Environmental activism SFF recommendations wanted

[HareBrain]

I've been trying over the last couple of days to find SFF novels about trying to save the environment, set in our world or one very similar -- in other words, not following a future environmental catastrophe (which are fairly plentiful), but beforehand. I haven't had much luck, so has anyone got any recommendations? It can be adult or YA, fantasy or SF (but not non-SFF).

 

[Vince W]

The first that comes to mind is Heavy Weather by Bruce Sterling, but this may not be exactly what you're looking for. The other one I can think of is Zodiac by Neal Stephenson. This might be closer to what you want.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

America City by Chris Beckett (I wasn’t a fan of it but it does fit your brief)

 

[hitmouse]

If you can track them down (the internet is often you friend for electronic copies) look up the 1970s SF magazine Vertex, which was biased towards enironmentalism.
Not SF, but would recommend The Monkey Wrench Gang by Edward Abbey.

 

[HareBrain]

America City by Chris Beckett (I wasn’t a fan of it but it does fit your brief)

Thanks, but it doesn't quite look like what I'm looking for -- it's set in the future and I can't find mention that it features any activism. Is that wrong? (Maybe I should have been clearer on the activism requirement, rather than just in the thread title.)

Not SF, but would recommend The Monkey Wrench Gang by Edward Abbey.

Thanks -- if this were SFF it would be perfect. I might read it anyway. Interesting to read that it's where the phrase monkey-wrenching came from.

 

[Onyx]

To clarify, you want an SFF novel that is as much about the grass roots efforts to lobby government to take action as about the actual action taken? That sounds like a rough one.

The only thing I can think of with a grass roots anything along those lines are the "Space Movement" parts of the Fall Revolution books by Ken MacLeod. Anything I can think of referencing direct action to fix or stabilize the environment as been passing mention of soletas and that kind of thing. Frederik Pohl's Cool War makes reference to a number of alternative energy schemes in the wake of 1970s style gas crunch.

There's always the Fremen water fixing effort in Dune, which is mirrored by some efforts in the Middle East that have changed local weather through the planting and irrigation of plants in the desert.

 

[HareBrain]

To clarify, you want an SFF novel that is as much about the grass roots efforts to lobby government to take action as about the actual action taken?

Either -- and maybe I should expand it to cover small-scale activism rather than trying to fix the whole environment.

For example, The Nargun and the Stars by Patricia Wrightson (1973) has some ancient earth-spirits in Australia being menaced by road-building, though if I remember right it didn't contain any monkey-wrenching or anything like that. (I can't find my copy to check.) I would have expected a lot more modern stuff that combined nature fantasy, in particular, with a political/activist stance, but if it exists it's proving very elusive.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Thanks, but it doesn't quite look like what I'm looking for -- it's set in the future and I can't find mention that it features any activism. Is that wrong? (Maybe I should have been clearer on the activism requirement, rather than just in the thread title.)

The key character in it - a politician - is fighting to challenge global warning by proposing a mass movement of people. So activism of a sort.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Another thought - I know you know of them but I should mention Naomi Foyle's Astra books for others interested in such things. (Also, kudos to me, my story in the Dust anthology, the Last City, was about quiet environmental activism :)

 

[TheDustyZebra]

Not SF, but would recommend The Monkey Wrench Gang by Edward Abbey.

I wouldn't -- but that's probably just me, as it was obviously a popular book. I set out to read the library in alphabetical order some years ago, and Edward Abbey (and that book in particular) is where I fell off the wagon and started skipping things.

 

[Montero]

Sherri Tepper - she almost always writes on themes of environmentalism and women's rights. Does often have aliens in the equation on saving the planet. Variety of scenarios but the aliens do tend to be a lot more powerful than the humans. Not activist groups as such. You might try Fresco - that has quite a personal level on the plot. Not exactly what you are looking for.

 

[hitmouse]

Try Tuf Voyaging by George RR Martin. Environmental SF satire written in a Vancean style.

 

[hitmouse]

Nausicaa Valley of the Wind. Brilliant Studio Ghibli anime. I think it is also a manga.

 

[BAYLOR]

The End Of The Dream by Phillip Wylie

 

[hitmouse]

Tigerman by Dan Harkness.

 

[hitmouse]

Tigerman by Dan Harkness.

That should read Tigerman by Nick Harkaway.

 

[Lew Rockwell Fan]

The Gods Themselves by Asimov. It may not be what you have in mind, but it is literally exactly what you're asking for. Two groups of people trying to save 2 universes from an ill advised big energy project that may destroy, literally destroy, both universes. Environmental catastrophe can't get much more serious than that. As I have mentioned elsewhere on this forum, I think there is pretty good reason to think the Good Doctor was prouder of this than any of the rest of his novels. I'm tempted to be subvesive and mention Fallen Angels but that doesn't fit as well.

 

[HareBrain]

The Gods Themselves by Asimov. It may not be what you have in mind, but it is literally exactly what you're asking for.

Thanks for the suggestion, but part of my request was this:

set in our world or one very similar

In case I wasn't clear enough (and for anyone else kind enough to post), I meant a biosphere something like ours, facing similar pressures from a similar society.

 

[Vertigo]

Michael Crichton State of Fear. However this is really borderline SF/technological thriller. It is about climate change and climate change deniers I seem to remember (read it a long time ago).

I can think of a lot of SF books where environmental issues are present but primarily in the background, which I'm guessing is not what you are after.

 

[Lew Rockwell Fan]

. . . set in our world . . .

It's set partly on Earth, though, granted, more on the moon, and some in the other universe. I'm geekish enough to think of the earth-moon system as "our world". Sorry.