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Saving the Planet: Solarpunk Stories
Catastrophic climate change; the destruction of biodiversity; viral pandemics; intolerance of LGBTQ issues.
All global disasters.
But there is HOPE.
This book contains ten fascinating and beautifully written Solarpunk short stories that suggest positive ideas and solutions for the future of our planet.
The book as a whole is ideal for working on the Abitur topic: Saving the Planet.
All global disasters.
But there is HOPE.
This book contains ten fascinating and beautifully written Solarpunk short stories that suggest positive ideas and solutions for the future of our planet.
The book as a whole is ideal for working on the Abitur topic: Saving the Planet.
- GenresSolarpunk
184 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 12, 2022
Saving the Planet: Solarpunk Stories contains ten short stories, all previously published in anthologies. Like with all anthologies that I've read, I liked some stories more than others, but there was no one that I didn't like. It's a well edited anthology in my view.
The stories that I liked better then the others include "A Catalogue of Sunlight at the End of the World" by A. C. Wise. It's about ecological grief up to a point, and the end of the world, but more importantly it is about love, having found it and lost it. Beautiful story.
Another is "The Spider and the Stars" by D. K. Mok. It is an interesting example of what can be done within the short story form because this short story spans decades, and yet somehow it manages to leave the reader with a satisfying image of what happened. Really well built up.
"Wings of Glass" by Wendy Nikel is a good example of how solarpunk seems very often to favour collaboration, rather than the lone hero that saves the day. There is the mad scientist working alone, but he can't do everything on his own either. Cool story.
On the whole I liked this anthology, but I think I will find all three anthologies, Sunvault: Stories of Solarpunk and Eco-Speculation, Glass and Gardens: Solarpunk Summers, and Glass and Garden: Solarpunk Winters, where these stories first appeared, and read them as well. I'm really liking this genre.
The stories that I liked better then the others include "A Catalogue of Sunlight at the End of the World" by A. C. Wise. It's about ecological grief up to a point, and the end of the world, but more importantly it is about love, having found it and lost it. Beautiful story.
Another is "The Spider and the Stars" by D. K. Mok. It is an interesting example of what can be done within the short story form because this short story spans decades, and yet somehow it manages to leave the reader with a satisfying image of what happened. Really well built up.
"Wings of Glass" by Wendy Nikel is a good example of how solarpunk seems very often to favour collaboration, rather than the lone hero that saves the day. There is the mad scientist working alone, but he can't do everything on his own either. Cool story.
On the whole I liked this anthology, but I think I will find all three anthologies, Sunvault: Stories of Solarpunk and Eco-Speculation, Glass and Gardens: Solarpunk Summers, and Glass and Garden: Solarpunk Winters, where these stories first appeared, and read them as well. I'm really liking this genre.
July 20, 2023
What a wonderful collection of stories! So diverse, thought provocing and rich!
June 29, 2023
Unfortunately very bad... I didn't find any story in this collection that could be worth a second thought. Trendy eco ideas supperficially pasted onto lifeless stories, all bio, solar, luminescent, vegan and just to throw in some political correctness in the mix, lgbt; strong emancipated young women that mainly do things like: riding a solar gene-spliced dino or hanging their rainbow lgbt scarf made out of handmade bio cotton on some climate change ravaged city.
Zero world or character building, 100% preaching of the good way to live. After reading so much good speculative fiction and fantasy this year (Atwood, Le Guin, Butler, Jemisin) this just falls flat. Sorry, this will be one of the very rare books I actually deem to bad to give, too bad to store in a box and definetely too bad to put on a shelve... So it will end in a bin, very unecological of me.
I am sorry though that the collection wasn't better... more inspired. We do need good stories for our future, inspiring tales about how to change our society for the better, merge technology with the care for life. That's why I will not give up on this genre just yet. I guess one could describe Cory Doctorow's Book "Walkaway" as solar punk too. That book, in big contrast with the stories here, has a vision.
Zero world or character building, 100% preaching of the good way to live. After reading so much good speculative fiction and fantasy this year (Atwood, Le Guin, Butler, Jemisin) this just falls flat. Sorry, this will be one of the very rare books I actually deem to bad to give, too bad to store in a box and definetely too bad to put on a shelve... So it will end in a bin, very unecological of me.
I am sorry though that the collection wasn't better... more inspired. We do need good stories for our future, inspiring tales about how to change our society for the better, merge technology with the care for life. That's why I will not give up on this genre just yet. I guess one could describe Cory Doctorow's Book "Walkaway" as solar punk too. That book, in big contrast with the stories here, has a vision.
May 9, 2026
Die Anthologie „Saving the Planet: Solarpunk Stories“ ist eine Sammlung aktueller Solarpunk-Kurzgeschichten über Klimazukünfte, Nachhaltigkeit und hoffnungsvolle Gesellschaftsvisionen. Themen wie Climate Anxiety, Technologie, Aktivismus, Identität und Gemeinschaft spielen eine zentrale Rolle, wobei außerdem deutlich wird, dass versucht wird, unterschiedliche Perspektiven und diverse Stimmen einzubeziehen.
Leider kann die literarische Qualität mit den ambitionierten Ideen häufig nicht ganz mithalten.
Viele der Geschichten versuchen, auf wenigen Seiten ganze Welten, zahlreiche gesellschaftliche Probleme und gleichzeitig noch eine moralische Botschaft unterzubringen. Dadurch wirken die Handlungen oft überladen, platt und gehetzt. Auch die Figuren bleiben häufig eher flach, da kaum Raum für eine tiefere Charakterentwicklung bleibt.
Sprachlich sind die Texte ebenfalls größtenteils wenig bemerkenswert. Die Geschichten lassen sich zwar leicht lesen und sind zugänglich, stilistisch hinterlassen sie jedoch selten einen bleibenden Eindruck.
Trotzdem eignet sich die Anthologie durchaus als Ausgangspunkt für Unterrichtsgespräche. Besonders hervorzuheben ist für mich die Kurzgeschichte „Solar Child“, die innerhalb der Sammlung vermutlich das größte Potenzial besitzt. Vor allem die Parallelen und intertextuellen Bezüge zu Brave New World fand ich spannend, insbesondere die Idee, Menschen gezielt für die Bedürfnisse einer Gesellschaft zu erschaffen beziehungsweise „heranzuzüchten“. Dadurch eröffnet die Geschichte interessante Fragestellungen und eignet sich sehr gut für Compare-and-Contrast-Diskussionen mit Huxleys Roman.
Leider kann die literarische Qualität mit den ambitionierten Ideen häufig nicht ganz mithalten.
Viele der Geschichten versuchen, auf wenigen Seiten ganze Welten, zahlreiche gesellschaftliche Probleme und gleichzeitig noch eine moralische Botschaft unterzubringen. Dadurch wirken die Handlungen oft überladen, platt und gehetzt. Auch die Figuren bleiben häufig eher flach, da kaum Raum für eine tiefere Charakterentwicklung bleibt.
Sprachlich sind die Texte ebenfalls größtenteils wenig bemerkenswert. Die Geschichten lassen sich zwar leicht lesen und sind zugänglich, stilistisch hinterlassen sie jedoch selten einen bleibenden Eindruck.
Trotzdem eignet sich die Anthologie durchaus als Ausgangspunkt für Unterrichtsgespräche. Besonders hervorzuheben ist für mich die Kurzgeschichte „Solar Child“, die innerhalb der Sammlung vermutlich das größte Potenzial besitzt. Vor allem die Parallelen und intertextuellen Bezüge zu Brave New World fand ich spannend, insbesondere die Idee, Menschen gezielt für die Bedürfnisse einer Gesellschaft zu erschaffen beziehungsweise „heranzuzüchten“. Dadurch eröffnet die Geschichte interessante Fragestellungen und eignet sich sehr gut für Compare-and-Contrast-Diskussionen mit Huxleys Roman.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews