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Save the World: Twenty Sci-Fi Writers Save the Planet
Twenty ways to fix the planet.
Climate change is no longer a vague future threat. Forests are burning, currents are shifting, and massive storms dump staggering amounts of water in less than 24 hours. Sometimes it’s hard to look ahead and see a hopeful future.
We asked sci-fi writers to send us stories about ways to save the world from climate change. From the myriad of stories we received, we chose the twenty most amazing (and hopefully prescient) tales.
Dive in and find out how we might mitigate climate change via solar mirrors, carbon capture, genetic manipulation, and acts of change both large and small.
The future’s not going to fix itself.
Climate change is no longer a vague future threat. Forests are burning, currents are shifting, and massive storms dump staggering amounts of water in less than 24 hours. Sometimes it’s hard to look ahead and see a hopeful future.
We asked sci-fi writers to send us stories about ways to save the world from climate change. From the myriad of stories we received, we chose the twenty most amazing (and hopefully prescient) tales.
Dive in and find out how we might mitigate climate change via solar mirrors, carbon capture, genetic manipulation, and acts of change both large and small.
The future’s not going to fix itself.
- GenresAnthologies
369 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 22, 2022
About the author
J. Scott Coatsworth
92 books191 followersScott lives with his husband in a leafy Sacramento, California suburb, in a cute yellow house with a pair of pink flamingoes in the front yard.
He has always been in the place between the here and now and the what could be. He started reading science fiction and fantasy at the tender age of nine, encouraged by his mother. But as he read the golden age classics and more modern works too, he started to wonder where all the queer people were.
When Scott came out at 23, he decided he wanted to create the kinds of stories he couldn't find at the bookstore. If there weren't gay characters in his favorite genres, he would reimagine them, filling them with a diverse universe of characters. He'd remake them to his own ends, and if he was lucky enough, someone would even want to read them.
Scott's brain works a little differently from most folks - he sees connections where others don't. Born an introvert, he learned how to reach outside himself and connect with other queer folks.
Scott's fiction defies expectations, transforming traditional science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary worlds into something fresh and surprising. He also created both Queer Sci Fi and QueeRomance Ink with his husband Mark, and is an associate member of the Science Fiction Writer's Association (SFWA).
His writing, both romance and genre fiction, brings a queer energy to his work, infusing them with love, beauty and strength and making them fly. He imagines how the world could be, and maybe changes the world that is, just a little.
Scott was recognized as one of the top new gay authors in the 2017 Rainbow Awards, and his debut novel "Skythane" received two awards and an honorable mention.
He has always been in the place between the here and now and the what could be. He started reading science fiction and fantasy at the tender age of nine, encouraged by his mother. But as he read the golden age classics and more modern works too, he started to wonder where all the queer people were.
When Scott came out at 23, he decided he wanted to create the kinds of stories he couldn't find at the bookstore. If there weren't gay characters in his favorite genres, he would reimagine them, filling them with a diverse universe of characters. He'd remake them to his own ends, and if he was lucky enough, someone would even want to read them.
Scott's brain works a little differently from most folks - he sees connections where others don't. Born an introvert, he learned how to reach outside himself and connect with other queer folks.
Scott's fiction defies expectations, transforming traditional science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary worlds into something fresh and surprising. He also created both Queer Sci Fi and QueeRomance Ink with his husband Mark, and is an associate member of the Science Fiction Writer's Association (SFWA).
His writing, both romance and genre fiction, brings a queer energy to his work, infusing them with love, beauty and strength and making them fly. He imagines how the world could be, and maybe changes the world that is, just a little.
Scott was recognized as one of the top new gay authors in the 2017 Rainbow Awards, and his debut novel "Skythane" received two awards and an honorable mention.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
July 5, 2022
A couple of years ago, Scott Coatsworth, like the rest of us, found the “almost unrelentingly bad news day after day” more than a little depressing. He “felt like we needed a little hope, some light at the end of the tunnel” ( Fix the World ix). To meet this need, Coatsworth, a co-owner of the publishing company, Other Worlds Ink, came up with a thought-experiment: pose a “what-if” question, answer it in fiction. Can the world be fixed?
Coatsworth posed a similar question in 2021, albeit with a tighter focus: climate change. He called for stories “about how humanity would deal with the coming changes, and even find ways to reverse them” (Save the World xi). The answers can be found in Other Worlds Ink’s latest hopepunk anthology, Save the World, just out in June 2022.
Like its predecessor, the twenty stories in this anthology are all engaging, interesting, and they kept me reading. They are set in, or too near, a grim future: the world is on a precipice. “Climate change is no longer a vague future threat. Forests are burning, currents are shifting, and massive storms dump staggering amounts of rain in less than 24 hours” (back cover). Can the world be fixed? Can it be saved from climate change? Is a hopeful future even possible?
These stories offer imaginative solutions to the climate crisis. I would argue that for there to be hope, for there to be solutions, we have to imagine them first. Such solutions, as presented here, involve science and technology, yes, but also in art, in rescuing baby sea turtles, in love, and family, and “acts of change, both large and small.”
Here, the reader will find stories, acts of imagination, offering ways to repair and/or reverse the damage, sometimes when things have gotten far worse than they presently are. Those solutions are as diverse, ranging from a device that can cut off the lights with a click, “solar mirrors, carbon capture, genetic manipulation,” producing oil from plastic bags, and knitting to cover and protect Greenland’s ice. The diversity of the solvers is just as expansive, including gays and lesbians, bisexuals, the polyamorous, the very old, the young, black, white, brown, red, and yellow.
For example, in “By the Light of the Stars,” by N.R.M Roshak, the act of change is relatively small: the light clicker. Such a device can help baby sea turtles find their way to the sea and not be drawn further inland, following artificial light, not the light of the moon. The protagonists are two women falling in love, with a few complications, such as one a doubter in the existence of more than a handful of star. Yes, stars. Natural light will help here, too.
In Jana Denardo’s story, “Just A Little Empathy,” Yoshi and Raine, and their husband, Michael are on the front lines of fighting climate change. Yoshi is working to develop “plastic-eating enzymes”, and lives on an eco-friendly farm with her wife and husband, and two children, where they will be hosting a concert to raise money for “the Save the Earth project, which would funnel money into tech and works that combated climate change and fund social justice projects.” But this is not a utopia. The Earth Rhythms group believes climate change is part of nature’s grand cycle, and are willing to blow up things for the cause.
“Operation Cover Up (Kamikaze),” by Rachel Hope Crossman, offers a particular small act of change that is enacted on a large scale. To protect and preserve the Greenland Ice sheet, it is “[b]lanketed in knitted cozies,” and those who are doing this blanketing are “wrinkled old ladies with gray hair and bad attitudes.” Some won’t return from the action. The Antarctic and Greenland Ice Sheets are melting. The seas are rising. Can anything be done? I loved the old ladies and their fierce determination to do something, even if their own lives are at risk, even if they make the ultimate sacrifice.
The other stories are just as intriguing and captivating and interesting, both in the solutions offered, and the solvers.
As this book, and its predecessor, attest, what we need most, perhaps, is hope, and a belief that problems can be solved, that there are good solutions to “what-if” thought experiments. And these solutions must be human ones, found by human beings who fall in love, who care for each other.
Pray it isn’t too late.
Highly Recommended.
Coatsworth posed a similar question in 2021, albeit with a tighter focus: climate change. He called for stories “about how humanity would deal with the coming changes, and even find ways to reverse them” (Save the World xi). The answers can be found in Other Worlds Ink’s latest hopepunk anthology, Save the World, just out in June 2022.
Like its predecessor, the twenty stories in this anthology are all engaging, interesting, and they kept me reading. They are set in, or too near, a grim future: the world is on a precipice. “Climate change is no longer a vague future threat. Forests are burning, currents are shifting, and massive storms dump staggering amounts of rain in less than 24 hours” (back cover). Can the world be fixed? Can it be saved from climate change? Is a hopeful future even possible?
These stories offer imaginative solutions to the climate crisis. I would argue that for there to be hope, for there to be solutions, we have to imagine them first. Such solutions, as presented here, involve science and technology, yes, but also in art, in rescuing baby sea turtles, in love, and family, and “acts of change, both large and small.”
Here, the reader will find stories, acts of imagination, offering ways to repair and/or reverse the damage, sometimes when things have gotten far worse than they presently are. Those solutions are as diverse, ranging from a device that can cut off the lights with a click, “solar mirrors, carbon capture, genetic manipulation,” producing oil from plastic bags, and knitting to cover and protect Greenland’s ice. The diversity of the solvers is just as expansive, including gays and lesbians, bisexuals, the polyamorous, the very old, the young, black, white, brown, red, and yellow.
For example, in “By the Light of the Stars,” by N.R.M Roshak, the act of change is relatively small: the light clicker. Such a device can help baby sea turtles find their way to the sea and not be drawn further inland, following artificial light, not the light of the moon. The protagonists are two women falling in love, with a few complications, such as one a doubter in the existence of more than a handful of star. Yes, stars. Natural light will help here, too.
In Jana Denardo’s story, “Just A Little Empathy,” Yoshi and Raine, and their husband, Michael are on the front lines of fighting climate change. Yoshi is working to develop “plastic-eating enzymes”, and lives on an eco-friendly farm with her wife and husband, and two children, where they will be hosting a concert to raise money for “the Save the Earth project, which would funnel money into tech and works that combated climate change and fund social justice projects.” But this is not a utopia. The Earth Rhythms group believes climate change is part of nature’s grand cycle, and are willing to blow up things for the cause.
“Operation Cover Up (Kamikaze),” by Rachel Hope Crossman, offers a particular small act of change that is enacted on a large scale. To protect and preserve the Greenland Ice sheet, it is “[b]lanketed in knitted cozies,” and those who are doing this blanketing are “wrinkled old ladies with gray hair and bad attitudes.” Some won’t return from the action. The Antarctic and Greenland Ice Sheets are melting. The seas are rising. Can anything be done? I loved the old ladies and their fierce determination to do something, even if their own lives are at risk, even if they make the ultimate sacrifice.
The other stories are just as intriguing and captivating and interesting, both in the solutions offered, and the solvers.
As this book, and its predecessor, attest, what we need most, perhaps, is hope, and a belief that problems can be solved, that there are good solutions to “what-if” thought experiments. And these solutions must be human ones, found by human beings who fall in love, who care for each other.
Pray it isn’t too late.
Highly Recommended.
June 22, 2022
The stories offer hope and imaginative solutions to climate change told in unique and engaging voices. A must-read for anyone who is interested in the natural world and how to preserve our planet.
June 22, 2022
The Review
This was a fantastic and highly creative collection. The themes of climate change and the impact it’ll have on everything from worldwide pandemics to coastal cities being overrun and so much more were thought-provoking, to say the least. The imagery and detailed storytelling that went into the narrative really painted an image in the reader’s mind.
What stuck out in each story in this collection was each author’s ability to naturally infuse the themes of this narrative into their stories and still manage to implement a very human and emotional depth of character into each story. From a young woman seeking more of not only her life but the life of everyone on Earth, to a teenage boy separated from his mother and forced to make a new home for himself, each story adds so much emotion and heart to the more broad climate struggles that make this such an engaging story.
The Verdict
Heartfelt, entertaining, yet striking in its delivery, the short story collection “Save the World: Twenty Sci-Fi Writers Save the Planet” is a must-read book and a great continuation of the Writers Save the World Series! The balance of emotional character growth and stark yet hopeful themes of climate change and the progress needed to fix it all make this one collection readers won’t be able to put down.
This was a fantastic and highly creative collection. The themes of climate change and the impact it’ll have on everything from worldwide pandemics to coastal cities being overrun and so much more were thought-provoking, to say the least. The imagery and detailed storytelling that went into the narrative really painted an image in the reader’s mind.
What stuck out in each story in this collection was each author’s ability to naturally infuse the themes of this narrative into their stories and still manage to implement a very human and emotional depth of character into each story. From a young woman seeking more of not only her life but the life of everyone on Earth, to a teenage boy separated from his mother and forced to make a new home for himself, each story adds so much emotion and heart to the more broad climate struggles that make this such an engaging story.
The Verdict
Heartfelt, entertaining, yet striking in its delivery, the short story collection “Save the World: Twenty Sci-Fi Writers Save the Planet” is a must-read book and a great continuation of the Writers Save the World Series! The balance of emotional character growth and stark yet hopeful themes of climate change and the progress needed to fix it all make this one collection readers won’t be able to put down.
December 2, 2023
As with any anthology that truly expands my point of view, there were some stories that landed better for me than other. Even those where I didn’t care for the writing style or scientific assumptions still opened a window into heartfelt hopes and beliefs that must be part of our climate conversation. Beyond the different takes on pace of change and best practices, I appreciate the variety of lead characters (by disability, race, gender, LGBTQ+) and the inclusion of authors from across the US and around the world.
My personal favorites were mostly longer stories. "The Mycoremediator" by Derek Des Anges offered a charming nonbinary neurodiverse scientist going rogue while growing both mushrooms and found family. "Operation Cover-Up (Kamikaze)" by Rachel Hope Crossman took on much more than I expected with a parachuting grandmother who wasn’t afraid to tell it like it is. Finally, J. Scott Coatsworth both edited this anthology and contributed "Shit City," which is actually much sweeter than it sounds and a special treat for anyone who’s been to Burning Man.
My personal favorites were mostly longer stories. "The Mycoremediator" by Derek Des Anges offered a charming nonbinary neurodiverse scientist going rogue while growing both mushrooms and found family. "Operation Cover-Up (Kamikaze)" by Rachel Hope Crossman took on much more than I expected with a parachuting grandmother who wasn’t afraid to tell it like it is. Finally, J. Scott Coatsworth both edited this anthology and contributed "Shit City," which is actually much sweeter than it sounds and a special treat for anyone who’s been to Burning Man.
June 30, 2022
I really enjoy anthologies because it let me sample the work of many different authors, but some anthologies are bit hit and miss, I ended up not fully enjoying this one, because I was missing a bit of sci-fi in most of them, I guess I was expecting more of a future kind of stories, but I fully understand that it was my expectatives versus the book not really a problem of the book, maybe how high we go into the dark spoiled global warming for me, its not bad, several different stories and you do feel the difference between them, but I will be honest, I skipped some… but try it out, maybe you’ll like it
Thank you NetGalley for the free ARC and this is my honest opinion.
Thank you NetGalley for the free ARC and this is my honest opinion.
December 1, 2022
Having previously enjoyed Fix the World, I picked up its sister-book. The stories are very diverse, with some ideas I'd never entertained before. I found it a slightly less engaging book than Fix the World but still a worthy read.
The concept of writers saving the planet may seem at first like a simple "what if" mental diversion, but I'm betting a lot of progress has been made throughout the history of humanity by starting from these sort of wonderings. We need beginnings, new concepts to hang our questions and suggestions on. Why not listen to what writers are pondering? They are as human as any of us!
The concept of writers saving the planet may seem at first like a simple "what if" mental diversion, but I'm betting a lot of progress has been made throughout the history of humanity by starting from these sort of wonderings. We need beginnings, new concepts to hang our questions and suggestions on. Why not listen to what writers are pondering? They are as human as any of us!
November 22, 2023
Mixed lot, some great, most good, couple I didn't finish. (Pretty much normal for me and a collection.) The overall theme of dealing with the effects of human-induced climate change were all worked out fairly well. Overall I'd say it's worth reading.
July 22, 2022
Outstanding, entertaining, thought provoking anthology ... and I'm not just saying that because I'm in it :)
June 18, 2022
If you are interested in climate change and its impact, as well as inclusive short stories with different styles, this book is for you.
“Save the World” is an anthology of short stories by sci-fi writers about climate change. I loved the idea of writers creating “world saving” scenarios and most stories are very well written. They drew me in and I didn’t want them to end. The majority of them could actually become very interesting books because I feel their subject isn’t exhausted and their characters were extremely well developed in only a few pages. I think that is a great performance.
I was also pleasantly surprised all the characters were diverse – stories had budding gay romances or marriages with 3 partners. These were not, of course, the focus, but it’s nice they were all selected that way.
I read the book in a kindle format and another cute surprise was the fact that at the end of every story, there was its author’s bio, along with their social contacts. It was a perfect way to get to know new writers and appreciate their style.
However, while every story is interesting in itself and they all had a common theme, I think the book lacked cohesion a little bit.
The entire review - on my blog and yt channel:
https://readfinebooks.com/2022/06/18/...
“Save the World” is an anthology of short stories by sci-fi writers about climate change. I loved the idea of writers creating “world saving” scenarios and most stories are very well written. They drew me in and I didn’t want them to end. The majority of them could actually become very interesting books because I feel their subject isn’t exhausted and their characters were extremely well developed in only a few pages. I think that is a great performance.
I was also pleasantly surprised all the characters were diverse – stories had budding gay romances or marriages with 3 partners. These were not, of course, the focus, but it’s nice they were all selected that way.
I read the book in a kindle format and another cute surprise was the fact that at the end of every story, there was its author’s bio, along with their social contacts. It was a perfect way to get to know new writers and appreciate their style.
However, while every story is interesting in itself and they all had a common theme, I think the book lacked cohesion a little bit.
The entire review - on my blog and yt channel:
https://readfinebooks.com/2022/06/18/...
May 4, 2022
This book is an anthology of short stories centered around the topic of climate change. I appreciated the efforts of the authors to be inclusive with their characters. The stories themselves are a little bit hit and miss. Some are post-apocalyptic while others are closer to present day, and it was sometimes jarring to switch between them. My favorite one was Operation Cover-Up where older women decide to cover an ice sheet in the arctic with a giant quilt. Funny and heartbreaking at the same time.
Thank you to Other Worlds Ink and NetGalley for the opportunity to access this free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Other Worlds Ink and NetGalley for the opportunity to access this free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
June 28, 2022
I really enjoy anthologies because it let me sample the work of many different authors, but some anthologies are bit hit and miss, I ended up not fully enjoying this one, because I was missing a bit of sci-fi in most of them, I guess I was expecting more of a future kind of stories, but I fully understand that it was my expectatives versus the book not really a problem of the book, maybe how high we go into the dark spoiled global warming for me, its not bad, several different stories and you do feel the difference between them, but I will be honest, I skipped some… but try it out, maybe you’ll like it
Thank you NetGalley for the free ARC and this is my honest opinion.
Thank you NetGalley for the free ARC and this is my honest opinion.
June 25, 2022
Excellent collection of climate related stories. There's a nice variety of styles and topics and approaches here by some very good authors. Recommended.
Thanks very much for the free ARC for review!!
Thanks very much for the free ARC for review!!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews