41 - A "cli fi" book

[Roxanne]

Would Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? work for this prompt? I'm not sure if it would?

[Ellie]

Rox1138 wrote: "Would Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? work for this prompt? I'm not sure if it would?"

It's really not cli-fi, the future (1992!) is messed up because of a huge war, though it would work for question in the title.

[Roxanne]

Ellie wrote: "Rox1138 wrote: "Would Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? work for this prompt? I'm not sure if it would?"

It's really not cli-fi, the future (1992!) is messed up because of a hug..."

Thanks, Ellie!! Good to know!

[Laura]

Does Trail of Lightning bycRebecca Roanhorse count as Cli-fi?

[Colleen]

Tracy wrote: "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."

That book was amazing !

[Dawn]

If you enjoyed "The Handmaid's Tale," read Oryx and Crake

[Aimee Dars]

The Chicago Review of Books has a column, “Burning Worlds,” that is mostly about cli fi with some non-fiction climate change books, too. It has some good ideas.

https://chireviewofbooks.com/category...

[Nadine in NY]

Aimee Dars wrote: "The Chicago Review of Books has a column, “Burning Worlds,” that is mostly about cli fi with some non-fiction climate change books, too. It has some good ideas.

https://chireviewofbooks.com/catego..."


Wow thanks for that, that's a great resource!!! I really like cli-fi and I thought I had read a lot of it, but I'm not even familiar with half of the books I see mentioned in the first few dozen articles I looked at here.

[Ellie]

Aimee Dars wrote: "The Chicago Review of Books has a column, “Burning Worlds,” that is mostly about cli fi with some non-fiction climate change books, too. It has some good ideas.

https://chireviewofbooks.com/catego..."

Oooh, what a great resource! I've already ticked off this category with The Migration but I'll still be having a mooch through to see if there's any cli-fi I've missed hearing about.

[Brittany]

Amanda wrote: "The End We Start From was an awesome one"

I second this! As someone who was kind of dreading this prompt I stumbled upon this novella and finished it in about an hour. Goodreads says its 160 pages (I read it on my phone so it was more like 300+). Written in a really interesting format. It has some very beautiful poetic sentences. I was really not expecting to like this story but it's so far one of the best books I've read for the challenge.

[Allie]

Laura wrote: "Does Trail of Lightning bycRebecca Roanhorse count as Cli-fi?"

YES!! I just read it for this prompt, I loved it and it definitely qualifies as cli-fi

[Tori]

I read Kim Stanley Robinson's New York 2140 . As expected, it is thick with description. Usually, I find KSR's description enjoyable, but since quite a bit of it was about economics, I found it on the tedious side. Nonetheless, Robinson paints a believable future based on the current state of things.

[Alicia]

I read Tentacle by Rita Indiana for a book club last month and I found out that it fits the cli-fi prompt so that's my choice! It's a very interesting read, there's a lot going on. It's own voices too, set in the Dominican Republic and the main character is trans! It features time travel and mixes advanced tech with ancient religion and voodoo practises. Very interesting if anyone is looking for something a bit out of the box.

[Heather]

I'm currently reading American War for this prompt - it's good and disturbing. The premise is that climate change will lead to much of the coastal areas being underwater (hence uninhabitable), so there is a huge inland migration. This leads to competition for scarce resources and eventually a second civil war.

[Whitney]

Abbie wrote: "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, [book:T..."

Yess, I read all 3 of the Southern Reach trilogy and thought they were perfect for this prompt! (also I loved all of those books!)

[Christine]

I just started Bannerless after Annalee Newitz and Charlie Jane Anders recommended it on their podcast, Our Opinions Are Correct.

It's a murder mystery set in a post-climate-apocalypse world. Seems interesting so far, and I'm really drawn in. It seems more solarpunk than dark dystopia, which is nice. The conflict that drives the story isn't the disaster or survival, but the story also unfolds the tale of how people came to thrive after the disaster.

I also realized that The Bone Clocks would possibly count for this, as the final section is very cli-fi driven. (Though admittedly a vast bulk of the story is set much earlier.)

[SadieReadsAgain]

I read The Sunlight Pilgrims, by Jenni Fagan, an apocalyptic/dystopian novel which is far more driven by the characters than by the impending new Ice Age which looms large around them. Grief-shrouded Dylan finds himself in a caravan park in the Highlands of Scotland, the ashes of his mother and grandmother some of the only belongings he has brought with him from the repossessed family home, a vintage cinema in London. As the world freezes around them, he forms a bond with his survivalist neighbour Constance and her daughter Stella, who is in her first year of living as a female. The dropping temperatures and increasing difficulties of living in the worst winter Scotland has ever seen force them together, and the connections between them are closer than it first appears. Stella was a character I hadn't anticipated going in to this book, and she really is the heart of the story. I felt the adult characters were more of a backdrop to her, although I did also really like the backstory and grief around the loss of Dylan's family too. Fagan's writing is sparse, yet there is real beauty in it, and the penetrating cold comes through in the reading. I wanted a bit more in that respect, to really feel the desperation of living in such a harsh climate. But maybe that would have been to the detriment of the relationship stories that make this book so intriguing, so I guess if it was a choice between the two then Fagan struck the right note.

[Ruth]

I just read Feed because my son had to read it for school and he needed my help with his English paper.

Does this qualify as cli-fi?

It feels like cli-fi is a subgenre of dystopian novels, and I happen to REALLY dislike dystopian novels. I don't want to sludge through another one if this fulfills the prompt.

[Ellie]

Ruth wrote: "I just read Feed because my son had to read it for school and he needed my help with his English paper. Does this qualify as cli-fi? It feels like cli-fi is a subgenre of dystopian..."

Cli-fi doesn't have to be dystopia, you can read something set in the recognisable world but where climate is a vital part of the story. I haven't read Feed but from the description it doesn't sound like it has anything to do with the climate? Was it an important factor in the changing of human behaviour to get to the point where the story is set?

I would recommend The End We Start From as a short, lyrical, literary cli-fi book if you're trying to avoid dystopian fiction. Also I believe something like Salvage the Bones or Flight Behavior would work (opinions vary on this).

[Kelly]

One of the local weeklies in my area just published a short list of "some of the best, weirdest, and scariest books about climate change" (though there is some non-fiction on the list): https://www.thestranger.com/books/201...

[Drakeryn]

Ruth wrote: "It feels like cli-fi is a subgenre of dystopian novels, and I happen to REALLY dislike dystopian novels. I don't want to sludge through another one if this fulfills the prompt."

I don't know about Feed (I haven't read it and the blurb doesn't mention anything about climate). But if you want a non-dystopian cli-fi novel, you could try Witchmark.

Also, come to think of it, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is technically cli-fi. (...though it's also dystopian. I mean, the White Witch's kingdom is definitely a dystopia.)

[Ruth]

The setting in Feed is that people have these internet chips surgically implanted in their brains and are bombarded with ads and entertainment that they can't just "turn off."

The world is also pretty much falling apart- there's a scene where they go to the ocean and basically have to wear hazmat suits because the pollution is so bad, and everybody has these open sores that nobody knows how to treat.

[Ellie]

Ruth wrote: "The setting in Feed is that people have these internet chips surgically implanted in their brains and are bombarded with ads and entertainment that they can't just "turn off." The world is also pr..."

It's your challenge so if you feel like it counts, go for it. Personally, I wouldn't use it, but I'm in the minority in this group as I love climate fiction.

[Johanne]

I also love cli fi, Ellie :)

[Ellie]

Book Riot's 50 eco-disasters list has a lot of cli-fi on it:
https://bookriot.com/2019/04/22/novel...

[Nadine in NY]

Thanks for that list! I just added a few to my TBR

[Shelley]

I just finished Vivian Apple Needs a Miracle, sequel to Vivian Apple at the End of the World, and I think I'm going to use one of them to fulfill the Cli Fi challenge. They're about a church that's predicted a rapture and apocalypse, and Vivian isn't a believer but comes home from a Rapture's Eve party to find her parents gone and holes in their ceiling. Part of the reason that the church has gained such popularity is because of all the weird weather that's been going on, like snowstorms in May. I don't know if they're traditionally considered Cli Fi books, but they do deal with climate change.

[Ellie]

Shelley wrote: "I just finished Vivian Apple Needs a Miracle, sequel to Vivian Apple at the End of the World, and I think I'm going to use one of them to fulfill the Cli Fi challeng..."

I loved those books, I got excited for a moment that there were new ones but they've just changed the titles. I wonder if some rapture types took offense at the use of apocalypse?

[Shelley]

Oh I didn’t know that the sequel had a different title too! I read that the difference was in the UK vs the US and wondered why they decided to change it. Maybe people did get offended?

Edited to add I totally didn't realize that the sequel is called Vivian Vs America in the UK! lol I was like "I just typed 'vs the US'..." !

[Nadine in NY]

I am always so curious about why publishers choose certain titles, and why they change certain titles!!

I can't see why "Vivian vs the Apocalypse" would be offensive, but "Vivian vs America" does seem like it might be touchy! (It made ME want to read the book though!! And honestly the US titles seem so sappy sweet, I had no interest before.)

[Sherri]

I used Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer for this prompt. I just finished The Fifth Season (The Broken Earth #1) by N.K.Jemisin & it fits this prompt. I used it for a book about someone with a superpower.

[Barbara]

I haven’t seen this one mentioned - State of Fear, by Michael Crichton. Written in 2004, over 600 pages, but lots of action, typical Chrichton!

[Vanessa]

I read Solstice about 10 years ago and it was good and is a perfect "cli-fi" book.

[Jenny]

Undercurrent by Michael Crowl

Young Adult novel set in a not-too-distant future where sea levels have risen and coastal cities are under interconnected domes. After an explosion forces residents to evacuate to the surface, the main character suspects sabotage and political corruption. Very intriguing!

I read this one with the Regular challenge of a debut novel in mind, but I might use it here instead.

[Cassandra]

I'm here to recommend the play SilaSila. It's part of a series looking at how climate change is/will affect countries in the arctic circle. This one is in CanadaChantal Bilodeau

[Audrey Kellar]

Kacey wrote: "If anyone is looking for something short and has kindleunlimited here are 7 books that fit this

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07..."

This is absolutely perfect! Thank you for sharing this :)

[Lilith]

Cassandra wrote: "I'm here to recommend the play SilaSila. It's part of a series looking at how climate change is/will affect countries in the arctic circle. This one is in Canada[author:Chantal Bilo..."

This sounds great! I am always up for anything Arctic or Antarctic, challenge or no challenge. I can't wait to check this out - thank you!

[Britney]

Would Game of Thrones count as CliFi?

[Shannon]

SarahKat wrote: "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 [book:American War|33..."
Thanks for the recommendation of American War. I hadn't heard of this previously, and it was an amazing read (as well as checking off this prompt)!

[Ellie]

Britney wrote: "Would Game of Thrones count as CliFi?"

Depends how much you want to stretch the prompt, there was an ice age prior to the books which is suggested had something to do with the appearance of white walkers. I didn't feel like the climate had much influence over the plot of the first book. I got the feeling long winters are a normal thing and "winter is coming" is more of a metaphor. Experts on the books might have different ideas though!

[Samantha]

I just got a copy of When the Water Runs Out for free on BookBub. Would this work for this prompt?

[Megan]

Britney wrote: "Would Game of Thrones count as CliFi?"

No. Long winters are a normal thing in their country(?) area of the world (?).

[Nicole (bookwyrm)]

Megan wrote: "All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders is what I used.

I didn't know it was going to be cli fi, but they're trying to prevent disastrous climate change!

I just popped into this thread to see if my understanding of All the Birds in the Sky as a cli-fic book was accurate, so I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who got that. :) Thanks!

[Nadine in NY]

I read The Water Knife for this category and I have regrets. if you're considering this book, don't. It was awful.

Shusterman's Dry sounds good.

[Ellie]

Nadine wrote: "I read The Water Knife for this category and I have regrets. if you're considering this book, don't. It was awful."

I don't know what was up with my star rating system 4 years ago because I just re-read my review and I clearly had issues with the book but I gave it 4 stars?! I even remember the main character being terrible. Past me must have been much more forgiving than current me!

[Angela]

I am considering Wanderers by Chuck Wendig. It comes out on the 9th, has a good review from NPR, and an overall greater-than-4 stars rating here on Goodreads so far, from people who read ARCs.

[Stina]

What about Seafire? I've just started it, but it seems to be kinda solar-punky, possibly in the future after the sea levels rise?

[Lynette]

I'm about a third of the way through
Flight Behavior, by Barbara Kingsolver. It's a perfect selection for CliFi, and as always with her work, it's a great novel that gives you so much more than dystopian angst.

[Rachel]

I cheated this prompt a bit and read The Lorax. This isn't a genre that necessarily interests me much but I was intrigued to see this book on every cli-fi list I looked at, and wondered how well a children's book could fit. It was one of the few Dr. Seuss books that I couldn't remember ever reading before, but I really liked it.

[Brandy]

How have I never read Oryx and Crake? So that's wht I'm doing for this prompt, but I've owned it forever and I stumbled upon Orleans which hits literally close to home so I might go for that one fill another prompt with Oryx and Crake.

Jane Harper's The Dry, I think, would count as a non dystopian cli-fi.