Can Writers, Authors, Readers, Bookstores and Librarians Save the Planet…or Have We Shelved the Future?

Why what we choose to read or write might be having a WAY bigger impact on the state of the world than we realise.

What can you do as a writer, reader, publisher, librarian or bookseller about the state of the world? Can we change the future and make it a better one? 

There are horrific things happening on our planet to people, animals, the living and built environment and to our overall humanity and hope.

We can feel it deeply and become despondent, leading us to do nothing. But that doesn’t change anything.

We can keep the focus on and pressure politicians about the mammoth tragedy, trauma and injustice being needlessly and greedily inflicted across multiple species from human to insect across the world.

We can march, donate, volunteer, choose where and with who we spend our income, speak up on socials, bridge gaps, and engage with and bring pressure to businesses.

We can do what we can to protect people and animals, regenerate the environment, donate time, goods or dollars to charity, as well as just be active, decent people in our own communities and welcome and support people from others. We can see a problem, and solve it at ground level.

We can be kind. We can be courageous.

But as writers, creatives, readers/listeners, publishers, librarians and booksellers, we’re uniquely positioned to make change through the written and spoken word. So, what else can we do?

We can choose to change the narrative.

This is where ‘solarpunk’ and ‘hopepunk’ come in. And what, you may ask is that!? Bear with me!

As an audience member and presenter, I attend a lot of writing events soaking up presentations on creativity, the writing life, the business of writing, traditional publishing and self-publishing. But there is one presentation I just cannot get out of my mind; it was the one that mattered most in a big-picture sort of way. It was titled:

‘We Can’t Just Leave: the Prevalence of Pessimistic Speculation in Local Australian Bookstores, and the Need for Optimistic Visions of our Future on Earth.’

At the time of the conference at the very end of 2023, Sophie Seraphim was a communications undergraduate at the University of Technology Sydney. In her paper she discussed how

‘emerging climate communications literature stresses the importance of optimistic speculation in climate storytelling.’ But what she found in bookshops was mostly the opposite of that.

So…

This is where it gets interesting.

Personally, I’m gutted that tech bro billionaires and colonisers are obsessed with sending things into space…rather than nurturing the actual space we have. 

And by the end of Sophie’s talk –

I began wondering if the other reason they do it (beside ego, power etc) – is because they grew up on a diet of sci-fi books, movies, games and representations – most of which were all about conflict, destruction and, as Sophie ventured, ‘the need to leave earth’.

I felt a little bit sick.

Are writers just speculating and being creative in how we imagine characters, society and the future? Or…are we writing scenarios that, unfortunately, society has now turned into the future?

It made me question how the world would be different if writers, screenwriters and game makers – and the literary agents, publishers, booksellers and movie studios we have to win the support of – had put forth a different, more positive vision all those years ago.

And…what might we be able to achieve it we start RIGHT NOW!

I’m not saying those creatives should have looked away from the pain and suffering of millions of people and the earth. But what if they’d embraced a compassionate future vision of earth and humanity, and put it front and centre for us?  What if the published works showed humanity capable of addressing and healing this pain, rather than looking for a way out via extracting, destroying and abandoning?

Writing Advice: Conflicted About Conflict

In nearly every bit of writing advice we’re told to ‘add conflict’, to ratchet up the tension, to throw bigger and bigger hurdles at our characters. And sure, when you take it to the extreme – it becomes, ‘let’s destroy earth and billions of people’.

Life and death conflict sells – to a point. Until it doesn’t.

I distinctly remember after giving birth, my love of Jeffrey Deaver crime thrillers died. I didn’t want to focus my thoughts on murder scenarios when I had these beautiful new lives in my arms and heart.

Nowadays, I will read the odd crime thriller by Australian authors (who I like in real life and for their writing) like Dinuka McKenzie and Ashley Kalagian Blunt, but for each of these, I’d read 25 memoir or non-fiction books – and a good number of self-published works because these are the voices and stories often not championed by traditional publishing.

I also love works by Indigenous writers including Tony Birch (writer of one of my favourite fiction books ever: The White Girl) and Melissa Lukashenko (Edenglassie).

And I’ve recently rediscovered the oxygen, art and emotion of poetry thanks to Nam Le, Jazz Money, Anne-Marie Te Whiu and Tayi Tibble.

And then there are authors like Shankari Chandran (Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens) who bring history, humanity, horror, hope and possibility to life.

Why do I like these authors? Because these books change me – for the better.

Perhaps this is one of the reasons the romance genre continues to do so well – because it’s about manageable conflict and a more fulfilling ending than one that begins or ends in violence.

Of course, it’s mostly women doing the writing and the reading of romance.

And in my observation, it’s also mostly women attending library author talks and writers’ festivals. It’s women looking for the possibilities, seeking creative rather than violent outlets, the potential for peace with passion and a positive buzz.

Hopepunk and Rewilding

That’s why it was also exciting to attend an author talk with the infectious (in a good way) Donna M Cameron.

Donna’s book The Rewilding (published by Barry Scott at Transit Lounge) hits right in the sweet spot of hopepunk – a genre full of hope, resistance, courage, kindness and community-building*. Set in the present day, it covers themes including climate change, environmental protest, corporate evils, and family dysfunction, with elements of romcom, car chase, thriller and nature writing.

The book has drawn praise from a wide range of groups from the literary-minded to members of Extinction Rebellion to permaculturists and readers with an eye to the situations facing present and future generations. It’s also been flying off the shelves.

Maybe every day readers want hope too.

The great cover by Peter Lo also helps reader discovery of The Rewilding, and

the book fits perfectly into what climate communications experts are begging for from writers in all fields, as Sophie Seraphim says, that is to be ‘conscious of the way they construct climate’ in their works.

‘There’s a problematic prevalence of narratives in our bookstores that see mass destruction as a precursor for mass change, which is less useful for audiences in their visualisations of the future and their climate activism.’

Climate Change, SciFi, and Your Local Bookstore

‘In an era calling for climate action, when Australia continues to rate among the lowest in the world for climate policy, it is important to understand what kinds of visions of the future are being sold and perpetuated by our local bookstores,’ says Sophie.

‘Science-fiction has affective dimensions that work more widely than the text itself, facilitating its audience’s ability to understand and react to its speculations, including those related to climate crisis.’

Sophie noted the substantial body of climate literature that discusses the importance of hope in stories about our environment and took it upon herself to do ‘a content analysis of sci-fi book blurbs in four Sydney stores to get an idea of the recurring themes and tones.’

Sadly, she discovered that not only was most of the sci-fi available ‘hugely pessimistic about our future on earth, but there was also an abundance of abandonment narratives – stories where the human race just left Earth entirely.’

She said, ‘This is an important thing to note because

imaginations of the future shape research agendas in the present and I would argue that extends to our attitudes in the present.

‘What we read affects how we ideate and sci-fi is a huge part of ideating our future. So, it seems problematic to me that so much of our sci-fi fails to visualise a positive or healthy future for humans on Earth.’

Sophie believes ‘the speculative fiction being published and sold in Australia is lagging behind what the literature and climate communications is asking for, which is things with more of a solarpunk and hopepunk bent.

Solarpunk

For those who don’t know what solarpunk is, Sophie describes it as ‘a subgenre of speculative fiction whose worlds are often defined by their radical, community-oriented and yet de-anthropocentrised leanings. Worlds where anti-capitalist societies elevate both human and nonhuman lives. Sustainable lives are central, and are often achieved with existing technologies.’

‘This is an important feature to note,’ she says, ‘We already have the technology to save the world, and representing this reality in fiction can be incredibly powerful. Demonstrating the possibility and feasibility of a sustainable future in all areas of communications is central to the ambitions of current research theory.’

Bleak narratives versus proactive hope

In Sophie’s research, 66% of her total sample of sci-fi books featured a plot where earth was abandoned or damaged to the point of ecological abandonment. Though she agreed that bleak narratives can evoke emotional responses in readers and can also lead to activism, it can also lead to apathy.

After all, how can you hope to save something that everything you read/watch is telling you won’t exist for much longer?

‘Apathy equals inaction,’ Sophie explained to me.

‘Apathetic readers don’t strike, don’t change how they consume, don’t feel motivated to hold corporations accountable, and are disillusioned with their democratic power/importance of their vote.’

‘Storytelling has a profound impact on how people receive information,’ says Sophie.

‘In an era when engagement is one of the key tools we have to stop apocalypse, it is critical that the futures we envision make people want to engage.’

And I agree. Acting with proactive hope and a sensible level of optimism have been far more effective in how I live my life, compared to the curled up ball I’d be if I’d consumed the books showcased in the National Library of Australia’s collection of Sci-fi and dystopia in Australian fiction.

Sophie’s own reaction to climate news often includes being terrified.

‘Every morning I wake up and I ask myself, am I going to be heroic? Eh, nah, probably not. And it is precisely because all this talk is so frightening and depressing at times that we need to radically change the way that we tell stories about the climate, the way that we envision our futures.’

The good news she says, is:

‘Sci-fi matters! Fiction helps readers to visualise their own reality, and sci-fi in particular helps audiences to interpret new information about technologies and the ethical implications of them.’

What spurred Sophie to become more active on environmental issues?

‘It was not panic propaganda or Earth Day speeches that got me invested in climate action, and it was not Neuromancer or Ender’s Game or Zamyatin’s We. I was seventeen and it was Marge Piercy’s Woman on the Edge of Time. It was the first time I had ever been pitched a true utopia. Bicycles and gender fluidity, no poverty, few carbon emissions, self-sustaining communities that worked and where everyone was happy – not Stepford happy, not brainwashed happy, simply happy. Content. And the world was vibrant and living around them.’

‘Happiness did not require the destruction or abandonment of Earth, it emerged from living better with and on the planet.’

Publishers, writers, booksellers and librarians, here’s your call to action from Sophie:

‘Our society needs more than bleak narratives to envision and tackle the future. Sure, there may be elements of hope in abandonment narratives, but the reality is that the hope of survival elsewhere or survival at the cost of the planet is a kind of cruel optimism.’

‘We don’t need any more reboots of Bladerunner, in contrast, what climate communications is asking for across the board is optimism and constructions of our future on earth in a way that is inspiring for readers to absorb.’

‘If Australia is to move forward in its climate action many drastic changes need to be made in fields of policy – but also society. And it is storytelling that can impact society. Consequently, I think that we need more science fiction with optimistic or solar punk themes. Says Sophie:

‘To achieve climate justice, change is necessary in all fields – and bookselling is not exempt.’

And therefore, we as writers are not exempt either.

So here’s what I’ve been thinking thanks to Sophie’s research.

What writers, readers, publishers, booksellers and librarians can do to make a difference.

What writers can do:

• Explore different genres or add optimistic themes to your current works.
• Buy solarpunk and hopepunk books for yourself and as gifts to others, support hopepunk and solarpunk writers as they improve and the genre builds.
• Amplify the positive books you’ve read.
• Pitch positive books to publishers.
• Share this article with your network.
• Pitch and write pieces for media outlets that offer alternative ideas and solutions, …even if they’re considered a little out there (case in point, my articles for The Guardian about toilet towels, multi-generational living and for The Sydney Morning Herald, ‘After the firestorm we need a national brainstorm’, as well as articles for Mindful Parenting Magazine about eco anxiety and what to do about it.
• Write with the end in mind. Instead of writing in a hot genre, In 2012 I wrote ‘Honeycomb Kids: Big Picture Parenting for a Changing World and To Change the World’ – all about how to build resilient families and communities in the face of global challenges. I also wrote a memoir, Honey Farm Dreaming, about the joys and challenges of sustainable living and included organic balm recipes. And another book called Small Farm Success to empower other growers and producers. (You can buy any of these from your online retailer and direct for Australian sales too).
• If you want to write positive, compassionate, thoughtful or genre-breaking books and a publisher isn’t biting, think about self-publishing rather than being silenced. Look-It’s Your Book! and Bold Authors can help with that journey. Authors who have used Look-It’s Your Book! as their ‘publishing bible’ are launching amazing books raising awareness of mental health, sun safety, recovery from sibling abuse and so much more – all books that can help change lives for the better.

What can publishers, booksellers and librarians do?

• Actively seek out, publish, feature and promote books that might help humanity make change for the better!
• Follow Simon & Schuster Australia’s lead by offering more opportunities for writers such as The Hope Prize.
• Stock indie authored titles on shelves that fill the hopepunk and solarpunk gap.

If you want to listen to a climate communications expert begging you to reconsider how you write, see Sophie’s top three below:

• Huntley, R. (2020). How to talk about climate change: in a way that makes a difference. Murdoch Books.
• Kohl, P. (2017). Reclaiming Hope in Extinction Storytelling. The Hastings Center Report, 47(S2), S24–S29. https://doi.org/10.1002/hast.748
• Reinsborough, M. (2017). Science fiction and science futures: considering the role of fictions in public engagement and science communication work. Journal of Science Communication, 16(4), https://doi.org/10.22323/2.16040307

More on solarpunk? 

Sophie  recommends P. Wagner and B. C. Wieland’s Almanac for the Anthropocene: a compendium of solarpunk futures. One of her favourite chapters is Solarpunk: the Fruitful Revolution by C. Louiselle.

Extending the idea beyond climate

Sophie’s research was specifically about climate change and the environment, but if you use her ideas as a launch pad, it could also be extended to how writers, readers, publishers, booksellers and librarians can try and change the future of conflict, crime, the imbalance between the world’s rich and poor, justice for Indigenous communities, violence against women and other pressing problems.

Are you up for it?

Many thanks for mulling on this topic with me!

A massive thank you to Sophie Serafim for her spark and heart, research, advocacy, lightbulb moments, permission to quote her research and her generosity of time in the creation of this article.

Thanks also to Vivienne Pearson for some early feedback, and to Brook McCarthy, her preso at the Content Byte Summit made me decide to just post this rather than waiting until a lightening bolt struck and improved it.

And thanks to you too.

Let’s change our reading, writing and publishing habits NOW, because if we do, it might mean there’ll be a future story worth living for all. 

Anna

P.S.: You can also read more about the definition of hopepunk in this Vox piece by Aja Romano

P.P.S: A few months after writing this post I attended a workshop by Sustainable Screens Australia (partner of albert) and came away with some great information about how screenwriters can include sustainability in scripts and tv/film productions – there was great info for authors too and you can read my takeaways here: What screenwriters can teach authors about how to inspire positive environmental action in our books