41 - A "cli fi" book

[Nadine in NY]

yay! CLI FI! This is a new sub-genre that is gaining ground these days, and the only thing I don't like about it is that autocorrect does not like it. "Cli fi" is speculative fiction about climate change. The most common I've seen are post-apocalyptic type books set in watery worlds where the ice caps have melted and the oceans have risen. If you've seen the movie "The Postman," that's it.

A few books I've read that are cli-fi:
Legend by Marie Lu (the "cli-fi" aspect is muted in this one, this is a good choice if you like YA sci-fi with a romance element)
The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi - the world has warmed up and a virus has killed off a lot of common crops, leading to warm wet world and a food shortage. CW: This book has some scenes of violence and rape.
Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi - this is YA, the oceans have risen, people are poor, and these kids work basically as slaves to break down ships for spare parts. Naturally, stuff happens, and an adventure ensues. (This book has two sequels: The Drowned Cities & Tool of War)
The Postman by David Brin - okay, I haven't actually read this, but no cli-fi list is complete without it!
The Gracekeepers - the waters have risen, and a circus travels by boat from island to island; the "gracekeepers" perform a funeral ceremony out in the ocean. This is slow (very slow!) and dreamy and not very "sci-fi" feeling at all.
The Road by Cormac McCarthy - I haven't read this, but it looks like it works?
Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver - cli-fi doesn't have to be sci-fi! I haven't read this, but it looks like it fits perfectly.

Some Listopia lists! (a lot of these lists include the same books)
Cli-Fi: Climate Change Fiction
Best Fiction Books about the Environment and Sustainability
Ecopunk Fiction - there's a lot of overlap between "cli-fi" and its cousin sub-genre "ecopunk" (think "steampunk" or "cyberpunk" but with climate change instead of steam engines or robots)

Cli-Fi: Books About Climate & the Near Future
Climate Dystopias

[AnneElisabeth]

I wonder if this will work?
The History of Bees

[Sara]

Oh yay! I'm glad you suggested Marie Lu's book! I wasn't sure what I was going to read, but I loved her writing in Warcross. Sign me up!

[Anabell]

Nadine wrote: "yay! CLI FI! This is a new sub-genre that is gaining ground these days, and the only thing I don't like about it is that autocorrect does not like it. "Cli fi" is speculative fiction about climate ..."

I was really dreading this one but thank you for suggestion Legend. Like Sara I read Warcross and liked her writing so this will be my pick.

[El]

I might read Oryx and Crake byMargaret Atwood for this prompt.

[Abbie]

Jeff Vandermeer's Southern Reach Trilogy (starts with Annihilation) and Borne are interesting ones for this. For readers not so into the scifi end of things, The Age of Miracles has more of a coming of age vibe.

I have Fever Dream on my TBR and was thinking that might work, but this could end up being one I spend a lot of time researching...

[Theresa]

AnneElisabeth wrote: "I wonder if this will work?
The History of Bees"

I absolutely think so! You just got your post up faster than I did. I read it this year and it is terrific. I have great hopes that her second about diminishing fresh water supplies will be translated and published in English in 2019. It has been out in Scandinavia since 2017.

Lunde is actually writing a quartet of cli-fi books.

[Theresa]

Well if GRRM manages to get The Winds of Winter finished and published before end of 2019, it probably would fit!

I am not holding my breath or taking bets on it though.

[Denise]

Parable of the Sower is on one of those lists, I'll read that :)

[Hope]

Though Red Sister is set on a different planet, due to an encroaching ice age everyone is forced to live in a narrow corridor that isn't covered in ice yet.

Prince of Thorns, while it looks like standard fantasy at first glance, is actually a dystopian future resulting from climate change and nuclear war.

[nomadreader (Carrie D-L)]

I will probably either read Gold Fame Citrus or The Ice.

[Stina]

Memory of Water definitely counts for this. I had problems with the story, but the writing is beautiful and lots of people love it.

Trail of Lightning also counts. I loved it, but some of my friends aren't crazy about it.

I will probably give The Water Knife another shot.

[SarahKat]

I read Solar by Ian McEwan for a problem facing society this year. I think it would work. It's about global warming.

Although, I highly recommend American War for this prompt.

[Nullifidian]

SarahKat wrote: "Although, I highly recommend American War for this prompt."

Thank you! I'm not much for sci-fi or fantasy (so the superpower category is also posing some problems), but I actually have this book.

[Brooke]

I second the recommendation for American War. I just finished reading it and loved it!

[Tracy]

Brooke wrote: "I second the recommendation for American War. I just finished reading it and loved it!"

I'm going to third American War. One of my favorites this year.

[KayLee]

I’m thinking I’ll read We All Looked Up. It’s about an asteroid that’s going to hit earth in 2 months. I remember reading it a while back and I think it fits pretty well in this category :)

[Nadine in NY]

Stina yes! I'm reading Trail of Lightning right now, it definitely works for "cli-fi "

I'm one of those who did not like Memory of Water. But it's definitely "Cli-fi "

[Tonya]

Does anyone know if Blood Red Road would work?

[Brandyn]

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi (and the two sequels) would fit this prompt I think. I love this trilogy - it's probably time for a reread.

[Nadine in NY]

Yes I think Blood Red Road works here (I really liked that series).

[Marianne]

The Age of Miracles would be a great book for this category.

[Raquel (Silver Valkyrie Reads)]

Nadine wrote: "yay! CLI FI! This is a new sub-genre that is gaining ground these days, and the only thing I don't like about it is that autocorrect does not like it. "Cli fi" is speculative fiction about climate ..."

Yay! I was not really looking forward to this, but I do have Legend on my TBR, so I'll just go with that. Thank you!

[Molly]

I just finished listening to Dry by Neal & Jarrod Shusterman and it would definitely count (vaguely dystopian, about a severe drought in Southern California) and I thought it was great!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

[Ronja]

I suppose that the debut novel by Risto Isomäki (The Sands of Sarasvati) works here.

[Johanne]

I am planning on reading the rest of the Southern Reach trilogy (I read Annihilation this year). But this is one of the categories that will fill itself for me. I think we are a handful of Danish people now, so I'll recommend 'Kloden under vand' by Ida-Marie Rendtorff (Earth/ the globe under water) even though it's not translated, great children's/YA series.

[Kelsey]

Hope wrote: "Though Red Sister is set on a different planet, due to an encroaching ice age everyone is forced to live in a narrow corridor that isn't covered in ice yet.

[book:Prince of Thorns..."

Thank you! I think Ill be doing Prince of Thorns. So glad theres something that was already on my TBR list.

[Juli]

Nadine wrote: "yay! CLI FI! This is a new sub-genre that is gaining ground these days, and the only thing I don't like about it is that autocorrect does not like it. "Cli fi" is speculative fiction about climate ..."


Unless, I don't remember correctly, but The Road never tells you why the world is the way it is now.

[Johanne]

Hope wrote: "Though Red Sister is set on a different planet, due to an encroaching ice age everyone is forced to live in a narrow corridor that isn't covered in ice yet.

[book:Prince of Thorns..."

Thank you again, Hope. Even more reasons to read Mark Lawrence. My sister raves about the Prince of Thorns series, so they are top priority on my TBR.

[Wendy]

I think Blackfish City will work for this one. Id been meaning to get to it this year but maybe I'll just save it :)

[Jenny]

I would recommend Pacifica for this one!

I think I will be reading The Ship Breaker series for this prompt. I've read the first book, but its been awhile, so I was planning on reading the whole trilogy next year anyways.

[Jessica]

I read Watermelon Snow for the fruit prompt this year. It was a decent read.

[Chrissi]

I'm going with Dry but also second (third? fourth?) American War.

[Aimee Dars]

Jeff VanderMeer has written a lot of books in this genre. New York 2140 also fits. It's interesting but very long, and there is some (IMO) unnecessary exposition.

[Sandra]

I 100% recommend Legend, it's an amazing trilogy!

Would Dry work for this prompt?

[Ellie]

YAY indeed! I'll look forward to adding a loads more titles to my wishlist for this one.

[LJ]

El wrote: "I might read Oryx and Crake byMargaret Atwood for this prompt."

I hope you enjoy Oryx and Crake - I loved it! I'm finishing off that trilogy by reading MaddAddam for this prompt.

[Sara]

If I'm understanding this sub-genre correctly, Brightly Burning by Alexa Donne would work.

It's a retelling of Jane Eyre set on a fleet of spaceships because the Earth is experiencing another ice age. It would also work for a book set in space AND a retelling of a classic!

Oh, and I really, really loved this book!!

[Aimee Dars]

El wrote: "I might read Oryx and Crake byMargaret Atwood for this prompt."

If I hadn't already read the MaddAddam trilogy, I would definitely read them for this prompt. I loved all three.

[El]

LJ wrote: "I hope you enjoy Oryx and Crake - I loved it! I'm finishing off that trilogy by reading MaddAddam for this prompt."

Aimee Dars wrote: "If I hadn't already read the MaddAddam trilogy, I would definitely read them for this prompt. I loved all three."

Thanks! Looking forward to reading it!

[Milena]

Sara wrote: "If I'm understanding this sub-genre correctly, Brightly Burning by Alexa Donne would work.

It's a retelling of Jane Eyre set on a fleet of spaceships because the Earth is experienc..."

Well, I was going to read Authority, but that sounds so good. Maybe I can read it for set in space instead.

[Stephanie]

Dark Life by Kat Falls is a YA dystopia that works perfectly for this prompt

[Amanda]

The End We Start From was an awesome one

[Tracy]

Jillian wrote: "Would Station Eleven work for this prompt?"

Unfortunately its not Cli Fi its a pandemic, but I thought it was a great book.

[Kenya]

Eh, even if "The Road" is cagey on how its apocalypse happened, I still want to read it. So on the list it goes...

[Jen]

Obernewtyn Chronicles may fit.... however the climate change was caused by nuclear holocaust so.....
But they are brilliant.

[Ellie]

If you like poetic writing The End We Start From is a beautiful novella about a new mother trying to survive in a flooded Britain.

Cli-fi does not need to be science fiction or apocalyptic, it can be about how the current climate affects lives, think books about characters surviving drought, floods, hurricanes, severe snow, wild fires etc.

[Hope]

@Jen id say climate change is climate change whatever caused it!

[Anne]

If you are looking for a children's book I recommend Sky Jumpers. And for YA I recommend Stung. I think they both work.

[Ian]

Would The Fifth Season count here?