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McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern #58
McSweeney's Issue 58: 2040 A.D.
Spanning six continents and nine countries—from metropolitan Mexico City to the crumbling ancient aqueducts of Turkey, the receding coastline of Singapore to the coral shores of northern Australia—McSweeney’s 58 is wholly focused on climate change, with speculative fiction from ten contributors, made in collaboration with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). Global in scope, each story is set in the year 2040 and imagines what the world might look like if the dire warnings issued by the Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 °C were to come true. Using fiction—informed here and there by realism and climate science—this issue explores the tangible, day-to-day implications of these cataclysmic scientific projections. Featuring Tommy Orange, Elif Shafak, Luis Alberto Urrea, Asja Bakic, Rachel Heng, and others, with gorgeous full-color illustrations by Wesley Allsbrook.
From the issue’s introduction by Susan Casey-Lefkowitz, Chief Program Officer of the NRDC: “Each story in this special issue is the product of a unique collaboration between its author and an NRDC policy expert with specialized knowledge of how climate change is already affecting the world, and how it could continue to affect the world in the decades to come. The result, we hope, is a collection where fiction’s already considerable power is fortified by science.”
Featuring original stories by:
Tommy Orange
Claire G. Coleman
Birna Anna Björnsdóttir
Luis Alberto Urrea
Elif Shafak
Abbey Mei Otis
Asja Bakić
Rachel Heng
Kanishk Tharoor
Mikael Awake
From the issue’s introduction by Susan Casey-Lefkowitz, Chief Program Officer of the NRDC: “Each story in this special issue is the product of a unique collaboration between its author and an NRDC policy expert with specialized knowledge of how climate change is already affecting the world, and how it could continue to affect the world in the decades to come. The result, we hope, is a collection where fiction’s already considerable power is fortified by science.”
Featuring original stories by:
Tommy Orange
Claire G. Coleman
Birna Anna Björnsdóttir
Luis Alberto Urrea
Elif Shafak
Abbey Mei Otis
Asja Bakić
Rachel Heng
Kanishk Tharoor
Mikael Awake
184 pages, Hardcover
First published November 12, 2019
10 people are currently reading
238 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
February 21, 2022
McSweeney's has been science-fiction-friendly since the beginning, and the "2040 A.D." subtitle to this edition shows they are at it again.
The plan here was to assign a number of writers from around the world the task of setting a story in that year, and each writer was assigned a specific climate event that is expected to happen if humans don't act to stop it before that time. [Recent studies suggest that 2040 is a "point of no return" for the climate we've grown used to as a species.] The product suggests that the authors were to use their home area as the setting.
One reason I subscribe to McSweeney's Quarterly Concern is their deliberate decision to embrace writing from all over the world, including issues from a particular country or area. Bravo for that, and this issue is an excellent example.
The writing, as far as composition and imagination, is quite strong. No question about that. There is a literary tendency to put the climate issue in the setting, but to actually tell a family story in the foreground, so that in some of the pieces it felt a bit as though the climate issue could easily have been swapped out for something else. I'm giving this one less star than I had expected to, because I couldn't escape the feeling that this was just solid journeyman work, based on a theme.
The three pieces with storytelling drama, for this reader, were "Drones above the Coral Sand" by Claire G. Coleman, "1740" by Asja Bakić, and "Save Yourself" by Abbey Mei Otis. These are all stories in which a character makes a high-risk decision.
The illustrations are effective, the cover is amusing, and the project is certainly valuable.
The plan here was to assign a number of writers from around the world the task of setting a story in that year, and each writer was assigned a specific climate event that is expected to happen if humans don't act to stop it before that time. [Recent studies suggest that 2040 is a "point of no return" for the climate we've grown used to as a species.] The product suggests that the authors were to use their home area as the setting.
One reason I subscribe to McSweeney's Quarterly Concern is their deliberate decision to embrace writing from all over the world, including issues from a particular country or area. Bravo for that, and this issue is an excellent example.
The writing, as far as composition and imagination, is quite strong. No question about that. There is a literary tendency to put the climate issue in the setting, but to actually tell a family story in the foreground, so that in some of the pieces it felt a bit as though the climate issue could easily have been swapped out for something else. I'm giving this one less star than I had expected to, because I couldn't escape the feeling that this was just solid journeyman work, based on a theme.
The three pieces with storytelling drama, for this reader, were "Drones above the Coral Sand" by Claire G. Coleman, "1740" by Asja Bakić, and "Save Yourself" by Abbey Mei Otis. These are all stories in which a character makes a high-risk decision.
The illustrations are effective, the cover is amusing, and the project is certainly valuable.
May 13, 2020
A powerful collection even if some of the stories are only so-so on an individual level. Still, the success or failure of any given story doesn't matter so much when the purpose is quite powerful in general: these are stories, written by some great writers in collaboration with climate scientists, painting various pictures of the world in just twenty years. It is horrifying to believe that they are all plausible, if variably so.
The best ones were Rachel Heng's "The Rememberers" (a mother/daughter about memory and loss, reminiscent of Bangkok Wakes to Rain), Luis Urrea's "The Night Drinker" (a wry look at the end of Mexico City, complete with Laird Barron-y conclusion), and "Save Yourself" by Abbey Mei Otis (two friends reunite after ten years and very different paths). But all of them, even the ones that didn't work for me (some felt too 'constructed,' others just were shrugs for me), captured a simultaneously bleak sense of "oh fuck, this is what could happen. And soon." and got me fired up yet again to fight for a better tomorrow.
The best ones were Rachel Heng's "The Rememberers" (a mother/daughter about memory and loss, reminiscent of Bangkok Wakes to Rain), Luis Urrea's "The Night Drinker" (a wry look at the end of Mexico City, complete with Laird Barron-y conclusion), and "Save Yourself" by Abbey Mei Otis (two friends reunite after ten years and very different paths). But all of them, even the ones that didn't work for me (some felt too 'constructed,' others just were shrugs for me), captured a simultaneously bleak sense of "oh fuck, this is what could happen. And soon." and got me fired up yet again to fight for a better tomorrow.
April 13, 2020
A dope concept that was pretty well executed. As another reviewer noted, I too wish they elaborated more on the actual environmental science. And I didn't care too much for a few stories; The Night Drinker was way too grotesque for my tastes, and New Jesus failed to adequately contrast the Valley Dwellers with the Mountain Dwellers' level of privilege. But the rest fully captured my attention and got me feelin' some type of way.
I was afraid that the Fiction aspect would discredit the Climate aspect, but I think it would be difficult to conflate the two. The authors were sure to allude to the earlier days, and describe how the climate in their area got to where it was. I hope the Climate Fiction genre continues to trail-blaze a path to a better future.
I was afraid that the Fiction aspect would discredit the Climate aspect, but I think it would be difficult to conflate the two. The authors were sure to allude to the earlier days, and describe how the climate in their area got to where it was. I hope the Climate Fiction genre continues to trail-blaze a path to a better future.
June 30, 2025
A few gems in here. Deeply unsettling read, as it should be.
December 21, 2019
Disappointing collection of unengaging stories.
What was the point of the child in the final story being trans? Referring to that individual as "they" I found intensely annoying
What was the point of the child in the final story being trans? Referring to that individual as "they" I found intensely annoying
December 7, 2019
A collection of short stories about what the world will be like in the year 2040. That’s only 20 years from now, folks! This is a must-read if only to stimulate the reader into action now, because the end of the world as we know it is coming to an end, and it ain’t gonna be pretty! I liked all the stories, but the Night Drinker by one of my favorite authors, Luis Alberto Urrea, is one of the stand outs. Cults, too much water, not enough water, vanishing species, climate migration and refugees; it’s all here. The book itself is made of post consumer recycled materials, and I could look at the beautiful cover for hours.
February 9, 2020
I loved that the authors collaborated with scientists to write the stories that are set 20 years from now. Some of the stories gave me nightmares, which at least means that they were effective, right? I wanted more environmental details but overall the collection did help me envision what it's going to be like in 2040.
July 25, 2020
I love the concept of this collection (and the beautiful naked hardcover with gold foiling, not to mention the full-colour illustrations that head each story). Each author was assigned a climate event from the 2018 UN climate report (coral reef die-offs, flooding/sea level rise, fires, refugee surges, etc.) and they collaborated with the Natural Resources Defense Council to bring in that extra element of reality.
The stories span the globe with a great list of diverse authors, which gave the collection an overall feeling of "the whole world is fucked, but we're in this together". But there was also a downside to structuring the collection this way, in that most of the stories ended up with a similar format and tone, that blended into one long, beige story. Or maybe this is a result of having a cast of literary authors try their hand at speculative fiction.
Almost every story in the collection started with pure exposition to set up the state of the world in 2040. Then the last half would be the actual story. It was also hard to tell which theme each story was even assigned because most of the authors spent so much time describing the overall climate.
Regardless, it still a worthwhile collection to read. I think my two favourites were The Night Drinker by Luis Alberto Urrea (the most stylistically and atmospherically unique, i.e., weird, story out of the collection) and 1740 by Asja Bakić (because time travel). And I'd also be down to try more from any of the authors, notably Rachel Heng, Tommy Orange, and Birna Anna Björnsdóttir.
The stories span the globe with a great list of diverse authors, which gave the collection an overall feeling of "the whole world is fucked, but we're in this together". But there was also a downside to structuring the collection this way, in that most of the stories ended up with a similar format and tone, that blended into one long, beige story. Or maybe this is a result of having a cast of literary authors try their hand at speculative fiction.
Almost every story in the collection started with pure exposition to set up the state of the world in 2040. Then the last half would be the actual story. It was also hard to tell which theme each story was even assigned because most of the authors spent so much time describing the overall climate.
Regardless, it still a worthwhile collection to read. I think my two favourites were The Night Drinker by Luis Alberto Urrea (the most stylistically and atmospherically unique, i.e., weird, story out of the collection) and 1740 by Asja Bakić (because time travel). And I'd also be down to try more from any of the authors, notably Rachel Heng, Tommy Orange, and Birna Anna Björnsdóttir.
May 5, 2020
This was one of the best McSweeney's to be published in some time. All of the stories are set in 2040, and examine ecological collapse around the world, although in the best of them, that is just the backdrop for tales that explore the human condition.
My favourite story is Claire G. Coleman's story about undercover eco-activist work involving the coral reefs in Australia. I also really enjoyed the stories by Rachel Heng, Tommy Orange, Elif Shafak, Kanishk Tharoor, Asja Bakić, and Birna Anna Björnsdóttir. Really, in all, this is a great collection.
Perhaps sitting at home during a global pandemic is both the best and worst time to be confronting the coming ecological changes we are all going to have to deal with. It's anxiety inducing, but it's also getting harder and harder to avoid acknowledging just how much trouble we are all in.
I'm thankful for McSweeney's and The Natural Resources Defense Council for working to make these truths understandable on a human level.
My favourite story is Claire G. Coleman's story about undercover eco-activist work involving the coral reefs in Australia. I also really enjoyed the stories by Rachel Heng, Tommy Orange, Elif Shafak, Kanishk Tharoor, Asja Bakić, and Birna Anna Björnsdóttir. Really, in all, this is a great collection.
Perhaps sitting at home during a global pandemic is both the best and worst time to be confronting the coming ecological changes we are all going to have to deal with. It's anxiety inducing, but it's also getting harder and harder to avoid acknowledging just how much trouble we are all in.
I'm thankful for McSweeney's and The Natural Resources Defense Council for working to make these truths understandable on a human level.
July 11, 2020
I don’t even like short stories and I loved this! So many great writers. So many clever apocalypses.
August 1, 2020
Considering saving this one to give to my son in 2040
September 1, 2024
3.5 stars. since this book is made up of different short stories some were 5 stars and some that were 2 so 3.5 is a good in the middle.
October 11, 2020
3.5 stars.
I do love a themed McSweeney's Quarterly Concern. I will say, though: reading this one, which is all about the year 2040, which scientists have identified as a sort of "point of no return" regarding climate change, during this current moment, in which a pandemic is sweeping the world, was a little difficult, what with the overwhelming sense of foreboding and despair. But! There were some winners here, and I especially rejoiced to see the inclusion of a gender non-conforming character who used "they" pronouns in the final story of the collection.
My advice would be to read a story at a time. Truly think about the issues it brings up, let the full weight of our planet's situation sit on you, and consider actions you can take to help prevent the future portrayed here. But also give yourself frequent breaks filled with lighter reading material so you don't get paralyzed with dread.
(Read Harder challenge #15: A book about climate change)
I do love a themed McSweeney's Quarterly Concern. I will say, though: reading this one, which is all about the year 2040, which scientists have identified as a sort of "point of no return" regarding climate change, during this current moment, in which a pandemic is sweeping the world, was a little difficult, what with the overwhelming sense of foreboding and despair. But! There were some winners here, and I especially rejoiced to see the inclusion of a gender non-conforming character who used "they" pronouns in the final story of the collection.
My advice would be to read a story at a time. Truly think about the issues it brings up, let the full weight of our planet's situation sit on you, and consider actions you can take to help prevent the future portrayed here. But also give yourself frequent breaks filled with lighter reading material so you don't get paralyzed with dread.
(Read Harder challenge #15: A book about climate change)
April 9, 2021
This book made me so anxious I got nauseous. Thoroughly important, thoroughly terrifying.
June 12, 2021
All of the stories were extremely well-written, even if not all were to my taste. Stand-outs: The Remembers by Rachel Heng, Drones Above the Coral Sand by Claire G. Coleman, and 1740 by Asja Bakic.
April 16, 2020
This book is hard to read, especially when stuck at home during an actual plague. I started this awhile ago and although the opening story was great, I didn't think the first half was very strong. Some stories were too graphic or depressing for me to stomach. I set it down for awhile, but was pleasantly surprised to find that the back half of the collection was so much better. I loved every story, even when faced with unlikable protagonists. I liked that not every story was about the crushing terror of climate change, but about recognizable human relationships. It's awesome that Mcsweeney's partnered with a great org like NRDC to release this collection and give voice to all the ways climate disaster will unfold. I hope that these stories inspire people to take action that makes these images of 2040 an inaccurate prediction, and that these worst case scenarios won't become our reality.
February 29, 2020
Honestly, nowhere near as preachy as I was expecting. Instead of a collection of wild and angry rants disguised as writing, this is an interesting collaboration between scientists and authors, creating a series of stories that accurately explore climate change in a strangely poignant way. I went in expecting to be smacked in the face with blunt criticism and outright judgement but was pleasantly surprised. The effects of climate change are at the heart of each story, yet it’s not always explicit, which makes it all the more terrifying. The ‘this is just what it is now’ approach is unsettling, and the overall format is delightful, from the contents page map, to the global setting.
September 2, 2021
Read McSweeney's 58 for our climate-focused book club, and found it to be a bit of a mixed bag. The short stories were varied, emotive and occasionally captivating, but the extremely short length made it hard to truly connect. The book club ultimately agreed that it may have been much more powerful, and thus more effective, to publish existing climate fiction short stories rather than tap authors with such a focused prompt (life in 2040). Still, it made for a wonderful book club discussion and covers a lot of ground in a short number of pages - if you're interested in the everexpanding genre of climate fiction, it's worth a look.
February 1, 2020
In theory I should have loved this edition as I am rather environmentally minded but, ironically, the context of a destroyed future acts as a weight on each story rather than add to it. Each story seems to paint the same future (floods, lack of birds, etc.) and there didn't seem to be a lot of science behind any of these. Having said that, I did find one story truly excellent and that was "Ghost Town" by Kanishk Tharoor. It was touching and heartwarming. So, not my favorite edition but, as always, I enjoyed the ride nonetheless.
March 6, 2020
A decent collection of short stories around Climate Fiction.
What's most appealing to this collection is the partnership with Natural Resource Defense Council and using the U.N. Climate Reports as a baseline for their stories world's.
However the stories felt more like traditional fiction and less science fiction despite the partnership. None of the stories particularly stand out in their own and are only insightful when read together and seeing where authors from around the world overlap their expectations for the future.
What's most appealing to this collection is the partnership with Natural Resource Defense Council and using the U.N. Climate Reports as a baseline for their stories world's.
However the stories felt more like traditional fiction and less science fiction despite the partnership. None of the stories particularly stand out in their own and are only insightful when read together and seeing where authors from around the world overlap their expectations for the future.
August 31, 2024
4.5 stars
I read this collection for class, which I was so happy about since I love climate fiction. To quote the introduction -- "data can persuade us, but it takes stories to move us." I really enjoyed the breadth of the stories in terms of setting, predictions for the future, and characters. I liked how we had a few anti-hero protagonists that were still sympathetic because disaster can bring out the worst in people. I think the recurring topics of memory, migration, and time were super interesting. My favorite stories were "The Rememberers," "1740," and "Save Yourself."
I read this collection for class, which I was so happy about since I love climate fiction. To quote the introduction -- "data can persuade us, but it takes stories to move us." I really enjoyed the breadth of the stories in terms of setting, predictions for the future, and characters. I liked how we had a few anti-hero protagonists that were still sympathetic because disaster can bring out the worst in people. I think the recurring topics of memory, migration, and time were super interesting. My favorite stories were "The Rememberers," "1740," and "Save Yourself."
January 4, 2025
OK, so I'm not sure putting scientists next to storytellers is such a great idea if good literature is what you have in mind. Most of the stories in this issue seem - to my mind - a bit didactic. Didactic in a way that 'The Bee Sting' by Paul Murray, although also very much concerned with Climate Catastrophy, and clearly well researched, is not.
Standout story (just the one this time) for me:
Abbey Mei Otis: Save Yourself, in which she manages to get away from the theory, but dives into the people's relationships and thus into true SF!
Standout story (just the one this time) for me:
Abbey Mei Otis: Save Yourself, in which she manages to get away from the theory, but dives into the people's relationships and thus into true SF!
January 25, 2020
The heart is in the right place and this collection of short stories about global warming set in 2040 is certainly relevant, but unfortunately the quality of the writing is uneven. My favorite was ‘The Night Drinker’ by Luis Alberto Urrea, with runners up ‘He Are the People’ by Elif Shafak and ‘Save Yourself’ by Abbey Mei Otis. As for the other seven stories from writers around the world, it was unfortunately slim pickings.
February 4, 2020
The theme of each story was extreme climate change in the year 2040. But the goal of making the immediate future tangible and scary came across as disconnected and alien. Only a few of the stories made the future human while others were too abstract to be relatable. Some of the stories went so far as to make climate change appear more like science fiction -- something that will never happen -- than fact, which is the exact opposite of this issue's intention.
December 30, 2020
The conceit of this issue of McSweeney’s—that consultants from the National Resources Defense Council collaborated with the authors on their climate-change-focused stories—is mildly misleading. These are, for the most part, not hyperrealistic, detail-packed stories but much dreamier literary fiction—about, say, the emotional experience of being a refugee rather than the environmental circumstances that led to it. It’s an interesting collection, but only intermittently engaging.
2020 Read Harder Challenge
23. Read an edition of a literary magazine (digital or printed).
2020 Read Harder Challenge
23. Read an edition of a literary magazine (digital or printed).
April 27, 2020
I thought the concept of this collection had a lot of promise but, as a whole, didn’t deliver. I was expecting each story to focus more explicitly on a particular element of climate change but instead there was a lot of overlap. Individually, some stories were better than others. Generally, I thought the pieces got stronger as the collection progressed.
February 23, 2020
Some good stories (Orange, urrea, bakic) but a lot of so-so/not good ones. The book itself is beautiful and well made. Like many mcsweeney's it has a cool idea and package but the writing isn't anything special
May 3, 2025
VERY underrated book. Introduces an amazing concept where various authors from different parts of the world create eco-fictional stories to highlight the significance of the climate change issue. I wish more people around the world read this as well...
January 1, 2020
Beautiful. Sad. Accomplished its goal.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews