What do you think?
Rate this book
Another Life
Finding out who you were in a previous life sounds like fun until you’re forced to grapple with the darkness of the past.
Galacia Aguirre is Mediator of Otra Vida, a quasi-utopian city on the shores of a human-made lake in Death Valley. She resolves conflicts within their sustainable money-free society, and keeps the outside world from meddling in their affairs.
When a scientific method of uncovering past lives emerges, Galacia learns she’s the reincarnation of Thomas Ramsey, leader of the Planet B movement, who eschewed fixing climate change in favor of colonizing another planet.
Learning her reincarnation result shakes the foundations of Galacia’s identity and her position as Mediator, threatening to undermine the good she’s done in this lifetime.
Fearing a backlash, she keeps the results secret while dealing with her political rival for Mediator, and outsiders who blame Otra Vida for bombings that Galacia is sure they had nothing to do with. But under the unforgiving sun of Death Valley, secrets have a way of coming to light.
Galacia Aguirre is Mediator of Otra Vida, a quasi-utopian city on the shores of a human-made lake in Death Valley. She resolves conflicts within their sustainable money-free society, and keeps the outside world from meddling in their affairs.
When a scientific method of uncovering past lives emerges, Galacia learns she’s the reincarnation of Thomas Ramsey, leader of the Planet B movement, who eschewed fixing climate change in favor of colonizing another planet.
Learning her reincarnation result shakes the foundations of Galacia’s identity and her position as Mediator, threatening to undermine the good she’s done in this lifetime.
Fearing a backlash, she keeps the results secret while dealing with her political rival for Mediator, and outsiders who blame Otra Vida for bombings that Galacia is sure they had nothing to do with. But under the unforgiving sun of Death Valley, secrets have a way of coming to light.
162 pages, Paperback
First published May 25, 2023
9 people are currently reading
847 people want to read
About the author
Sarena Ulibarri
36 books96 followersSarena Ulibarri is a writer and editor from the American Southwest. Her short stories have appeared in Lightspeed, DreamForge, Baubles From Bones, and elsewhere, and non-fiction essays have appeared in Grist and Strange Horizons. Two novellas were published in 2023: Another Life (from Stelliform Press) and Steel Tree (from Android Press). As an anthologist, she edited Glass and Gardens: Solarpunk Summers and Glass and Gardens: Solarpunk Winters, and co-edited Multispecies Cities. She also serves as a story reviewer for the Imagine 2200 climate fiction contest.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
Read
May 16, 2023I haven't read a lot of solarpunk (positive visions of a sustainable and collective future) as I tend toward apocalypse myself, but Ulibarri offers an intriguing and exciting world set in the near future where some folks have built a visionary collective in Death Valley and, while not perfect by any means, are doing their best. It's a fast and entertaining novella-length read with a touch of mystery and a big ethical conundrum. It explores what a sustainable future might look like, the consequences of scientific breakthroughs, the weight of leadership, and the fleeting nature of progress. It's also good introduction to solarpunk if you're not familiar with the subgenre and are curious. (Ulibarri is a leading voice in the field and an editor of multiple solarpunk anthologies).
Full disclosure: Ulibarri is a member of my critique group and a friend, and while that influenced my decision to read this lovely little novella, it did not change my review.
Full disclosure: Ulibarri is a member of my critique group and a friend, and while that influenced my decision to read this lovely little novella, it did not change my review.
May 30, 2023
I love the idea of solarpunk as a genre and I always read it in order to gain some hope for the future and also take a look at the possible practical solutions we are working on to like... save the world! I was very excited for this, and on this specific thing - the closer-to-us-than-we-think scifi elements -, it really did not disappoint. We're dealing with a sustainable community with a non-hierarchical structure, cool communal living, satisfyingly explored re: what do we do about labor and the jobs that people are supposedly not willing to do?
The worldbuilding is in that sweet spot of: not too much, not too little. There are tantalizing elements outside of Otra Vida: a civil war in the past, the splitting off of states, California has a Basic Income program (that's apparently not enough), while the cops are a bit scifi and are called Protectors, and the media is very firmly Verified and connected to the state apparatus. All of this is pretty great.
When entering into this, I was wary about the idea of reincarnation in a realistic scifi setting, but I was very pleasantly surprised of the scifi explanation for this - I successfully suspended my disbelief. But I wasn't super happy with how this storyline was followed through the end.
Galacia, our main character, and the moderator of conflicts in Otra Vida, turns out to be the reincarnation of an Elon Musk-like billionaire, who ended up killing a bunch of people when trying to get to Planet B (a fun play on those climate protest signs 'There is no planet B!') with his spaceship. Galacia takes most of the book to process this information and 1. we don't get to see her in action as a fully involved & competent moderator, 2. she gets very distracted by this and ignores a bunch of things happening at the margins and 3.
I think what has left me unsatisfied about most solarpunk writing so far is the overwhelming focus on technology and pragmatic matters and not so much on the people and their relationships. So, are these the people that would live in that community? Because they feel sort of like current day anarchists, maybe even a bit recent past anarchists. I think that people who would live in that community in the future would be a bit different. Around a third of the way through, Galacia is called to moderate a conflict, and it is very summarily described (we don't even know what the conflict is, actually) and waved away and that felt disappointing. I wanted to actually see her in action.
There's also a generational conflict subplot that I thought was well handled, because it turns out that separating the people who live in that community as Founders, Petitioners and Inheritors could create a class structure? Could create biases in moderating conflict!
I wasn't super happy though with the procedure for kicking out someone in the community - it's just a petition, that feels cold. In general, when it came to the people, I got the vibes that they were all doing their own thing and not actively trying to keep creating the best community they could have. But I guess that's very much my own thing and this was a work-in-progress sort of thing. Bottom line: I personally wanted more of the people of Otra Vida and maybe less of the explosive plotline.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me an ARC.
The worldbuilding is in that sweet spot of: not too much, not too little. There are tantalizing elements outside of Otra Vida: a civil war in the past, the splitting off of states, California has a Basic Income program (that's apparently not enough), while the cops are a bit scifi and are called Protectors, and the media is very firmly Verified and connected to the state apparatus. All of this is pretty great.
When entering into this, I was wary about the idea of reincarnation in a realistic scifi setting, but I was very pleasantly surprised of the scifi explanation for this - I successfully suspended my disbelief. But I wasn't super happy with how this storyline was followed through the end.
Galacia, our main character, and the moderator of conflicts in Otra Vida, turns out to be the reincarnation of an Elon Musk-like billionaire, who ended up killing a bunch of people when trying to get to Planet B (a fun play on those climate protest signs 'There is no planet B!') with his spaceship. Galacia takes most of the book to process this information and 1. we don't get to see her in action as a fully involved & competent moderator, 2. she gets very distracted by this and ignores a bunch of things happening at the margins and 3.
I think what has left me unsatisfied about most solarpunk writing so far is the overwhelming focus on technology and pragmatic matters and not so much on the people and their relationships. So, are these the people that would live in that community? Because they feel sort of like current day anarchists, maybe even a bit recent past anarchists. I think that people who would live in that community in the future would be a bit different. Around a third of the way through, Galacia is called to moderate a conflict, and it is very summarily described (we don't even know what the conflict is, actually) and waved away and that felt disappointing. I wanted to actually see her in action.
There's also a generational conflict subplot that I thought was well handled, because it turns out that separating the people who live in that community as Founders, Petitioners and Inheritors could create a class structure? Could create biases in moderating conflict!
I wasn't super happy though with the procedure for kicking out someone in the community - it's just a petition, that feels cold. In general, when it came to the people, I got the vibes that they were all doing their own thing and not actively trying to keep creating the best community they could have. But I guess that's very much my own thing and this was a work-in-progress sort of thing. Bottom line: I personally wanted more of the people of Otra Vida and maybe less of the explosive plotline.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me an ARC.
December 2, 2023
Here's Marissa Lingen's review that led me to read it:
https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
Excerpt:
"There’s a speculative conceit that’s basically magic–very minimal handwavium applied to make it “sciency” but we all know it’s basically magic, it’s fine–and that is not the part where they build themselves a better community. ....
I think one of the things that I like best ... is that the protagonist, Galacia, is hard-working, well-intentioned, very determined…and no more perfect at self-knowledge than any of the rest of us."
Well. This one didn't work for me. The premise is magically desalinating ocean water, pumping it to Death Valley, and building an oasis there with a new community, after a near-future climate-catastrophe collapse. The author in her afterword apologizes for this idea, as well she should. Desalinating ocean water is expensive, as is pumping it hundreds of miles. ZERO chance that would work. I did finish the story-- it's short, well-written, and the characters are interesting, sorta kinda. I like optimistic SF. But not if the premise is absurd! For me, 1.5 stars, which is being generous. I recommend you read something else.
https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
Excerpt:
"There’s a speculative conceit that’s basically magic–very minimal handwavium applied to make it “sciency” but we all know it’s basically magic, it’s fine–and that is not the part where they build themselves a better community. ....
I think one of the things that I like best ... is that the protagonist, Galacia, is hard-working, well-intentioned, very determined…and no more perfect at self-knowledge than any of the rest of us."
Well. This one didn't work for me. The premise is magically desalinating ocean water, pumping it to Death Valley, and building an oasis there with a new community, after a near-future climate-catastrophe collapse. The author in her afterword apologizes for this idea, as well she should. Desalinating ocean water is expensive, as is pumping it hundreds of miles. ZERO chance that would work. I did finish the story-- it's short, well-written, and the characters are interesting, sorta kinda. I like optimistic SF. But not if the premise is absurd! For me, 1.5 stars, which is being generous. I recommend you read something else.
May 31, 2023
as a person that doesn't read sci-fi a lot because I can't get into the stories and world settings, I enjoyed "Another Life" by Sarena Ulibarri a lot.
the futuristic yet quite realistic setting was believable and I think that's where the world might be headed which is both horrifying and yet not really??
it's hard to explain it but the world Sarena Ulibarri built was a world I could technically live in and I'm pretty sure I'd be much more happier with my life than I am right now. but of course, it also has a scary picture to it so maybe I'm just crazy to think that living in a world like that wouldn't be so bad.
overall I think this sci-fi novella is a great choice for people that don't like reading sci-fi and it will be easy to get drawn into the story. also, this is one of the best covers I've seen in a while.
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
💌 May 28, 2023: E-ARC provided via BookSirens. Big thank you to Sarena Ulibarri.
the futuristic yet quite realistic setting was believable and I think that's where the world might be headed which is both horrifying and yet not really??
it's hard to explain it but the world Sarena Ulibarri built was a world I could technically live in and I'm pretty sure I'd be much more happier with my life than I am right now. but of course, it also has a scary picture to it so maybe I'm just crazy to think that living in a world like that wouldn't be so bad.
overall I think this sci-fi novella is a great choice for people that don't like reading sci-fi and it will be easy to get drawn into the story. also, this is one of the best covers I've seen in a while.
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
💌 May 28, 2023: E-ARC provided via BookSirens. Big thank you to Sarena Ulibarri.
November 11, 2025
Part of my exploration of utopian speculative fiction because it's 2025 and we've done dystopia so much and im done with our morbid curiosity for doom and despair!
Another Life is a cheeky one because it presents an anarchist utopian settlement within a dystopian near future - a successful evasion of the horrors to come. Loved the commune that is proposed, which emphasizes the figure of the mediator as a conflict-resolution mechanism. There's a surprising metaphysical proposition within this sci-fi, which is "what would happen if we could confirm with ~~science that resurrection of the soul is real?" Lol
The premises were so niiiice but it felt short both in world building and character depth, in my humble opinion. I would've loved a better understanding of commune development and mechanics, and of the disruptive implications of literally unveiling THE biggest mystery of the human condition????
Another Life is a cheeky one because it presents an anarchist utopian settlement within a dystopian near future - a successful evasion of the horrors to come. Loved the commune that is proposed, which emphasizes the figure of the mediator as a conflict-resolution mechanism. There's a surprising metaphysical proposition within this sci-fi, which is "what would happen if we could confirm with ~~science that resurrection of the soul is real?" Lol
The premises were so niiiice but it felt short both in world building and character depth, in my humble opinion. I would've loved a better understanding of commune development and mechanics, and of the disruptive implications of literally unveiling THE biggest mystery of the human condition????
April 16, 2025
La reseña completa en https://inthenevernever.blogspot.com/...
¿Cómo sería vivir en una ciudad casi utópica? En una urbe ecológica y autosuficiente fundada en las orillas de un lago artificial creado en el Valle de la Muerte (en el desierto de California). Ser la mediadora que se encarga de resolver los conflictos que surgen entre los habitantes de esa sociedad sostenible y anticapitalista. Pero, ¿qué ocurriría si descubres que en tu vida pasada fuiste el hombre más odiado del mundo? Un negacionista del cambio climático que creó un proyecto para que la humanidad dejase la Tierra y se fuese a un planeta B. Hoy quiero recomendarles Otra vida, de Sarena Ulibarri. Una novela que nos presenta un futuro esperanzador, incluso en el contexto de un cambio climático extremo.
«—Su forma de vida no estaba hecha para nosotros, así que creamos otra vida».
¿Cómo sería vivir en una ciudad casi utópica? En una urbe ecológica y autosuficiente fundada en las orillas de un lago artificial creado en el Valle de la Muerte (en el desierto de California). Ser la mediadora que se encarga de resolver los conflictos que surgen entre los habitantes de esa sociedad sostenible y anticapitalista. Pero, ¿qué ocurriría si descubres que en tu vida pasada fuiste el hombre más odiado del mundo? Un negacionista del cambio climático que creó un proyecto para que la humanidad dejase la Tierra y se fuese a un planeta B. Hoy quiero recomendarles Otra vida, de Sarena Ulibarri. Una novela que nos presenta un futuro esperanzador, incluso en el contexto de un cambio climático extremo.
«—Su forma de vida no estaba hecha para nosotros, así que creamos otra vida».
April 13, 2025
Me he quedado un poquito desencantada con este libro. Me gusta los planteamientos que tiene (el mundo apocalíptico que nos dejamos a nosotros mismos y cómo consigue sacarle una alternativa que no es distópica, sino viable y esperanzadora; contra la idea de las almas y la impronta genética), pero no me ha gustado ni cómo los mezcla ni cómo resuelve en general todos los dilemas que plantea. Es un asunto personal por entero; creo sencillamente no he conectado con la protagonista ni con su modo de narrar o lo que pasaba con el resto de personajes, y por eso he estado desvinculada toda la historia, como si realmente no me importara ni un poco.
Lo más interesante, para mí, toda la parte en la que cuenta cómo se gestó Otra Vida, y que era un poco lo que me había movido hacia el libro, y que fue el trocito en que resurgió para mí la lectura.
Lo más interesante, para mí, toda la parte en la que cuenta cómo se gestó Otra Vida, y que era un poco lo que me había movido hacia el libro, y que fue el trocito en que resurgió para mí la lectura.
March 3, 2023
A very enjoyable short science fiction book which I feel would be quite accessible for beginners and readers who want to read short books.
I find the writing quite engaging and I read the book in one sitting. Imagine the fun!
This is the story Galacia who lives in a city in Death Valley. There’s a unique discovery made in which you can find out who we were in our past lives. This sounded fun until Galacia came to know she was the reincarnation of the leader of a movement who favoured colonising another planet which was totally opposed to her own ideals. She kept this a secret until it had to come out and she had to face the consequences while dealing with her political rival. A good representation of strong young characters.
I find the characters well written and the ending a little too soon. But the story is quite easy to read and follow. I has a good time reading the book.
Thank you, Stelliform Press, for the advance reading copy.
I find the writing quite engaging and I read the book in one sitting. Imagine the fun!
This is the story Galacia who lives in a city in Death Valley. There’s a unique discovery made in which you can find out who we were in our past lives. This sounded fun until Galacia came to know she was the reincarnation of the leader of a movement who favoured colonising another planet which was totally opposed to her own ideals. She kept this a secret until it had to come out and she had to face the consequences while dealing with her political rival. A good representation of strong young characters.
I find the characters well written and the ending a little too soon. But the story is quite easy to read and follow. I has a good time reading the book.
Thank you, Stelliform Press, for the advance reading copy.
May 12, 2023
Read an eARC from the publisher
Content Warnings: state violence, climate disaster
Galacia Aguirre is Mediator of Otra Vida, a city of communal living and equivalent exchange that exists on the shores of what was once Death Valley. In the lead-up to her re-election, a colleague of hers reveals to have discovered a way to discover past lives. Unfortunately, Galacia’s past life is of the man who might have singularly spurred the climate decline of the planet. This novella will appeal to fans of the Monk & Robot books by Becky Chambers in the way it offers a compassionate and forgiving approach to working through the sins of humanity’s past and how personal mistakes don’t necessarily doom the present.
The world-building in this novella is so good. If you’re looking for something that’s post-corporate, post-capitalist but fully explores the complexities of that transition, this is the book for you. Galacia is a character who is almost omniscient in her presence, as she had been one of the founders of Otra Vida. There is still some sense of class hierarchy in the sense that those who had been there from the beginning have a different relationship with the quasi-utopian project. There are political tensions that escalate violently, and the way the narrative weaves in new technology that’s dangerous from a social standpoint is really thoughtful. Nothing in this work is black and white, but is infused with a hopefulness that keeps the work from feeling gray moral or even nihilistic. The approach is very grounded, despite the imaginative future tech.
There are references to reincarnation and the after life from a Jewish and Buddhist perspective, but I do not have the range to comment on how Ulibarri approaches this topic. But, instead of taking a literal approach, I really enjoyed how the novella explores the application and responsibility in applying new technologies to solve current problems. While the stakes are very personal in that Galacia is trying to win election in her role, the concepts and themes feel wider than the scope of just Otra Vida, or even this futuristic version of the United States.
A work that presents a post-capitalist society working through growing pains that still resonate in the present, I found this read to be thoughtful and compassionate in its exploration of humanity’s relationship to technology, nature, and each other.
Content Warnings: state violence, climate disaster
Galacia Aguirre is Mediator of Otra Vida, a city of communal living and equivalent exchange that exists on the shores of what was once Death Valley. In the lead-up to her re-election, a colleague of hers reveals to have discovered a way to discover past lives. Unfortunately, Galacia’s past life is of the man who might have singularly spurred the climate decline of the planet. This novella will appeal to fans of the Monk & Robot books by Becky Chambers in the way it offers a compassionate and forgiving approach to working through the sins of humanity’s past and how personal mistakes don’t necessarily doom the present.
The world-building in this novella is so good. If you’re looking for something that’s post-corporate, post-capitalist but fully explores the complexities of that transition, this is the book for you. Galacia is a character who is almost omniscient in her presence, as she had been one of the founders of Otra Vida. There is still some sense of class hierarchy in the sense that those who had been there from the beginning have a different relationship with the quasi-utopian project. There are political tensions that escalate violently, and the way the narrative weaves in new technology that’s dangerous from a social standpoint is really thoughtful. Nothing in this work is black and white, but is infused with a hopefulness that keeps the work from feeling gray moral or even nihilistic. The approach is very grounded, despite the imaginative future tech.
There are references to reincarnation and the after life from a Jewish and Buddhist perspective, but I do not have the range to comment on how Ulibarri approaches this topic. But, instead of taking a literal approach, I really enjoyed how the novella explores the application and responsibility in applying new technologies to solve current problems. While the stakes are very personal in that Galacia is trying to win election in her role, the concepts and themes feel wider than the scope of just Otra Vida, or even this futuristic version of the United States.
A work that presents a post-capitalist society working through growing pains that still resonate in the present, I found this read to be thoughtful and compassionate in its exploration of humanity’s relationship to technology, nature, and each other.
April 7, 2023
The world is in ruins due to the climate crisis, with one man, Thomas Ramsey, held up as the poster boy for climate denial, who sent many people into bankruptcy, depression and also, for those who could afford his shuttle to "Planet B", sent many people to their death when it exploded on launch, taking him with it. However, our story begins forty years later in Otra Vida, a utopic city in the middle of the desert where reincarnation has been scientifically Verified. What would it mean to know exactly who you were in a past life? And what would it mean for all the good you've done trying to mitigate the fallout of the climate crisis and look out for the health and wellbeing of an entire city, if you found out that in your previous life, you were none other than the most hated climate terrorist in the entire world?
This story was a wonderful little thought experiment. I love science fiction and speculative fiction and this short book has a whole lot of depth to sink your teeth into. I loved the way the author explored ways to tackle climate change and the vastly different reactions of each group to the same problem, eg Capitalist vs Marxist ideals which I saw in this book as for the profits vs for the people. This reminded me a lot of an anthropological text I read called A Postcapital Politics which tries to envision how a society outside of the hegemonic capitalist society could work. Ulibarri takes an idea and runs with it, forming the most wonderful society that looks out for its people making sure everyone has exactly what they need in a time where most live in scarcity due to greedy trade deals, border closures, and corrupt government deals. It shows the necessity to evolve from old ways of society and agriculture to a new method more in tune with nature and with more consideration for our mental health and wellbeing. It also shows how others may react to their ways becoming obsolete and the actions they may take to silence those who think differently.
Though that is still a major part of the plot and integral to how the story plays out in its crisis point, it also takes a back seat to the notion of identity and what it means to be human. The discovery of genetic markers, "fingerprints for the soul" on our genetic structure, sends the entire city of Otra Vida into a frenzy. Everyone wants to know who they were in a past life, convinced that people like Thomas Ramsey could only ever be reincarnated as a cockroach. But what if you had been a terrible person in another life? Would that negate any good you do in your current one, and should/could you be persecuted for something you did in a previous life? Furthermore, what if the mass extinction of wildlife across the world could be correlated with the rise in population growth in a different way than we ever thought conceivable? What would happen if animals who had been hunted for sport and greed suddenly found themselves reincarnated in a human body, full of hatred for the human race but unsure of why and what to do with it? These philosophical wicked problems were a very interesting inclusion that took a story that would already have been incredible and took it to even more phenomenal heights!
Another Life is a story of resilience, reinvention, and renewal that provides us with an optimistic blueprint for a better, more thoughtful future. Thank you Netgalley and Steliform Press for the advance copy.
This story was a wonderful little thought experiment. I love science fiction and speculative fiction and this short book has a whole lot of depth to sink your teeth into. I loved the way the author explored ways to tackle climate change and the vastly different reactions of each group to the same problem, eg Capitalist vs Marxist ideals which I saw in this book as for the profits vs for the people. This reminded me a lot of an anthropological text I read called A Postcapital Politics which tries to envision how a society outside of the hegemonic capitalist society could work. Ulibarri takes an idea and runs with it, forming the most wonderful society that looks out for its people making sure everyone has exactly what they need in a time where most live in scarcity due to greedy trade deals, border closures, and corrupt government deals. It shows the necessity to evolve from old ways of society and agriculture to a new method more in tune with nature and with more consideration for our mental health and wellbeing. It also shows how others may react to their ways becoming obsolete and the actions they may take to silence those who think differently.
Though that is still a major part of the plot and integral to how the story plays out in its crisis point, it also takes a back seat to the notion of identity and what it means to be human. The discovery of genetic markers, "fingerprints for the soul" on our genetic structure, sends the entire city of Otra Vida into a frenzy. Everyone wants to know who they were in a past life, convinced that people like Thomas Ramsey could only ever be reincarnated as a cockroach. But what if you had been a terrible person in another life? Would that negate any good you do in your current one, and should/could you be persecuted for something you did in a previous life? Furthermore, what if the mass extinction of wildlife across the world could be correlated with the rise in population growth in a different way than we ever thought conceivable? What would happen if animals who had been hunted for sport and greed suddenly found themselves reincarnated in a human body, full of hatred for the human race but unsure of why and what to do with it? These philosophical wicked problems were a very interesting inclusion that took a story that would already have been incredible and took it to even more phenomenal heights!
Another Life is a story of resilience, reinvention, and renewal that provides us with an optimistic blueprint for a better, more thoughtful future. Thank you Netgalley and Steliform Press for the advance copy.
March 7, 2023
I found this novella to be a hopeful yet critical look at humanity’s future relationship with our planet. I really enjoyed the speculative fiction themes of past lives/reincarnation and interconnectedness through previous generations. I think theoretical issues were dealt with in an approachable and relatable way. I would have loved to see more of the impact of the past life technology on a greater scale; at the end the possible legal consequences were hinted at, but that would have been cool to explore further. Sometimes I was confused trying to keep track of all the characters and their relationships to each other, I also had difficulty at times understanding and picturing some of the unfamiliar vocabulary/technology in the story.
I found the characters to be likable and even though many of the stakes they were facing felt decently sized, there was always an undercurrent of hope and perseverance. I felt that many of the character’s individual storylines mirror the way young people are preparing to tackle our climate crisis- with hope and action, despite things feeling bleak at times while we’re irreversibly changing our environment. I haven’t read anything like this before, but if I had to compare it to something, this book felt like a much lower stakes/lighter version of Parable of the Sower. I thought it was nice and very approachable.
I found the characters to be likable and even though many of the stakes they were facing felt decently sized, there was always an undercurrent of hope and perseverance. I felt that many of the character’s individual storylines mirror the way young people are preparing to tackle our climate crisis- with hope and action, despite things feeling bleak at times while we’re irreversibly changing our environment. I haven’t read anything like this before, but if I had to compare it to something, this book felt like a much lower stakes/lighter version of Parable of the Sower. I thought it was nice and very approachable.
May 4, 2025
I was attracted by the solarpunk background and I really love how the author resolves political, tech and social issues in order to create a realistic Otra Vida. And more, because with reincarnation there's also a spiritual problem that can change everything.
I think there's a good balance between science and spiritual thoughts and how they can converge in a community.
Characters that Ulibarri creates are so realistic, full of doubts and wishes and hope and fear. And of prejudices too. I really loved how the story goes around knowing better and trust each other.
And of course there is also the critical part towards climate change, police control, information control. This novella is short but intense and I really recommend it.
I think there's a good balance between science and spiritual thoughts and how they can converge in a community.
Characters that Ulibarri creates are so realistic, full of doubts and wishes and hope and fear. And of prejudices too. I really loved how the story goes around knowing better and trust each other.
And of course there is also the critical part towards climate change, police control, information control. This novella is short but intense and I really recommend it.
July 16, 2025
Me gustan mucho las historias utópicas o distòpicas que se desarrollan en un futuro cercano donde no hay muchos cambios aparentes. Así es más fácil ver las implicaciones de los errores del presente y pensar en propuestas para solucionarlos.
Esta novela se centra en la creación de comunidad y en el mejor uso de los recursos que existen, atajando a su vez la crisis de vivienda, la ecoansiedad, el aprendizaje que podemos hacer de la historia de la humanidad… Muchos temas entrelazados que nos dan una idea de lo que el ser humano es capaz y tiene a su disposición para el cambio.
Ahora quiero leer más Solarpunk.
Esta novela se centra en la creación de comunidad y en el mejor uso de los recursos que existen, atajando a su vez la crisis de vivienda, la ecoansiedad, el aprendizaje que podemos hacer de la historia de la humanidad… Muchos temas entrelazados que nos dan una idea de lo que el ser humano es capaz y tiene a su disposición para el cambio.
Ahora quiero leer más Solarpunk.
May 17, 2023
Set in a small community years after the world fell apart due to climate disasters, author Sarena Ulibarri tells an ultimately hopeful tale dealing with reincarnation and the actions taken in one's past life.
Though not formally the leader of Otra Vida, Mediator Galacia Aguirre is constantly mediating disputes and problems amongst residents. She and some friends had founded the community years earlier after successfully working together to remediate a damaged part of the California.
Now, people are welcome to join Otra Vida, with the proviso that they contribute to the community though growing food, or by other means. There is peace amongst the residents though it's all shaken up by two incidents with serious implications to their community and the wider world.
The first is a new potential resident; he seems not to fully agree with their methods and ethos, but Galacia is a little too troubled and concerned by another incident to pay sufficient attention to the problems the man soon starts to cause.
Galacia's nephew had discovered a way to determine who one was in a previous life, based on genetic and other markers. For some this is joyful, for others, profoundly disturbing. Galacia is one of the latter, as she finds out she is the reincarnation of Thomas Ramsey, a man universally abhored by residents in Otra Vida for his decision to travel to another planet rather than deal with remediating the damage humans had caused on Earth. Ramsey failed, and many were killed as a result.
Galacia can not move past her own feelings of revulsion, and knows the identity of former self will be hugely damaging to her standing within the community, and to her friends. She wrestles a lot, uncertain whether or not to reveal her former life to the community.
I liked the ideas posed by Ulibarri, as well as the hope that one could, through imagination, innovation and cooperation, reclaim areas of the planet. The idea that we won't leave a wasteland behind if we work hard together to fix things made me happy.
I was a little less convinced of the question posed by Galacia/the author: whether one's past life could potentially, irrevocably determine one's current identity, as this undermines who one is today, and all the decisions that go into that person.
Ulibarri doesn't answer that question explicitly, though the person Galacia is and all that she has done for her community show that who she is today bears no real connection to who her past identity was. Anything else feels just too fatalistic to assume that if once bad, there is no hope of change.
And, Asian religions' idea of reincarnation, of rebirths where one can make different and hopefully better choices than the last life, is ultimately hopeful. The author leaves us to ponder these questions at the end of the book, which, though a tiny bit rushed, was ultimately satisfying.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Stelliform Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.
Though not formally the leader of Otra Vida, Mediator Galacia Aguirre is constantly mediating disputes and problems amongst residents. She and some friends had founded the community years earlier after successfully working together to remediate a damaged part of the California.
Now, people are welcome to join Otra Vida, with the proviso that they contribute to the community though growing food, or by other means. There is peace amongst the residents though it's all shaken up by two incidents with serious implications to their community and the wider world.
The first is a new potential resident; he seems not to fully agree with their methods and ethos, but Galacia is a little too troubled and concerned by another incident to pay sufficient attention to the problems the man soon starts to cause.
Galacia's nephew had discovered a way to determine who one was in a previous life, based on genetic and other markers. For some this is joyful, for others, profoundly disturbing. Galacia is one of the latter, as she finds out she is the reincarnation of Thomas Ramsey, a man universally abhored by residents in Otra Vida for his decision to travel to another planet rather than deal with remediating the damage humans had caused on Earth. Ramsey failed, and many were killed as a result.
Galacia can not move past her own feelings of revulsion, and knows the identity of former self will be hugely damaging to her standing within the community, and to her friends. She wrestles a lot, uncertain whether or not to reveal her former life to the community.
I liked the ideas posed by Ulibarri, as well as the hope that one could, through imagination, innovation and cooperation, reclaim areas of the planet. The idea that we won't leave a wasteland behind if we work hard together to fix things made me happy.
I was a little less convinced of the question posed by Galacia/the author: whether one's past life could potentially, irrevocably determine one's current identity, as this undermines who one is today, and all the decisions that go into that person.
Ulibarri doesn't answer that question explicitly, though the person Galacia is and all that she has done for her community show that who she is today bears no real connection to who her past identity was. Anything else feels just too fatalistic to assume that if once bad, there is no hope of change.
And, Asian religions' idea of reincarnation, of rebirths where one can make different and hopefully better choices than the last life, is ultimately hopeful. The author leaves us to ponder these questions at the end of the book, which, though a tiny bit rushed, was ultimately satisfying.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Stelliform Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.
Read
May 25, 2023Another Life is out now! This little book took me several years to write, and it will only take you a couple of hours to read.
If you'd like to learn more about the inspiration behind this story, the playlist I listened to while writing it, my favorite part, or what I'm working on next, check out these interviews and guest blogs:
My Favorite Bit: https://maryrobinettekowal.com/journa...
Author-to-Author with Jo Ladzinski: https://jowritesfantasy.me/2023/05/25...
Exclusive Interview on Paul Semel's blog: https://paulsemel.com/exclusive-inter...
Behind the Screens, Tuesday Author Interview: https://nightbeatseu.ca/2023/04/18/be...
If you'd like to learn more about the inspiration behind this story, the playlist I listened to while writing it, my favorite part, or what I'm working on next, check out these interviews and guest blogs:
My Favorite Bit: https://maryrobinettekowal.com/journa...
Author-to-Author with Jo Ladzinski: https://jowritesfantasy.me/2023/05/25...
Exclusive Interview on Paul Semel's blog: https://paulsemel.com/exclusive-inter...
Behind the Screens, Tuesday Author Interview: https://nightbeatseu.ca/2023/04/18/be...
March 29, 2025
📚[RESEÑA]📚 "𝗢𝘁𝗿𝗮 𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗮" de Sarena Ulibarri.
[CALIFICACIÓN] ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
"𝐶𝑟𝑒𝑜 𝑞𝑢𝑒 𝑜𝑙𝑣𝑖𝑑𝑎𝑚𝑜𝑠 𝑝𝑜𝑟 𝑢𝑛𝑎 𝑟𝑎𝑧𝑜́𝑛. 𝑁𝑜 𝑝𝑜𝑑𝑒𝑚𝑜𝑠 𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑛𝑜𝑠 𝑡𝑎𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑑𝑜𝑠 𝑒𝑛 𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑒́𝑛 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑖́𝑎𝑚𝑜𝑠 𝑠𝑒𝑟 𝑞𝑢𝑒 𝑜𝑙𝑣𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑚𝑜𝑠 𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑒́𝑛𝑒𝑠 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑜𝑠."
𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗔𝗦:
Bienvenidas a mi primera experiencia sumergiéndome en el género solarpunk.
Eternamente agradecida a Crononauta por la confianza y el envío del ejemplar, porque de nuevo descubro cositas que de otro modo tal vez hubiera pasado por alto.
Galacia Aguirre es una figura de referencia en la comunidad "Otra vida". Un pequeño oasis verde en medio del Valle de la Muerte que trata de llevar una vida sostenible tras las consecuencias del cambio climático que han asolado la Tierra en los años previos.
Como mediadora de esta sociedad que pretende ser autosuficiente, es una figura importante y respetada a la que acuden sus miembros cuando tienen problemas. No obstante, toda su vida se tuerce cuando, a través de una innovadora tecnología, descubre que su vida pasada más reciente fue la de Thomas Ramsey. ¿Quién? Básicamente, la persona cuyas acciones fueron detonante de la guerra civil climática que ha dejado al mundo sumido en la miseria.
Este libro es una fiera crítica al capitalismo, el consumismo, y los actos de terrorismo climático que vemos a menudo en los tiempos contemporáneos. Muchos de los ejemplos y acciones que se proponen entre líneas son cosas que suceden fácilmente a día de hoy, por lo que el libro es un tétrico recordatorio de lo que podríamos conseguir en un futuro no demasiado lejano si no somos responsables con el medio ambiente.
La figura de Thomas Ramsey, particularmente, me ha parecido curiosa. Más que nada porque no he podido evitar verle ciertos paralelismos con, ahem, Elon Musk. ¿Un magnate que quiere enviar gente al espacio acumulando la riqueza de todo el mundo? Familiar. Peligrosamente familiar.
Por otro lado está Galacia, que es la siguiente reencarnación de Ramsey y una férrea defensora de valores totalmente opuestos. Aunque se supone que el papel de Galacia en Otra Vida es imparcial, el texto nos va mostrando cómo existen bias por mucho que uno intente ser justo. Galacia sufre varios tipos de crisis a lo largo de la narrativa con las que debe aprender a lidiar: identidad, laboral, de liderazgo. Problemáticas con las que todas nos podemos identificar en algún punto de nuestras vidas.
El libro encierra muchas y diferentes moralejas y os animo a leerlo si buscáis algo distendido pero profundo. En especial debo destacar la simbología de los tigres en toda esta trama, pero no daré más detalles para no hacer spoiler.
Mis aplausos a Ulibarri por darme una lectura tan interesante.
¿𝗤𝗨𝗘́ 𝗣𝗨𝗘𝗗𝗘𝗦 𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗥?
· Solarpunk.
· Distópico.
· El peso del liderazgo.
· Vidas pasadas.
[CALIFICACIÓN] ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
"𝐶𝑟𝑒𝑜 𝑞𝑢𝑒 𝑜𝑙𝑣𝑖𝑑𝑎𝑚𝑜𝑠 𝑝𝑜𝑟 𝑢𝑛𝑎 𝑟𝑎𝑧𝑜́𝑛. 𝑁𝑜 𝑝𝑜𝑑𝑒𝑚𝑜𝑠 𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑛𝑜𝑠 𝑡𝑎𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑑𝑜𝑠 𝑒𝑛 𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑒́𝑛 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑖́𝑎𝑚𝑜𝑠 𝑠𝑒𝑟 𝑞𝑢𝑒 𝑜𝑙𝑣𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑚𝑜𝑠 𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑒́𝑛𝑒𝑠 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑜𝑠."
𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗔𝗦:
Bienvenidas a mi primera experiencia sumergiéndome en el género solarpunk.
Eternamente agradecida a Crononauta por la confianza y el envío del ejemplar, porque de nuevo descubro cositas que de otro modo tal vez hubiera pasado por alto.
Galacia Aguirre es una figura de referencia en la comunidad "Otra vida". Un pequeño oasis verde en medio del Valle de la Muerte que trata de llevar una vida sostenible tras las consecuencias del cambio climático que han asolado la Tierra en los años previos.
Como mediadora de esta sociedad que pretende ser autosuficiente, es una figura importante y respetada a la que acuden sus miembros cuando tienen problemas. No obstante, toda su vida se tuerce cuando, a través de una innovadora tecnología, descubre que su vida pasada más reciente fue la de Thomas Ramsey. ¿Quién? Básicamente, la persona cuyas acciones fueron detonante de la guerra civil climática que ha dejado al mundo sumido en la miseria.
Este libro es una fiera crítica al capitalismo, el consumismo, y los actos de terrorismo climático que vemos a menudo en los tiempos contemporáneos. Muchos de los ejemplos y acciones que se proponen entre líneas son cosas que suceden fácilmente a día de hoy, por lo que el libro es un tétrico recordatorio de lo que podríamos conseguir en un futuro no demasiado lejano si no somos responsables con el medio ambiente.
La figura de Thomas Ramsey, particularmente, me ha parecido curiosa. Más que nada porque no he podido evitar verle ciertos paralelismos con, ahem, Elon Musk. ¿Un magnate que quiere enviar gente al espacio acumulando la riqueza de todo el mundo? Familiar. Peligrosamente familiar.
Por otro lado está Galacia, que es la siguiente reencarnación de Ramsey y una férrea defensora de valores totalmente opuestos. Aunque se supone que el papel de Galacia en Otra Vida es imparcial, el texto nos va mostrando cómo existen bias por mucho que uno intente ser justo. Galacia sufre varios tipos de crisis a lo largo de la narrativa con las que debe aprender a lidiar: identidad, laboral, de liderazgo. Problemáticas con las que todas nos podemos identificar en algún punto de nuestras vidas.
El libro encierra muchas y diferentes moralejas y os animo a leerlo si buscáis algo distendido pero profundo. En especial debo destacar la simbología de los tigres en toda esta trama, pero no daré más detalles para no hacer spoiler.
Mis aplausos a Ulibarri por darme una lectura tan interesante.
¿𝗤𝗨𝗘́ 𝗣𝗨𝗘𝗗𝗘𝗦 𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗥?
· Solarpunk.
· Distópico.
· El peso del liderazgo.
· Vidas pasadas.
June 28, 2025
Excellent! 154 pages of tight storytelling with a strong theme and interesting ideas. Fine example of the solarpunk genre --key elements. After the collapse of the usual economic systems due to climate change (environmental distress), a small group build a community based on communalist principles (everyone has equal access to everything).
Theme: Their way of life wasn't built for us, so we built another life. Explores political and interpersonal conflicts.
Explores a fascinating science fiction what if question that works brilliantly with the theme: What if science found out how reincarnation works and could tell us who we were in our past lives?
As a fan of the utopian genre, I love how this uses the classic trope of showing a newcomer around the new world to introduce us to the society, but with the guide (not the newcomer) as the protagonist and while the guide was distracted with other conflicts. Fresh take. It worked.
I loved how this explored a lot of yes/and questions ie science and spirituality and kept the explorations personal (addressed via conflict between characters) and relevant to the plot and pacing.
Quotable: "Solarpunks don't blow things up...We grow things, and make new things out of the old. Your way of life wasn't built for us, so we built another life."
Writers read this for: writing internal conflict, concisely exploring big ideas with pacing/conflict; strong setting
Theme: Their way of life wasn't built for us, so we built another life. Explores political and interpersonal conflicts.
Explores a fascinating science fiction what if question that works brilliantly with the theme: What if science found out how reincarnation works and could tell us who we were in our past lives?
As a fan of the utopian genre, I love how this uses the classic trope of showing a newcomer around the new world to introduce us to the society, but with the guide (not the newcomer) as the protagonist and while the guide was distracted with other conflicts. Fresh take. It worked.
I loved how this explored a lot of yes/and questions ie science and spirituality and kept the explorations personal (addressed via conflict between characters) and relevant to the plot and pacing.
Quotable: "Solarpunks don't blow things up...We grow things, and make new things out of the old. Your way of life wasn't built for us, so we built another life."
Writers read this for: writing internal conflict, concisely exploring big ideas with pacing/conflict; strong setting
May 6, 2023
Maybe four stars by the end. It ends well.
I did not think I was liking this novel much at the beginning. Was thinking two strs or DNF. The world-building was overwhelming the story, and some of that world-building did not quite ring true. I found typos. Minor ones. There is Plato's Allegory of the Cave, presented without attribution.
However, there is a great story underneath the details of desalinization and food towers, climate catastrophe and post-apocalyptic recovery, borrowed news. I like the main character and appreciate the underlying struggles she has with identity and change, hope and fear.
Ulibarri manages to avoid demonizing her bad guys—and there are some. She manages to complicate goodness in a way that made me warm to her characters and to her story.
My greatest hope is that Ulibarri will build on what I read, find more stories to place in this reality, and reveal more of the compassion and determination that allows humanity to persevere. And perhaps she will research and reconsider in order to find the absolute sweet spot between everything she wishes a utopian community might build and the messy business of being human—she already seems to understand human beings pretty well.
I thank BookSirens for access to an uncorrected proof in exchange for my honest review—they even offered DNF as an option. I am glad I read it all.
I did not think I was liking this novel much at the beginning. Was thinking two strs or DNF. The world-building was overwhelming the story, and some of that world-building did not quite ring true. I found typos. Minor ones. There is Plato's Allegory of the Cave, presented without attribution.
However, there is a great story underneath the details of desalinization and food towers, climate catastrophe and post-apocalyptic recovery, borrowed news. I like the main character and appreciate the underlying struggles she has with identity and change, hope and fear.
Ulibarri manages to avoid demonizing her bad guys—and there are some. She manages to complicate goodness in a way that made me warm to her characters and to her story.
My greatest hope is that Ulibarri will build on what I read, find more stories to place in this reality, and reveal more of the compassion and determination that allows humanity to persevere. And perhaps she will research and reconsider in order to find the absolute sweet spot between everything she wishes a utopian community might build and the messy business of being human—she already seems to understand human beings pretty well.
I thank BookSirens for access to an uncorrected proof in exchange for my honest review—they even offered DNF as an option. I am glad I read it all.
May 7, 2025
Creo que no había leído solarpunk antes y me ha gustado mucho la experiencia, ha sido una historia muy interesante. Además, es una historia que se lee sola, la he terminado en un par de ratos.
Me ha gustado cómo se iban entretejiendo los hechos que ocurrían en el presente a la vez que iban contando el proceso que llevó a idear Otra Vida y cómo Otra Vida llegó a ser lo que es.
Han sido muy interesante tanto las reflexiones a nivel personal de los personajes como las relacionadas con la situación global y sus consecuencias.
Me ha gustado cómo se iban entretejiendo los hechos que ocurrían en el presente a la vez que iban contando el proceso que llevó a idear Otra Vida y cómo Otra Vida llegó a ser lo que es.
Han sido muy interesante tanto las reflexiones a nivel personal de los personajes como las relacionadas con la situación global y sus consecuencias.
May 6, 2023
I loved the concept, build up and characters.
It could have done with being longer, and more developed, as the ending felt rushed and somewhat unsatisfying to me.
I will be keeping an eye out for more by Ulibarri though
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
It could have done with being longer, and more developed, as the ending felt rushed and somewhat unsatisfying to me.
I will be keeping an eye out for more by Ulibarri though
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 29, 2025
Highly enjoyable and challenging at the same time. A fascinating setting and great emotional depth.
June 5, 2023
I am already a fan of solar punk, there is a serious delight in picking up an optimistic climate/science fiction book - and I think this book would be a great introduction to the genre for anyone curious about it. I also think this would be great for anyone looking for a story that grapples with issues related to identity, technology, and community in a more solution-based climate future setting.
I was excited about this one especially since Sarena Ulbarri has been the editor of several solid solarpunk short story anthologies, and I was curious to see the approach she would take in her novella. I enjoyed that this was more than a show and tell of cool solar punk technologies, philosophies, and imaginings but had multiple layers to the story, the community and multiple relationships/friendships that needed to be mended and restored. There was a plausibility about everything in the story, in a way that made it feel very alive.
The reincarnation aspect gave me pause, but I found it was genuinely a great message - and presented in a plausible-ish enough way that I could connect with it. Galacia, mediator, activist, co-creator, of the post-capitalist, quasi-utopian city of Otra Vida in Death Valley vs her past incarnation of Thomas Ramsey, someone that promoted the idea of colonizing another planet instead of attempting to fix the problems on Earth. I appreciated that it touched on the idea of how a past life doesn't necessarily define who you are in the present and also how new technologies can have unintended impacts.
I'd recommend checking it out!
I was excited about this one especially since Sarena Ulbarri has been the editor of several solid solarpunk short story anthologies, and I was curious to see the approach she would take in her novella. I enjoyed that this was more than a show and tell of cool solar punk technologies, philosophies, and imaginings but had multiple layers to the story, the community and multiple relationships/friendships that needed to be mended and restored. There was a plausibility about everything in the story, in a way that made it feel very alive.
The reincarnation aspect gave me pause, but I found it was genuinely a great message - and presented in a plausible-ish enough way that I could connect with it. Galacia, mediator, activist, co-creator, of the post-capitalist, quasi-utopian city of Otra Vida in Death Valley vs her past incarnation of Thomas Ramsey, someone that promoted the idea of colonizing another planet instead of attempting to fix the problems on Earth. I appreciated that it touched on the idea of how a past life doesn't necessarily define who you are in the present and also how new technologies can have unintended impacts.
I'd recommend checking it out!
May 17, 2023
I sat down and read this in an evening and couldn't put it down! Perfect blend that reminded me of Cory Doctorow and the 1970s sci-fi books I used to read - and I mean this in the best way possible 😀
This is set in a future where the world has been impacted by climate change, newsfeeds are strictly Verified resulting in a closed geographically segmented internet. The police have been rebranded as Protectors and given helmets that display neutral expressions.
This story follows the adventures of a Founder and Mediator of a breakaway utopian community where people don't need to use money, have free healthcare and housing and have the freedom to pursue their creative or scientific ambitions so long as they contribute to maintaining the community. I particularly enjoyed the inclusion of the principles of Non Violent Communication when the Mediator was working to resolve conflicts. Things aren't as perfect as they seem, as a technology that uncovers people's past life threatens to upset the apple cart
Thank you to Stelliform Press for allowing me to read a copy
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This is set in a future where the world has been impacted by climate change, newsfeeds are strictly Verified resulting in a closed geographically segmented internet. The police have been rebranded as Protectors and given helmets that display neutral expressions.
This story follows the adventures of a Founder and Mediator of a breakaway utopian community where people don't need to use money, have free healthcare and housing and have the freedom to pursue their creative or scientific ambitions so long as they contribute to maintaining the community. I particularly enjoyed the inclusion of the principles of Non Violent Communication when the Mediator was working to resolve conflicts. Things aren't as perfect as they seem, as a technology that uncovers people's past life threatens to upset the apple cart
Thank you to Stelliform Press for allowing me to read a copy
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
December 29, 2023
This is one of the most unique books I've read in a long time. I've not heard of the sub-genre of Solarpunk before, and I am a new fan! This is a quick read, jam-packed with diverse characters, with a wide range of personalities. There are definitely seeds planted for thought and introspection, without feeling any type of preachy. I really enjoyed the cadence of the writing overall as well. While there is a slight post-apocalyptic tone, the overall feeling while reading is light and hopeful and not dark, which was wonderful. Highly recommend. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to provide my honest review.
December 18, 2023
This was such an enjoyable read! Within the first page I was immersed in a word that felt potentially realistic, if not idealistic and just out of reach. The world and character building kept me engaged and invested in the society built. I loved the journey we got to take with Galacia, a reckoning with the past and how the present is influenced and shaped based on previous actions. I couldn’t put it down.
July 12, 2023
I really liked this solarpunk novella - it was an engaging read and I finished it in an evening. I loved the portrayal of a group of people doing their best to build and maintain a post-scarcity society where everyone's needs are met while dealing with a sometimes hostile, still capitalist outside world - and unlike other books I've read about such societies, it wasn't preachy or didactic, and the characters and their relationships felt real - not just mouthpieces for leftist ideologies.
I liked that the book grappled with themes of power, leadership, democracy, redemption, ecological restoration, generational differences, building something new and beautiful from the ashes of oppressive systems, and the tensions between spiritual and scientific ways of understanding reality. I really liked that it was casually inclusive of a wide variety of identities, including trans people, disabled people, and BIPOC. As one example: Tanner, the young man running against Galacia for the position of Mediator, is trans - and it's just a fact about him, not a major part of his character arc.
I also really liked the world-building, particularly all the beautiful visual details about life in Otra Vida. However, there were a few gaps that bothered me, such as: with such a small number of people, and so little contact with the post-collapse outside world, how do they manage to provide healthcare to everyone? Have they somehow recruited or trained enough doctors and dentists to treat all the residents, or do they have to send people outside to get medical care - in which case, how do they pay for it? How do they get shipments of medical supplies, and anything else they can't make or grow themselves, when their oasis is hidden from the outside world?
It also bothered me that Otra Vida doesn't seem to have any system in place for dealing with abuse - in a village of (if I remember correctly) 2,000 people, Galacia is the only Mediator who deals with everyone's conflicts. She never mentions anything about putting systems in place to hold people accountable for abusing others and preventing it from happening again, particularly in situations where the abuser is popular or has specialist skills that couldn't be easily replaced.
One policy in particular jumped out at me as something that abusers could use against their victims: people can petition to kick out a resident, and if enough people sign the petition, the resident will be kicked out. There's a long history of intentional communities and other small, close-knit communities pushing abuse under the rug and freezing out the victims rather than confronting the abuser - and any intentional community, particularly one where everyone depends on each other for their survival in a dangerously hot climate-changed world, should have policies in place to prevent this from happening.
A few other things that bothered me: so much of the book is about the competition between Galacia and Tanner for the position of Mediator, but no one even thinks to suggest that, as the community has grown, perhaps they should have two or more Mediators. Galacia is clearly stressed out and exhausted by the pressure of resolving all conflicts in her community, but it never occurs to her that she shouldn't have to take on this burden alone - and that her and Tanner's differing views on how to resolve conflict are could be a source of strength rather than a problem to be solved.
Her view of Thomas Ramsey, the horrible man who she finds out she was in a past life, is similarly individualistic. She, and nearly everyone in Otra Vida, blames him near-completely for the civil war and societal collapse - but these things were the result of centuries of capitalism, colonialism, white supremacy, patriarchy, etc. For a book about a society based on community care, I felt like there was a lot of unexamined or only slightly-examined hyper-individualism!
Despite, or perhaps even because of, all these issues, I really liked the book - I loved that it made me think about what a post-scarcity society could look like, how it would operate on a practical level, what kinds of policies it would need to put in place to meet everyone's needs.
I liked that the book grappled with themes of power, leadership, democracy, redemption, ecological restoration, generational differences, building something new and beautiful from the ashes of oppressive systems, and the tensions between spiritual and scientific ways of understanding reality. I really liked that it was casually inclusive of a wide variety of identities, including trans people, disabled people, and BIPOC. As one example: Tanner, the young man running against Galacia for the position of Mediator, is trans - and it's just a fact about him, not a major part of his character arc.
I also really liked the world-building, particularly all the beautiful visual details about life in Otra Vida. However, there were a few gaps that bothered me, such as: with such a small number of people, and so little contact with the post-collapse outside world, how do they manage to provide healthcare to everyone? Have they somehow recruited or trained enough doctors and dentists to treat all the residents, or do they have to send people outside to get medical care - in which case, how do they pay for it? How do they get shipments of medical supplies, and anything else they can't make or grow themselves, when their oasis is hidden from the outside world?
It also bothered me that Otra Vida doesn't seem to have any system in place for dealing with abuse - in a village of (if I remember correctly) 2,000 people, Galacia is the only Mediator who deals with everyone's conflicts. She never mentions anything about putting systems in place to hold people accountable for abusing others and preventing it from happening again, particularly in situations where the abuser is popular or has specialist skills that couldn't be easily replaced.
One policy in particular jumped out at me as something that abusers could use against their victims: people can petition to kick out a resident, and if enough people sign the petition, the resident will be kicked out. There's a long history of intentional communities and other small, close-knit communities pushing abuse under the rug and freezing out the victims rather than confronting the abuser - and any intentional community, particularly one where everyone depends on each other for their survival in a dangerously hot climate-changed world, should have policies in place to prevent this from happening.
A few other things that bothered me: so much of the book is about the competition between Galacia and Tanner for the position of Mediator, but no one even thinks to suggest that, as the community has grown, perhaps they should have two or more Mediators. Galacia is clearly stressed out and exhausted by the pressure of resolving all conflicts in her community, but it never occurs to her that she shouldn't have to take on this burden alone - and that her and Tanner's differing views on how to resolve conflict are could be a source of strength rather than a problem to be solved.
Her view of Thomas Ramsey, the horrible man who she finds out she was in a past life, is similarly individualistic. She, and nearly everyone in Otra Vida, blames him near-completely for the civil war and societal collapse - but these things were the result of centuries of capitalism, colonialism, white supremacy, patriarchy, etc. For a book about a society based on community care, I felt like there was a lot of unexamined or only slightly-examined hyper-individualism!
Despite, or perhaps even because of, all these issues, I really liked the book - I loved that it made me think about what a post-scarcity society could look like, how it would operate on a practical level, what kinds of policies it would need to put in place to meet everyone's needs.
July 26, 2024
Solarpunk is my favorite science fiction sub genre. I mean, in a world that seems obsessed with dystopias, solarpunk is the genre were we actually tackle climate change in a positive way. But that is not the only unusual thing about this genre. For most parts it has been a genre of short stories. It is just now that we are starting to get longer works, novellas and even novels. I’ve read a whole lot of solarpunk anthologies, but this is only the third long solarpunk work I've read.
It takes place after apocalyptic events, when the world has finally had to slam down the breaks on fossil fuel, and it takes place in a solarpunk city. The mediator of the city has been there from the start, she is one of the founder, well liked, but now things are heating up for her. Turns out that in a past life she had been the one responsible for the worst climate catastrophe. That is going to haunt her in her role as a mediator, and to make matters worse, there are terrorists that seem to have connection to the solarpunk city putting it in the hot seat with other communities.
I’m not much of a believer in previous lives, nor, for that matter, in after lives of any sort, but for this story it works. It makes for interesting musings on innocence and guilt. Is anyone fully to blame, and is anyone completely blameless? That is the question, and there are probably lots of answers to it. So even though I’m not much of a believer the idea of previous lives, I still found it an interesting plot line.
It’s a short book, a novella, and for a long time I wasn’t sure where this was going, but in the end I saw that it is actually well structured story where everything makes sense in the end. There was one place where I had to backtrack a bit because the resolution was so quick that I missed it, but other than that, it moves at a nice pace, and the characters are believable. And the city itself? The setting? It is functional. You can see the city working, and it is liveable. Given the change, I’d probably move there. At least, it is a much more interesting place to me, than any I have ever come across in a dystopian literature.
One thing about dystopias vs. solarpunk. The best solarpunk stories aren't utopias. To me, solarpunk it is not about perfect, no conflict places. It is about imagining workable solutions to our climate crisis. It is about mediating conflict, rather than letting it turn into war. It is about people coming together in a positive manner, not about eliminating conflict altogether.
You see, I came across an argument about conflict in solarpunk in one of the solarpunk groups I belong to, and some felt there shouldn’t be any conflict at all there. How boring would that be? No conflict. No passion. The reality is that one can disagree with someone even though you are on the same path. And I think this novella is a good example of that. There is conflict between the solarpunk city and some other groups, but also between people within the city, but it still functions as a solarpunk city.
I think, this may be my current favorite solarpunk work. It really is an excellent story.
It takes place after apocalyptic events, when the world has finally had to slam down the breaks on fossil fuel, and it takes place in a solarpunk city. The mediator of the city has been there from the start, she is one of the founder, well liked, but now things are heating up for her. Turns out that in a past life she had been the one responsible for the worst climate catastrophe. That is going to haunt her in her role as a mediator, and to make matters worse, there are terrorists that seem to have connection to the solarpunk city putting it in the hot seat with other communities.
I’m not much of a believer in previous lives, nor, for that matter, in after lives of any sort, but for this story it works. It makes for interesting musings on innocence and guilt. Is anyone fully to blame, and is anyone completely blameless? That is the question, and there are probably lots of answers to it. So even though I’m not much of a believer the idea of previous lives, I still found it an interesting plot line.
It’s a short book, a novella, and for a long time I wasn’t sure where this was going, but in the end I saw that it is actually well structured story where everything makes sense in the end. There was one place where I had to backtrack a bit because the resolution was so quick that I missed it, but other than that, it moves at a nice pace, and the characters are believable. And the city itself? The setting? It is functional. You can see the city working, and it is liveable. Given the change, I’d probably move there. At least, it is a much more interesting place to me, than any I have ever come across in a dystopian literature.
One thing about dystopias vs. solarpunk. The best solarpunk stories aren't utopias. To me, solarpunk it is not about perfect, no conflict places. It is about imagining workable solutions to our climate crisis. It is about mediating conflict, rather than letting it turn into war. It is about people coming together in a positive manner, not about eliminating conflict altogether.
You see, I came across an argument about conflict in solarpunk in one of the solarpunk groups I belong to, and some felt there shouldn’t be any conflict at all there. How boring would that be? No conflict. No passion. The reality is that one can disagree with someone even though you are on the same path. And I think this novella is a good example of that. There is conflict between the solarpunk city and some other groups, but also between people within the city, but it still functions as a solarpunk city.
I think, this may be my current favorite solarpunk work. It really is an excellent story.
December 6, 2025
Tenía muchas ganas de leer este libro e iba con las expectativas muy altas porque su sinopsis me llamó demasiado la atención y, quizás, eso ha jugado en su contra.
El libro y la historia no están mal, te dan lo que te han vendido pero le he encontrado más contras que pros.
La verdad es que, hasta el 50% más o menos, se me hizo algo aburrido. No pasa demasiado, te van contando como se creó esa comunidad y en el punto en el que están en el momento actual y creo que se tiende a sobreexplicar un poco todo ello en vez de mostrarlo simplemente y dejar que el lector se vaya haciendo una idea propia.
Durante toda la lectura he tenido la sensación de que le faltaba algo pero no sabía el qué, me estaba pareciendo una lectura un poco meh, así que voy a intentar plasmar esos puntos que han hecho que no me termine de convencer:
- Siempre me han gustado los libros donde los autores te intentan dar un mensaje de una forma sutil pero que cala. En este caso pasa lo contrario, creo que se ven las ideas de la autora demasiado impuestas en sus personajes.
- Por otro lado, se le da demasiadas vueltas a lo mismo una y otra vez para llegar al punto que se quiere y, como ya he dicho anteriormente, a esto se llega pasada ya la mitad del libro, lo que hace que el ritmo se estanque.
- Otro de sus puntos negativos, y el que más me ha "molestado", es que quiere tocar demasiados temas importantes y, finalmente, lo que consigue es quedarse en la superficie de todos ellos o que se pierda un poco el mensaje, no profundizar demasiado en los mismos y que al lector se le quede una sensación de poca profundidad.
Si que es cierto que, conforme avancé en su lectura, le fui pillando el punto y me empezó a gustar algo más.
También tiene mensajes que me gustaron como, por ejemplo, que el poder corrompe. Da igual cómo seas, quién seas o los principios que creas tener, cuando pasas demasiado tiempo en el poder, este termina por corromper. También se trata un poco el tema de la manipulación de los medios y los Gobiernos y como estos pueden hacer creer una narrativa muy distinta a la realidad.
Esta es una lectura tranquila, pausada y reflexiva pero también repetitiva, reiterativa. En general, es un libro que se me ha quedado muy a medias.
El libro y la historia no están mal, te dan lo que te han vendido pero le he encontrado más contras que pros.
La verdad es que, hasta el 50% más o menos, se me hizo algo aburrido. No pasa demasiado, te van contando como se creó esa comunidad y en el punto en el que están en el momento actual y creo que se tiende a sobreexplicar un poco todo ello en vez de mostrarlo simplemente y dejar que el lector se vaya haciendo una idea propia.
Durante toda la lectura he tenido la sensación de que le faltaba algo pero no sabía el qué, me estaba pareciendo una lectura un poco meh, así que voy a intentar plasmar esos puntos que han hecho que no me termine de convencer:
- Siempre me han gustado los libros donde los autores te intentan dar un mensaje de una forma sutil pero que cala. En este caso pasa lo contrario, creo que se ven las ideas de la autora demasiado impuestas en sus personajes.
- Por otro lado, se le da demasiadas vueltas a lo mismo una y otra vez para llegar al punto que se quiere y, como ya he dicho anteriormente, a esto se llega pasada ya la mitad del libro, lo que hace que el ritmo se estanque.
- Otro de sus puntos negativos, y el que más me ha "molestado", es que quiere tocar demasiados temas importantes y, finalmente, lo que consigue es quedarse en la superficie de todos ellos o que se pierda un poco el mensaje, no profundizar demasiado en los mismos y que al lector se le quede una sensación de poca profundidad.
Si que es cierto que, conforme avancé en su lectura, le fui pillando el punto y me empezó a gustar algo más.
También tiene mensajes que me gustaron como, por ejemplo, que el poder corrompe. Da igual cómo seas, quién seas o los principios que creas tener, cuando pasas demasiado tiempo en el poder, este termina por corromper. También se trata un poco el tema de la manipulación de los medios y los Gobiernos y como estos pueden hacer creer una narrativa muy distinta a la realidad.
Esta es una lectura tranquila, pausada y reflexiva pero también repetitiva, reiterativa. En general, es un libro que se me ha quedado muy a medias.
November 24, 2025
Winner of the 2025 New Mexico Book Award for Science Fiction
What happens if you live in a place that becomes uninhabitable due to greed, power, and corruption? When those in charge ignore the warning signs of global warming, hellbent on destroying everything that is good in the world? You either succumb, or if possible, you salvage the wreckage from the destruction and use it to rebuild a better community elsewhere.
In Sarena Ulibarri’s award winning novel, Another Life (Stelliform Press), protagonist and narrator Galacia Aguirre serves as the Mediator of Ultra Vida, a desert city built on the shores of a human-made lake in Death Valley. In tight prose where no words are wasted, the author paints a vivid picture of what this community looks and feels like. The reader experiences everything through Galacia’s viewpoint. She is strong, capable, a woman in her forties, and her job is to resolve conflict within the community where everyone is expected to contribute.
But Galacia is carrying a dark secret that ask the question: What if you are a good person whose purpose in life is to help others, but you’ve just discovered you were a horrible person in a previous life? Galacia must grapple with this discovery at the same time she learns not everyone in Otra Vida has good intentions.
Another Life falls into a category referred to as Solarpunk, a term I’d never heard of until I discovered Ms. Ulibarri’s novel. It’s a movement within the literary and artistic community that shows how renewable energy using science and technology can offer hope for all living things.
A line on the bottom of page one in the opening chapter sums up so beautifully what is possible when good people work together to save the planet: “The lake glinted with the last light of the sun slipping behind jagged peaks, and a carbon capture drone passed through the pink and orange sky.”
The author is a pro at worldbuilding. She received a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly.
Even if you don’t normally read science fiction, I invite you to step into the pages of Another Life. You might just find hope where you’re least expecting it.
What happens if you live in a place that becomes uninhabitable due to greed, power, and corruption? When those in charge ignore the warning signs of global warming, hellbent on destroying everything that is good in the world? You either succumb, or if possible, you salvage the wreckage from the destruction and use it to rebuild a better community elsewhere.
In Sarena Ulibarri’s award winning novel, Another Life (Stelliform Press), protagonist and narrator Galacia Aguirre serves as the Mediator of Ultra Vida, a desert city built on the shores of a human-made lake in Death Valley. In tight prose where no words are wasted, the author paints a vivid picture of what this community looks and feels like. The reader experiences everything through Galacia’s viewpoint. She is strong, capable, a woman in her forties, and her job is to resolve conflict within the community where everyone is expected to contribute.
But Galacia is carrying a dark secret that ask the question: What if you are a good person whose purpose in life is to help others, but you’ve just discovered you were a horrible person in a previous life? Galacia must grapple with this discovery at the same time she learns not everyone in Otra Vida has good intentions.
Another Life falls into a category referred to as Solarpunk, a term I’d never heard of until I discovered Ms. Ulibarri’s novel. It’s a movement within the literary and artistic community that shows how renewable energy using science and technology can offer hope for all living things.
A line on the bottom of page one in the opening chapter sums up so beautifully what is possible when good people work together to save the planet: “The lake glinted with the last light of the sun slipping behind jagged peaks, and a carbon capture drone passed through the pink and orange sky.”
The author is a pro at worldbuilding. She received a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly.
Even if you don’t normally read science fiction, I invite you to step into the pages of Another Life. You might just find hope where you’re least expecting it.
May 24, 2023
This novella is a delight! This is a story about Galacia, a woman who lives in a burgeoning solarpunk society in the desert.
For me, the world building is a highlight of this book. It's wonderful what the author has managed to pack into such a short story - its post capitalist for our main characters, but set during a time of transition. They haven't quite figured out how to live this way together in their new community of Otra Vida, and the rest of the world hasn't figured out how to feel about Otra Vida either.
Although there is en element of the fantastical (part of the plot revolves around members of the community learning who they were in a past life), the world itself feels plausible - both the sorrowful elements of it (police brutality, climate crisis) and the lovely ones (Otra Vida itself). Most importantly, Otra Vida is built through hard work, community bonds, resilience, and love. I adored that. Solarpunk works best for me when it feels like it COULD be achieved in the very near future.
I also greatly enjoyed how the author approached past lives and their impact on our current ones. Do our past mistakes irrevocably change us? What does it mean to believe in restorative justice, even if you struggle to face your own flaws?
Finally, as with any good solarpunk, this novel is wonderfully diverse. We have an important character who is trans, side characters who are gay, Indigenous, use wheelchairs, etc. Sometimes solarpunk has a tendency to create worlds where those differences are just handwaved away, and I appreciate that Ulibarri doesn't fall into that trope. In a true solarpunk world, we would find strength in a diverse community.
Overall, this was a 5 star read for me. There is a lot to love in this little novella! Thank you Stelliform Pres for an advanced review copy; all opinions in this review are my own.
For me, the world building is a highlight of this book. It's wonderful what the author has managed to pack into such a short story - its post capitalist for our main characters, but set during a time of transition. They haven't quite figured out how to live this way together in their new community of Otra Vida, and the rest of the world hasn't figured out how to feel about Otra Vida either.
Although there is en element of the fantastical (part of the plot revolves around members of the community learning who they were in a past life), the world itself feels plausible - both the sorrowful elements of it (police brutality, climate crisis) and the lovely ones (Otra Vida itself). Most importantly, Otra Vida is built through hard work, community bonds, resilience, and love. I adored that. Solarpunk works best for me when it feels like it COULD be achieved in the very near future.
I also greatly enjoyed how the author approached past lives and their impact on our current ones. Do our past mistakes irrevocably change us? What does it mean to believe in restorative justice, even if you struggle to face your own flaws?
Finally, as with any good solarpunk, this novel is wonderfully diverse. We have an important character who is trans, side characters who are gay, Indigenous, use wheelchairs, etc. Sometimes solarpunk has a tendency to create worlds where those differences are just handwaved away, and I appreciate that Ulibarri doesn't fall into that trope. In a true solarpunk world, we would find strength in a diverse community.
Overall, this was a 5 star read for me. There is a lot to love in this little novella! Thank you Stelliform Pres for an advanced review copy; all opinions in this review are my own.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews