this post was submitted on 18 Jul 2023
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Solarpunk

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Can an (overly) optimistic science fiction genre help inspire a new generation of Leftists?

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[–] [email protected] 36 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Creating a positive mental landscape, based on action, something to strive for, rather than visions of impeding doom., is an essential first step.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 year ago

Agreed! Doomerism is toxic and a self-fulfilling prophecy.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

This century is already witnessing the beginning of the coming planet-wide ecological catastrophe/collapse. It's going to get much worse before it gets better, not to mention the geopolitical ramifications of it all with unprecedented waves of climate refugees just as one example.

I don't really expect Solarpunk fiction to be the major catalyst for changing people's minds. Sadly, I just expect that things will start getting so bad in certain areas that dealing with these issues will be unavoidable for survival reasons. I wish we could, as a civilization, be more proactive instead of reactive, but unfortunately...

Anyway, even if, for argument's sake, a truly "Solarpunk" Earth is unattainable for whatever reason(s), we still have no choice. We have no choice but to work towards it and shoot for something that isn't a total dystopian vision of the future.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

What is the alternative? What other inspirational fictions do we have?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

I feel this is an egg & chicken situation. Solarpunk wasn't much of a genre until renewables became advanced & more widespread enough and the vision is very much based on us expanding hugely on renewables and becoming more ecologically conscious. This is, in the broader scheme, very much the goal of where we should head towards to reach climate neutrality. So in that sense it is as serious as the climate scientists advocating for it, even if not by name but simply by what it entails.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

I prefer nuclearpunk/fusionpunk myself. But then, I'm a huge fan of Winchell Chung's Atomic Rockets site.

[–] [email protected] -2 points 1 year ago (5 children)

@sam_uk OK, but if the solarpunk is a genre of science fiction, where are the solarpunk novels?
And any movement to be treated seriously should avoid taking communists on board.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

Arguably Walkaway by Cory Doctorow?

[–] Polydextrous 4 points 1 year ago

Agreed. Solarpunk is anarchist, and communists/anarchists have a…messy history.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Check out Psalm for the Wild-Built!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I see anarchist point of views in steampunk and cyberpunk. So I expect the same solarpunk. But haven't read the first novel yet neither.

If a novel appears with traditional leftist/communist approach it would be very cringe. A lot of steampunk stories are about evil oligarchs vs adventurous heroes, without the need of falling in commie fallacies.

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