The 8 Best Climate Fiction Books
Best Post Apocalyptic Books → The 8 Best Climate Fiction Books
Climate fiction is 50% adventurous romp through the end of the world, and 50% prescient warning about the perils of our present way of life. What would happen if the sea levels rose, and never stopped? What if grass stopped growing, and our major crops failed? How would society change?
Well - these books have a few ideas to offer. Whether you're interested in post-apocalyptic tales or stories that explore the effects of climate change on society, we've compiled a list of the best climate fiction (or cli-fi) novels out there.
So sit back, relax, and prepare to be transported to a world where the climate has gone haywire.
The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi
The Windup Girl is set in Thailand in the 23rd century, where the climate has been ruined by global warming, the country is plagued by food shortages, oil has run out and the only source of energy is wind power. The title character is a windup girl, a member of a new race of genetically engineered humans who have been designed to be used as slaves. The novel follows the struggles of the windup girl - named Emiko - and her owner as they try to survive in a world that is slowly falling apart.
Bacigalupi's depiction of a future world that has been ravaged by climate change is both chilling and thought-provoking, exploring themes of prejudice, bigotry, and survival with characters that are complex and sympathetic. The Windup Girl is a must-read for fans of cli-fi.
The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood
The Year of the Flood is a gripping tale of survival in a future world that has been decimated by a man-made disaster. The story follows the lives of two women who are among the few survivors of the "Waterless Flood," a catastrophic event that has wiped out most of humanity. The two women - one a member of a religious cult that believes that the world will soon be destroyed by a great flood, the other a former scientist desperate to save the world from the impending disaster - must struggle to survive in a hostile world that is filled with deadly animals and treacherous people.
Atwood's portrayal of this future world is both frightening and believable, and her characters are richly drawn and deeply sympathetic. The Year of the Flood is a brilliant and disturbing novel that will leave readers haunted long after they have finished reading it.
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
The Fifth Season is the first book in N.K. Jemisin's Broken Earth trilogy. It's a post-apocalyptic fantasy story about a world that is plagued by an ever-changing climate and beset by catastrophic climate events.
The main character, Essun, is a woman who has been forced to flee her home after her husband brutally murders their child. As she journeys across the broken landscape, she must find a way to survive in a world that is constantly on the brink of disaster. Along the way, she meets other survivors who help her to understand the true nature of the world she lives in - all while dealing with hostile forces that seek to control the power of the Earth's magical core.
The Fifth Season is an epic tale of hope and despair, love and loss, and the power of the human spirit. Jemisin's writing is beautiful and evocative, and her story will keep readers hooked from beginning to end.
The Green Priest by Ryan Law
The Green Priest is a classic “drowned world” story. Set hundreds of years after a catastrophic flood has swamped the world, the story follows a band of hunter-gather-style survivors that eke out a living in the crowded forests and meandering rivers that have become their world.
As the story unfolds, we begin to discover hints about the origin of the cataclysm that has flooded the world, in the form of ancient technologies hoarded by a mysterious religious cult called The Green Priests - the series’ titular rainmakers. The book contains themes of magic, technology and classic end-of-the-world survivalist - all set to backdrop of climate fiction, and a new world emerging from the ruins of the old.
Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
Octavia Butler's Parable of the Sower is a gripping tale of one woman's fight for survival in a post-apocalyptic world. Lauren Olamina is just eighteen years old when her family is brutally murdered and her home is burned to the ground. Forced to flee, Lauren begins a journey north in search of safety. Along the way, she meets other survivors, including a man who believes that the end of the world is just the beginning of humanity's journey to greatness. Together, they fight against all odds to reach safety. But even if they make it, will there be anything left to save?
Parable of the Sower is a shocking and paradigm-shifting work of climate fiction. With her trademark eloquence and insight, Butler imagines a future that is all too plausible, and challenges us to consider what kind of world we want to create. This is a book that will stay with you long after you turn the last page.
The Death of Grass by John Christopher
The Death of Grass is a novel by John Christopher that was published in 1956. The book is set in a post-apocalyptic world where a virus has killed off all the grasses, leading to widespread famine. Set in the UK, the story follows the journey of a group of survivors as they attempt to flee the chaos of London and cross England in search of food and safety.
The novel is notable for its depiction of the collapse of society and the dangers of nuclear war, as well as exploring one possible outcome of a significant climate shift.
New York 2140 by Kim Stanley Robinson
In Kim Stanley Robinson's novel New York 2140, the world has been transformed by rising sea levels. The city of New York has been submerged, and its residents now live in a series of high-rise buildings (at least, those that are lucky enough to live above the high tide line). Despite the new landscape, life goes on much as it did before. The characters still go to work, raise families, and fall in love. But their lives are also shaped by the new reality of living in a flooded city.
The novel explores what it would be like to adapt to this new world, and how the people of New York would find ways to cope with the changed environment. It's a thought-provoking look at a future that is not so far-fetched, and an enjoyable read for anyone who loves science fiction.
The Drowned World by J.G. Ballard
The Drowned World is a climate fiction book by J.G. Ballard set in the year 2145. The world has been ravaged by solar radiation and the seas have risen, submerging most of the land.
The story follows Dr. Robert Kerans, a biologist who is part of a team studying the effects of the radiation on the plant and animal life that has adapted to the new environment. As the team's work takes them deeper into the drowned world, they begin to lose touch with reality, succumbing to the primitive urges that are awakened by their surroundings. The Drowned World is a gripping tale of survival and primal instinct set in a future world that is all too believable.
If you’re looking for a good read, or want to get ahead of the curve on climate change and its effects, check out one of these seven great climate fiction books. They’ll give you a fascinating look at the future – and maybe make you think about how we can avoid some of the worst-case scenarios. So which one will you choose first?
