The full transcript is available by clicking above. This episode is also available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Highlights

01:49 Exploring Qaanaaq: A Floating City of Refugees

04:23 Dystopia vs. Reality: The Intersection of Fiction and Activism

06:03 Character Perspectives: The Four Lenses of Qaanaaq

12:29 The Echoes of History

16:23 Climate Change and Floating Cities

21:00 Immigration and Climate Crisis

24:53 Resilience of the Marginalized

27:13 Hope Amidst Despair: The Power of Community

28:47 AI's Role in Society: A Cautionary Tale

30:45 Future Works

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She also shares insights from her books and discusses the different hurdles in the climate conversation, the power of fiction in tackling climate issues, and the urgent need for effective science communication.

The full transcript is available by clicking above. This episode is also available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Highlights

02:29 Historical Moments in Climate Change Response

07:19 The Role of Money and Ideology in Climate Denial

08:57 Exploring Climate Fiction and Imagination

12:01 The Importance of Narrative in Science Communication

16:37 Challenges Faced by Climate Scientists in Communication

19:50 The Arbitrary Nature of Scientific Standards

24:12 The Big Myth: Unpacking Free Market Ideology

27:16 The Role of Fiction in Climate Discourse

33:23 Capitalism and Climate Crisis: A Complex Relationship

35:39 Imagining the Collapse of Western Civilization

37:49 Future Endeavors: Naomi's Next Projects

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The conversation explores the tangled web of human-environment relationships and how novels can serve as testing grounds for exploring ecological and psychological ideas. VanderMeer also talks about why he challenges the very terminology of “climate fiction” — he’s quite convincing!

The full transcript is available by clicking above. This episode is also available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Highlights

(01:10) The Mysteries of Area X

(03:02) Writing Absolution: A Journey

(09:14) Interrogating Solutions in Climate Fiction

(14:13) Hyperobjects and Their Impact

(20:06) The Role of Non-Human Perspectives

(24:38) Frustrations with Bureaucracy

(33:12) Future Works and Adaptations

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The conversation explores the American-centric narrative, climate denialism, surveillance capitalism, and the political dimensions of climate action. 

The full transcript is available by clicking above. This episode is also available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Highlights

(02:10) Stephen Markley Discusses The Deluge

(06:00) Focusing on the Science

(07:06) The Frightening Reality of Methane Hydrates and Climate Change

(14:23) Crafting Climate Fiction to Emotionally Engage Readers

(19:08) Worst Case Scenario or Possible Future?

(24:32) The Impact of Surveillance Capitalism on Society and Democracy

(30:43) Influences and Inspirations

(32:30) Climate Fiction's Coastal Differences and Future Urban Resilience

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In this episode of Futureverse, Molly Wood and Ramanan Raghavendran interview Edan Lepucki about her works of climate fiction, including her novel California and her short story "There's No Place Like Home."

Their discussion probes the intersections of climate fiction, personal relationships, and societal dynamics in a changing world. From fears of societal regression to the intricacies of world-building, Lepucki shares how climate change informs her narratives, seamlessly weaving environmental concerns into the fabric of her character-driven stories and challenges readers to confront the fragility of progress and the complexity of human nature amidst a backdrop of environmental catastrophes.

The full transcript is available by clicking above. This episode is also available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Highlights

(02:45) Reimagining Dystopian Fiction in the Face of Climate Change

(07:10) Flawed Characters and the Myth of Apocalyptic Survival

(14:22) Imagining Apocalyptic Worlds Through Sensory Experiences

(16:06) Exploring Bleak Worlds as a Cathartic Writing Experience

(21:16) Secrets, Storytelling, and Climate Change Challenges

(26:29) Edan’s Literary Inspiration

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Boyle shares the inspirations behind his environmentally driven novels, demonstrating the profound influence of nature in his life and writings. He shares excerpts from his latest novel "Blue Skies," and the broader implications of his narratives for our planet's future. 

The full transcript is available by clicking above. This episode is also available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Highlights

[01:33] Boyle's obsession with our relationship to the earth as an animal species

[04:13] The current state of climate change and the need for hope

[06:56] The evocative descriptions of weather and climate change in Blue Skies

[10:40] The significance of bugs and their impact on the food chain

[17:25] Using satire and humor in addressing climate change

[22:24] The role of love in motivating people to act on climate change

[26:53] The burden of consciousness

[28:07] Boyle’s upcoming novel

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In the latest episode of Futureverse, Molly Wood and Ramanan Raghavendran interview American novelist and essayist Nathaniel Rich. Listen as they delve into the complexities of climate activism, political challenges, and literary reflections on the environmental crisis through Rich’s climate-inflected fiction and nonfiction works, Odds Against Tomorrow, Losing Earth: A Recent History, and Second Nature: Scenes from a World Remade.

They discuss the moral tensions underlying financial and moral choices, highlighting the gray areas in navigating our troubled economic landscape. From the failures of past political processes to the emergence of youth-led activism, they explore the evolving language and emotional resonance driving climate discourse.

Discover how literature grapples with the post-natural world, offering narratives that challenge traditional views of wilderness and human impact. Tune in for a thought-provoking conversation on the urgent need for nuanced storytelling and meaningful policy responses in the face of environmental upheaval.

The full transcript is available by clicking above. This episode is also available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Highlights

[01:49] Nathaniel Rich's journey into focusing on climate change

[08:53] Climate change and the importance of self-reflection 

[12:40] "Odds Against Tomorrow" and how climate change is portrayed in the book

[15:09] Financial vultures in capitalizing off disaster 

[17:25] What is morally right in a capitalistic system?

[20:28] Reaching solutions on climate change despite political consensus

[24:26] The framing of hope versus despair is an oversimplification

[27:28] How the language around climate change has shifted in the last five years

[28:16] The concept of a post-natural world is a realistic view

[31:33] Exploring the complexities and trade-offs of our current predicament

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The conversation explores how resistance and the unpredictable nature of the universe are depicted in her novels and how indigenous cultures provide different perspectives on living in the world. Pariat reflects on the power of storytelling and hope in addressing climate change and emphasizes the importance of love, care, and taking a long-term approach to tackling the ecological crisis.

The full transcript is available by clicking above. This episode is also available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Highlights

[02:10] Janice's Relationship with Nature and How it Influenced Her Writing 

[10:35] The Need for Love and Care in Conversations about Climate Change 

[13:48] Resistance and Arbitrary Orders 

[15:07] Janice's Personal Experience of Belonging and Identity 

[19:00] Janice’s Perspective on Climate Change and Deep Time 

[23:37] Craft of Prose and Different Viewpoints When Writing

[34:57] Writing as an Act of Hope, Resilience, and Transformation 

[37:39] Importance of Indigenous Stories and Their Wisdom 

[39:33] Janice’s Book Recommendations 

In Part 2, they discuss utopia (!) with Robinson pointing out that surviving the 21st century without a mass extinction event is the first step toward a utopian future.

The conversation explores how utopia is not a simple solution but rather involves complex and necessary actions, such as bureaucracy and systemic change. Robinson also delves into the idea of hope and how it can manifest in various forms.

Need to catch up on the conversation? Listen to Part 1 here.

The full transcript is available by clicking above. This episode is also available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Highlights

(00:01:28) What is Utopia?

(00:05:50) Path to Improving Late Capitalism

(00:12:01) Capital Can Serve the People

(00:15:11) Come-along Explained

(00:24:12) Individual Actions Can Make a Difference

(00:27:57) Entrepreneurship in the Airship Sphere

In this episode, Robinson discusses the persistence of climate denial and skepticism, even after 30 years of scientific research and evidence, and emphasizes the importance of community in addressing climate change and finding solutions.

The full transcript is available by clicking above. This episode is also available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Highlights

[00:00:52] Kim Stanley Robinson’s Origins and Inspirations

[00:10:52] The Decline of Climate Change Denial

[00:14:10] Exploring the Intersection of Climate Change and Storytelling

[00:17:45] Utopian Science Fiction Writers and Hope For the Future

Omar’s most recent novel, What Strange Paradise, tells the story of those at the core of the refugee crisis. It explores themes including assimilation, identity, inequality, empathy, and the impact of climate change on society. In our conversation, Omar also delves into how his journalism career has influenced his fiction writing and the themes explored in What Strange Paradise.

The full transcript is available by clicking above. This episode is also available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Highlights

[00:02:29] Life and Career Path

[00:05:30] Influence of Journalism on Literature

[00:09:17] What Strange Paradise

[00:10:52] Hyperindividualism and Existential Problems

[00:18:36] Assimilation and Intersectional Power Dynamics

[00:24:42] Cruelty via Palatable Means

[00:28:08] Climate Refugees

[00:32:26] Empathy and Collective Action

[00:36:49] Omar’s Fiction Recommendations

[00:44:38] Hope as Prologue

[00:47:12] Omar’s New Podcast

Like in all of her books, her latest novel A Half-Built Garden challenges inherent biases and explores themes of empathy, humanity, chosen family, and otherness in the context of climate change. During their conversation, Ruthanna emphasizes the importance of adapting to new problems and the idea that there is no utopian point where everything is solved.

We were so excited to talk to Emrys for our second episode. Her unique perspective about the future, the importance of parenthood and children, and how social justice intersects with climate change is incredibly enlightening and refreshing. Find more of her work here.

The full transcript is available above. This episode is also available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Highlights

[00:10] Introduction

[02:05] Responding to unlikely visitors in the age of climate change

[03:45] Why write about aliens?

[05:51] World-building influences

[07:48] Queer Jewish representation

[12:23] One thing readers should take away

[14:20] Inspiration behind the watershed networks

[17:44] How the corporations got banished

[22:20] Alien-human interaction

[25:26] Imagining economic change via social force

[27:33] The climate of A Half-Built Garden

[30:42] Climate change strategies

[33:45] Information, control, and corporations

[36:26] Pushing for social change as a source of story

[38:56] Pronouns and gender

[43:59] What’s in store for Judy and her clan?

[45:00] Who should we interview next?

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James Bradley is an essayist, novelist, and critic, and the acclaimed author of several climate fiction novels, including Clade, Ghost Species, and the young adult trilogy The Change. In this conversation, James, Molly, and Ramanan discuss Clade, capitalism, and the importance of hope in the face of climate disaster.

We asked James to be on our launch episode because he is both an author and a knowledgeable commentator on climate fiction. A great interview, with his selection of five climate change novels, is here; and a very thoughtful essay on what our future might hold (and how to deal with it!) is here.

The full transcript is available by clicking above. This episode is also available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Highlights

[00:00:19] Introduction

[00:03:33] Capitalism and planetary exploitation

[00:07:27] Why write about the climate?

[00:08:27] An unsentimental imagining of the future

[00:12:28] Fiction vs non-fiction

[00:22:01] Parenting in the climate crisis

[00:25:34] Multiracial representation in Clade

[00:29:11] Lack of solutions in Clade

[00:33:49] Clade - a hopeful book?

[00:37:08] Writing utopian fiction

[00:40:18] Storytelling as a survival tool

[00:43:18] Movie adaptations?

[00:44:51] Who should we interview next?

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