We teamed climate experts with great writers to write compelling stories around themes of climate change, biodiversity and solutions to the climate crisis. This is a collection of inspiring, funny, dark, mysterious, tragic, romantic, dramatic, upbeat and fantastical short stories. These 24 stories are written by a variety of authors, with the aim to inspire readers with positive visions of what a sustainable society might look like and how we might get there. The stories are diverse in style, ranging from whodunnits to sci-fi, romance to family drama, comedy to tragedy, and cover a range of solution types from high-tech to nature-based solutions, to more systemic aspects relating to our culture and political economy.
‘These tremendous and inspirational stories paint far better pictures of what we need to do to save Planet Earth, than any number of facts, figures and graphs.’ Bill McGuire, Author, Hothouse Earth: an Inhabitant’s Guide.
Where to buy
Available via Amazon and other online retailers and on order from your local bookshop.
eBook also available from Apple Books, Scribd, Thalia, Smashword, Vivlio.
You can bypass Amazon and buy eBook for £3.99 direct here and paperback for £9.99 direct here.
Reviews
‘The climate emergency can no longer be ignored; it requires urgent and comprehensive action. But there’s so much positivity that can come from that action: clean, green and cheap energy; a thriving natural world; warm homes; well-paid jobs; clean air and water. If we are to build a future fit for the next generation, we must show a positive vision of what that future looks like. And this anthology of compelling, solution-focused climate fiction does exactly that. A better world is possible – and literature like this can help make it happen.’ Caroline Lucas MP.
Just as fact is a stepping-stone to fiction, so today’s fiction can bridge to tomorrow’s realities. I have found that sci-fi — and cli-fi — go through great cycles of being more or less relevant and interesting. Now is one of those ‘more’ times. This anthology is uplifting because it corrals stories built around solutions to our greatest challenges. John Elkington, chief pollinator at Volans, serial entrepreneur, and author of Green Swans, Green Consumer Guide, Cannibals with Forks: The Triple Bottom Line of 21st Century Business and others.
‘Before we can build the resilient zero carbon economy that we have promised future generations, we must first imagine it. And not just a vague, happy ‘wont it be lovely when we get there’ imagination, but a complex, rich, detailed imagining of new ways of doing and being, of new institutions, new laws, new societal goals. All innovation starts with a spark that dares picture a different way – this anthology is full of such sparks, and our task is to immerse ourselves in them and then dare to act boldly to build the future here and now.’ Nigel Topping, High Level Climate Action Champion, UNFCCC COP26.
‘Today’s Climate Crisis is down to a lack of imagination, blinding us to the horror story bearing down on us today. We now need to use our collective imagination to avert that nightmare – and ‘No More Fairy Tales: Stories to Save Our Planet’ shows us exactly how to do that.’ Jonathon Porritt, author and campaigner.
‘We make sense of our world not through data but through stories. That’s why we need more narratives like the ones here in this brilliant, evocative collection. Why? Just like the past, the future of our freewheeling, inspiring and frequently confounding civilisation will be created by the best storytellers in politics, business, science and culture. Read, enjoy and share.’ Owen Gaffney, Author, optimist, global sustainability analyst at Stockholm Resilience Centre and Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.
‘There’s an abundance of imagination in these stories; they’ll make you think again, and in new ways, about the predicament of the planet and its people.’ Bill McKibben, author, climate activist, and founder of 350.org.
‘Climate solutions demand climate narratives with the power to wake readers up.’ Dan Bloom, editor, The Cli-fi Report.
‘As mere humans, we are generally not very good at making good long term decisions – especially where the benefits are not immediate and clearly visible. Climate change futures can be scary but, while important, it remains hard to get most people to feel it is urgent. We already have all the solutions needed at hand across technology, finance and policy. The only challenge left is in the realms of psychology and communications. Positive storytelling of a better world is a critical part of bringing all of our communities along on this journey. This collection of stories provides so many wonderful tales of what our future can be. It will be an important contribution towards this better world.’ John O’Brien,Energy, Climate & Sustainability, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu.
‘Bursting with powerful stories and brilliant ideas.’ Rachel Trezise, Prize-winning Author and reader for The Literary Consultancy.
‘Truth is stranger than fiction” is a famous quote by Mark Twain that surely applies to climate change. It’s a challenge to portray global warming because the effects will be so profound and could go far beyond anything in human history. That’s why good fiction is so important to help us visualize, imagine, and consider what is at risk. This wonderful collection can help us grasp the world that lies ahead and the choices we have, both personally, and as a society.’ John Englander, oceanographer and author of Moving to Higher Ground: Rising Sea Level and the Path Forward.
‘Inspirational and entertaining.’ Dr Matt Winning comedian and author of Hot Mess.‘Utopian or dystopian, stories are how humans contemplate the alternative futures that lie ahead of us at this crucial juncture in our timeline. Stories conjure up emotional responses that enable us to sense into these futures – which ones fill us with excitement or joy? Which ones fill us with horror or disgust? By creating these fictional worlds, visionary authors show how our current actions – or inactions – will determine which of these fictional futures will become the reality of our descendants, and help us to become better ancestors.’ Dr Rosalind Savage MBE Author | Speaker | Ocean Rower.