1. STRAIGHT-FORWARD CLI-FI
The Last Albatross by Ian Irvine (2000) – Australian author. Realistic and grim.
• Key Elements: an eco-thriller with a fast-paced and suspenseful plot. A little way in Earth's future and shows the impact climate change is having on politics, the economy and life in general. Buckwild plot - Hercus Barges, a classic mad engineer, develops the idea of saving Earth from ecological disaster by destroying or at least decimating the human race with stolen plutonium.
• What makes it fit into this category: this is a genre-read, if ever there was one. Imagines a ‘plausible’ near future of environmental depletion and societal degradation. There’s green cults, corrupted tech, and an eco-terrorist as one of the main characters
• What are the appeal factors of the selected titles (not a plot summary). It’s an Australian title from a well-loved author of fantasy and futuristic eco-thrillers. If you get the sense your reader is after a straight down-the-line example of cli-fi—with a plausible dystopia of environmental destruction and societal collapse—this is a good one to go to. It’s also the first in a trilogy, so 3 for 1 readers recommendation
2. LITERARY CLI-FI
The Stone Gods by Jeanette Winterson (2008) – Author of Oranges are not the Only Fruit. Literary and apocalyptic.
• Key Elements: Satire, darkly comic and quick but also lyrically written. It’s a futuristic adventure that explores humankind's relationship to the environment, power, and technology
• What makes it fit into this category: “end-of-the-world” fiction - the three parts of the story are set amid encroaching annihilation and how humanity deals with that. part of the story is set on a polluted planet, over-reliance of technology, genetic engineering destroying humanity. It is sharply satirical though, an example of this is things like the existence of “state-approved mass illiteracy“ and “Genetic Fixing,” Humankind begins to colonise a new ‘blue’ planet and talk about shooting an asteroid at Earth to kill the dinosaurs
• What are the appeal factors of the selected titles (not a plot summary). This is one of those examples of the use of speculative fiction to talk about current issues – is this case humankind’s practice of despoiling every pristine place we occupy. It’s LGBTQ+ diverse, quite funny (she is a master of wit). It’s a real odyssey-style plot for the main characters, who take voyages both across space and time
3. YA CLI-FI
Orleans by Sherri L Smith (2013) – Black American YA writer
• Key Elements: Set in New Orleans/Louisiana 50 or so years in the future – the Gulf Coast has been destroyed by Hurricanes and a deadly virus emerging from the devastation. Really compelling, really plot driven and a great example of own voices writing
• What makes it fit into this category: environmental destruction and strong elements of government tyranny – the whole region is ‘separated’ from the rest of the US by a massive wall and the survivors inside the wall are left to fall into chaos. It explores how people might organise themselves in these destroyed environments - People live in tribes according to their blood type and ‘trade’ blood transfusions to fight the virus. So yeah, pretty harrowing.
• What are the appeal factors of the selected titles (not a plot summary). The two main characters alternate chapters with unique and engaging voices (one of the main characters speak in Orleans dialect). Diverse, own voices
4. CLASSIC CLI-FI
Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler (1993) – Revered. Considered a visionary and the mother of Afrofuturism
• Key Elements: for anyone seeking an education in the history of cli-fi and sci-fi, this is a must-read. Published in 1993 but set in the now times, Butler’s stories are so prescient this book has recently made the New York Times bestseller list for the first time ever. This is an iconic piece of spec-fic, and is a story about a dystopia where the people in it struggle but also maintain hope for change
• What makes it fit into this category: set in a society that’s collapsed, and outside the main character’s gated community the world is in chaos due to resource scarcity and poverty. The story addresses the ways in which race, gender and class intersect and the consequences for a young woman
• What are the appeal factors of the selected titles (not a plot summary). Very readable, suitable for youth and adults – a charismatic main character and an actual hopeful plot. It’s culturally diverse, own voices and plot-driven. Bleak and haunting but incredibly thought-provoking
5. ANTHOLOGY CLI-FI
Loosed upon the World: the saga anthology of climate fiction, edited by John Joseph Adams (2015) – absolute cheat because it is an anthology of short stories, but makes for a perfect introduction to the genre.
• Key Elements: Included this one because it covers off all the obvious cli fi writers that everyone knows – Margaret Atwood, Paolo Bacigalupi, Kim Stanley Robinson, Vandana Singh, Chen Qiufan.
• What makes it fit into this category: It bleak. It real bleak. Imagining humans/survivors in futures where all the climate change scenarios we hear are coming – it’s hotter, the coasts are flooded, landscapes destroyed and survivors slowly losing their moral compass. BUT, reading it you see the authors’ passionate desire to promote taking action on climate change before it’s too late
• What are the appeal factors of the selected titles (not a plot summary). A good introduction to the genre and a guide for those who want to explore more.