibarri Et Al

• Glass And Gardens: Solarpunk Winters, by Sarena Ulibarri (Editor)

• Fix The World by J. Scott Coatsworth Et Al 

• All We Can Save by Ayana Elizabeth Johnoson Et Al

• Octavia’s Brood: Science Fiction Stories from Social Justice Movements. by Walidah Imarisha  et. al.

• Fiction River Press: How to Save the World (Fiction River: An Original Anthology Magazine Book 2)David Gerrold et al.)

• The Good Fight: Taking a Stand Against Racism and Bigotry, by Adam Ferris et. al. 

• Consolation Songs: Optimistic Speculative Fiction For A Time of Pandemic

• Ecopunk!: Speculative Tales of Radical Futures, by Janeen Webb (Author), Liz Grzyb (Editor), Cat Sparks (Editor)

• Wings of Renewal: A Solarpunk Dragon Anthology, by Claudie Arseneault (Author), Brenda J. Pierson (Editor)

• Sunvault: Stories of Solarpunk and Eco-Speculation Paperback, by A. C. Wise et.al.

•  Everything Change: An Anthology of Climate Fiction

• Hieroglyph: Stories and Visions for a Better Future, by Ed Finn, Kathryn Cramer

•  Solarpunk: Ecological and Fantastical Stories in a Sustainable World, by Gerson Lodi-Ribeiro et. al.

• Biketopia: Feminist Bicycle Science Fiction in Extreme Futures, by Elly Blue et. al.

• Love Beyond Body, Space, & Time: An Indigenous LGBT Sci-Fi Anthology, by Hope Nicholson et. al.

• Cities of Light: A Collection of Solar Futures edited by Joey Eschrich and Clark A. Miller

• No Police = Know Future; : Stories of Alternative Futures of Alternative Justice, edited by James Beamon
  
  

Nonfiction

• Not the End of the World by Hannah Ritchie

• Blueprint For The Revolution, by Srdja Popovic and Matthew Miller

• Beautiful Trouble, by Andrew and Mitchell Boyd

• Twitter and Tear Gas, by Zeynep Tufekci

• Donut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st-Century Economist, by Kate Raeworth

• Shut It Down- Lisa Fithan

• Remaking Society: Pathways to a Green Future, by Murray Bookchin

• The Future We Choose: Surviving the Climate Crisis by Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac

• Utopia for Realists: And How We Can Get There By Rutger Bregman

• World Changing: A User's Guide For The 21st Century, by Alex Steffen Et Al

• The Upswing: How America Came Together a Century Ago and How We Can Do It Again, by Robert D. Putnam

• Blueprint: The Evolutionary Origins of a Good Society, by Nicholas A. Christakis

• Climate Courage: How Tackling Climate Change Can Build Community, Transform the Economy, and Bridge the Political Divide in America, by Andreas Karelas , Katharine Hayhoe

• Good Economics for Hard Times Hardcover, by Abhijit V. Banerjee

• Poor Economics: A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty by Abhijit V. Banerjee

• Electrify: An Optimist's Playbook for Our Clean Energy Future, by Saul Griffith

• Becoming Kin: An Indigenous Call to Unforgetting the Past and Reimagining Our Future, by Patty Krawec

• Tactical Urbanism: Short Term Action For Long Term Change, by Mike Lydon and Anthony Garcia

• Strong Towns: A Bottom-Up Revolution to Rebuild American Prosperity, by Charles L Marohn Jr

• Dispelling Wetiko: Breaking the Curse of Evil, by Paul Levy

• Revolution and Evolution in the Twentieth Century, by Grace Lee Boggs

• Why You Should Be A Socalist, by by Nathan J. Robinson

• We Own the Future: Democratic Socialism―American Style, by Kate Aronoff Et Al

• The Moral Economy: Why Good Incentives Are No Substitute for Good Citizens, by Samuel Bowles

• Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness, by Richard H. Thaler

• A Paradise Built in Hell: The Extraordinary Communities That Arise in Disaster, by Rebecca Solnit

• Hope in the Dark: Untold Histories, Wild Possibilities, by Rebecca Solnit

• Care Work: Dreaming Disability Justice, by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha

• You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train: A Personal History, by Howard Zin

• Breaking Boundaries: The Science of Our Planet, by Johan Rockström

• Blood in the Machine: The Origins of the Rebellion Against Big Tech by Brian Merchant

• The Green New Deal: Why the Fossil Fuel Civilization Will Collapse by 2028, and the Bold Economic Plan to Save Life on Earth, by Jeremy Rifkin

• Unlocking Sustainable Cities: A Manifesto for Real Change, by Paul Chatterton

• The Transition Handbook: From Oil Dependency to Local Resilience, by Rob Hopkins

• Last Child in the Woods; Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder, by Richard Louv

• How We Fight White Supremacy: A Field Guide to Black Resistance, by Akiba Solomon

• The Public Option: How to Expand Freedom, Increase Opportunity, and Promote Equality, by Ganesh Sitaraman and Anne L. Alstott

• Ours: The Case for Universal Property, by Peter Barnes

• Paths Toward Utopia: Graphic Explorations of Everyday Anarchism byCindy Milstein, Josh MacPhee, Erik Ruin

• Restoring the Kinship Worldview: Indigenous Voices Introduce 28 Precepts for Rebalancing Life on Planet Earth Paperback, by Wahinkpe Topa Et Al

• Time for Socialism: Dispatches from a World on Fire, by Thomas Piketty

•  A Brief History of Equality Hardcover, by Thomas Piketty

• The Good Ancestor: A Radical Prescription for Long-Term Thinking by Roman Krznaric

• The Art of Community: Seven Principles for Belonging, by Charles Vogl

• Arbitrary Lines: How Zoning Broke the American City and How to Fix It by M. Nolan Gray

• Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time, by Jeff Speck

• Happy City: Transforming Our Lives Through Urban Design, by Charles Montgomery

• Link: How Decision Intelligence Connects Data, Actions, and Outcomes for a Better World

• The World Becomes What We Teach: Educating a Generation of Solutionaries, by Zoe Weil 

• Reclaiming Your Community: You Don’t Have to Move out of Your Neighborhood to Live in a Better One,  by Majora Carter

• Open Democracy: Reinventing Popular Rule for the Twenty-First Century, by Hélène Landemore

• The Human Prosperity Project: Essays on Socialism and Free-Market Capitalism from the Hoover Institution

• A Consensus Handbook: Co-operative decision-making for activists, co-ops and communities by Seeds for Change Lancaster Co-operative ltd, Max Hertzberg , et al.

• GO BIG: How To Fix Our World, by Ed Miliband 

• Mission Economy: A Moonshot Guide to Changing Capitalism, by Mariana Mazzucato

• Regeneration: Ending The Climate Crisis In One Generation by Paul Hawken

• 2100: A Dystopian Utopia / The City After Climate Change, by Vanessa Keith/StudioTEKA

• Slow Food Nation: Why Our Food Should Be Good, Clean, and Fair, by Carlo Petrini Et Al

• A Small Farm Future: Making the Case for a Society Built Around Local Economies, Self-Provisioning, Agricultural Diversity and a Shared Earth, by Chris Smaje  

• Nature Is A Human Right: Why We're Fighting for Green in a Gray World, by Ellen Miles 

• Post Growth: Life after Capitalism by Tim Jackson

• Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants, by Robin Wall Kimmerer

• Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses by Robin Wall Kimmerer 

• In Defense of Plants: An Exploration into the Wonder of Plants by Matt Candeias

• Landscapes Series- Robert MacFarlane

• Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times, by Katherine May

• The Electricity of Every Living Thing: A Woman’s Walk In The Wild To Find Her Way Home, by Katherine May

• We Are the ARK: Returning Our Gardens to Their True Nature Through Acts of Restorative Kindness, by Mary Reynold

• How to Change Everything: The Young Human's Guide to Protecting the Planet and Each Other, by Naomi Klein

• SUBURBITAT: A guide to restoring nature where we live, work, and play, by Jim Tolstrup

• Happy City: Transforming Our Lives Through Urban Design, by Charles Montgomery

• Humankind, by Rutger Bregman

• From What Is to What If: Unleashing the Power of Imagination to Create the Future We Want, by Rob Hopkins

• Give People Money: How a Universal Basic Income Would End Poverty, Revolutionize Work, and Remake the World, by Annie Lowrey

• Twitter and Tear Gas, by Zeynep Tufekci

• Factfulness (the book) - Gapminder

• Rock, Paper, Scissors: Game Theory in Everyday Life by Len Fischer

• Out of the Wreckage: A New Politics for an Age of Crisis, by George Monblot

• Rising Out of Hatred: The Awakening of a Former White Nationalist

• Future Perfect: The Case for Progress in a Networked Age by Steven Johnson

• Blessed Unrest by Paul Hawken

• Love Your Enemies by Arthur Brooks

• Permaculture: A Designers' Manual by Bill Mollison

• Four Futures: Life After Capitalism by Peter Frase

• Why Isn’t Cyberpunk Better At Trans Representation? 

• The Future Is Black And Female

• How To Save Your Planet One Object Time-Tara Shine

• The Future Earth: A Radical Vision for What's Possible in the Age of Warming-Eric Holthaus

• Adaptation, With Alizé Carrère

Podcasts

• The Climate One Podcast

• Outrage and Optimism Podcast

• The Future Perfect Podcast

• Nice Try- A Utopian Podcast

• From What If To What Next Podcast

• Better Life Lab Podcast

• Bioneers Radio Series Podcast

• Brave New Planet Podcast

• Brave New World Podcast

• Deeply Human Podcast

• Future Perfect Podcast

• Future Tense Podcast

• How To Citizen With Baratunde Thurston

• Ecofriendly Kind World Podcast

• How To Stop Climate Change Podcast

• How We Survive Podcast

• Indigenous Action Podcast

• Indigenous Vision Podcast

• Live Like The World Is Dying Podcast

• Pitchfork Economics Podcast

• Rebel Steps Podcast

• Resistance Is Fertile Podcast

• SolarPunk Now Podcast

• Sustainability, Climate Change, Politics Podcast

• The Rest Is Politics Podcast

• Upzoned Podcast

• The Bottom Up Revolution Podcast

• Strong Towns Podcast

• Things Worth Fighting For Podcast

• Who Cares Wins Podcast

Games

• Parable of the Polygons - an interactive experiment that shows how tiny individual biases can collectively cause segregation on a massive scale.

• Thunderbird Strike- In the 2D sidescroller Thunderbird Strike, players fly from the Tar Sands to the Great Lakes as a Thunderbird, protecting Turtle Island with searing lightning against the snake that threatens to swallow the lands and waters whole.

• The Evolution Of Trust- a 30-minute game showcasing the mechanics of game theory and the ways trust networks grow or fail.

• To Build a Better Ballot - an interactive experiment that shows the alternatives to the voting systems we currently use and how they can be more representative and democratic, along with their faults.

• Coming Out Simulator - a short interactive story/novel about coming out

• Loopy - a very simple but useful tool to show how systems interact with each other and how things can self-propagate.

• We Become What We Behold - A short five-minute game about news and media. Warnings for violence, blood, death and stress.

• Amaru: The Self-care Virtual Pet - A mobile game for Android and iOS (Ages 13+) that supports your mental health habits through a relationship with the adorable winged cat Amaru.
  

  Videos
  

• Dear Alice Animation

• How to Reject Capitalism in Your Personal Life

• New to Solarpunk? Start Here!

• What is Solarpunk

• How Cities Can Be Sanctuaries for Nature and Biodiversity

• How Solarpunk Fiction Envisions a Better Tomorrow | Video essay

• How to Make Seed Bombs

• How We Can Make Solarpunk a Reality

• How We Can Build a Solarpunk Future Right Now

• How We Can Build a Solarpunk Future

• Why we Need More Than Solarpunk

• 10 Signs You May Be a Solarpunk

• How to build a Solarpunk City

• 5 Solarpunk Communities That Will Bring You Hope

• Real Life Solarpunk Places To Amaze You

• Why Are Futuristic Movies Dystopian? The Need for Solarpunk

• The Forested Garden: What is a Food Forest?

  
  

Add A Book