Solarpunk, yes, it's a thing!

Glass and Gardens: Solarpunk Summers
edited by Sarena Ulibarri out from World Weaver Press

It's tough to be an optimist. In general. These days. As a writer.

Definitely, as a writer.

Dystopia checks all the boxes:

• High stakes. 
• Rising tension. 
• Character arc. 
• Plot. 

A utopia is just — better. From somebody's point of view.

So, boring?

It doesn't have to be. Please, don't give up. Because, living in a dystopia? No thanks. No!!

We need to imagine utopias (optimistic futures) — many. We need them.

"...if you can’t imagine something, you sure as hell can’t make it real."  — Commando Jugendstil and the EV Studio on the World Weaver Press Blog

I began writing in earnest driven by:

• Memento mori. 
• Utopian impulse.

I started alone and then found community — from feminist utopias to optimistic science fiction to solarpunk. Utopia: which makes new rules.

...optimism is way punk. Not that we will emerge from catastrophic dystopia into a difficult, but hard-fought utopia, but that we will simply create utopia because the best in us is better, more brilliant, and more epic than we think it is. — Paul Czege, #SolarPunkChat

My process: Read. Review. Write. Back Kickstarters. Attend conferences. Read. Review. Write.

I can't help but swoon over stories I love.

Goal: Join the conversation about our imagined future.

So, it's fulfilling to have a story included in Glass and Gardens: Solarpunk Summers about optimistic futures based on renewable energy (and to be joining in Solarpunk Chat June 16 on Twitter).

Our constant challenge as writers: wonderful, inspiring ideas aren't magically wonderful, inspiring stories.

That's the work.

Delightfully, Glass and Gardens, filled with inspiring ideas, has lovely stories, too. Overall, I loved the varied settings. Farms and farmers are prominent. There were many fun descriptions of tasty food and verdant plant life (compared with say the dystopia Amatka by Karen Tidbeck--a fantastic book--but the protagonist eats a lot of fungus and raw rutabaga). After reading Glass and Gardens, a sweetness lingers (strawberry-flavored). It carries re-energizing feelings of happiness, contentment and hope.

Briefly, what I love:

"Caught Root" by Julia K. Patt — The romance, the night-blooming lilies.

"The Spider and the Stars" by D.K. Mok — An inspiring female scientist who goes vegetarian (lots of yummy!) & "Shuttling spiders into space to keep the planet safe."

"Riot of the Wind and Sun" by Jennifer Lee Rossman — Desert setting with music. Burning Man vibe! Based on a real town in Australia.

"Fyrewall" by Stefani Cox — An imagined solution to rampaging wildfires and a realization about relationships, "I never needed to fix the wall, just nourish it."

"Watch Out, Red Crusher!" by Shel Graves (me!)— I had a wacky idea and a "charged image" of a solar-powered night while on a summer stroll with good friends and challenged myself to complete this story. Then, I saw this anthology's call for submissions — and I had a deadline! Then — Hurrah! — an editor!

"The Call of the Wold" by Holly Schofield — The crone protagonist. Yay, crones!

"Camping With City Boy" by Jerri Jerreat — A woman renews her love of wilderness and regains her power. Canadian wilderness!

"A Field of Sapphires and Sunshine" by Jaymee Goh — Solar-glass roofs. Sunships. Solarglass windows depict fairytales. Culture positive. Overturns tropes!

"Midsummer Night's Heist" by Commando Jugendstil and Tales from the EV Studio — The characters! A non-binary character who uses zie/zir (love that I've been seeing this more in literature--keep it coming!). Anti-fascist art punks!

"Heavenly Dreams of Mechanical Trees" by Wendy Nikel — A sentient robotic tree. The last word: Evergreen. *contented sigh*

"New Siberia" by Blake Jessop — Interspecies relationship story! Working with aliens.

"Grover: Case #C09 920, 'The Most Dangerous Blend'" by Edward Edmonds — A wonderful genre mash-up — detective, romance cli-fi.

"Amber Waves" by Sam S. Kepfield — The farm setting — wheat, soybeans. Amber waves!

"Grow, Give, Repeat" by Gregory Scheckler — Miss Lasagna! Planimals!

"Cable Town Delivery" by M. Lopes da Silva — The suspended city setting. Books, librarians!

"Women of White Water" by Helen Kenwright — People: "...are a chaotic mixture of hormones, emotions and information fighting for domination of one small fragile soul.", and The Gentleman (a cat).

"Under the Northern Lights" by Charlotte M. Ray — A bright, sweet love story. Strawberries!