Bright Futures: Solarpunk Books to Imagine a Better World

In 2050, as climate-driven plagues ravage the world, a new vow binds families—for better or worse, in sickness and health. Engineer Lucía Ramirez, who’s lost her own family, finds a glimmer of hope on the Power Islands, where humanity clings to survival with kelp farms and solar lilies. Matched with a group of resilient, quirky strangers, Lucía is finally close to the sense of belonging she’s yearned for. But when a power failure and a missing turtle-bot expose strange inconsistencies on Power Island One, Lucía’s instincts pull her into a web of secrets. Every clue she uncovers leads her closer to a dangerous truth—and farther from the home she desperately needs. Can Lucía protect her new family without losing the chance at one of her own?

In the 25th century, Mycroft Canner roams the world in atonement for his crimes, serving others as a penitent in a society transformed by abundance and rigid social order. Carlyle Foster, a “sensayer” and spiritual counselor, works in a world where religion is banned but humanity’s inner lives endure. Their world is a strange utopia—a meticulously managed system where gender norms are taboo, public speech is controlled, and vast clans compete in regulated harmony. Yet, Mycroft and Carlyle uncover a secret that could shatter this order: Bridger, a boy with a miraculous ability to make his wishes reality, bringing objects to life. With a power capable of bending reality itself, will Bridger become the key to utopia’s survival—or its unraveling?

First came the Setback. Then the Clawback. Now, humanity thrives again. Rubi Whiting belongs to the Bounceback Generation, the first to live free of the 21st century’s darkest troubles. As a public defender, she’s dedicated to helping those who struggle to fit into society’s carefully restored order. That’s how she meets Luciano Pox. Luce is infamous—a firebrand critic determined to challenge the global recovery efforts. But when Rubi is asked to investigate his motives, she realizes there’s more to him than mere rebellion. As governments worldwide move to silence Luce, Rubi faces a choice: protect the order she believes in, or uncover truths that could unravel it. Why does Luce threaten everything humanity has rebuilt—and what secrets could justify his defiance?

Sura Neelin is a fugitive in a world where every camera and device tracks her every move. Haunted by her father’s murder and pursued by relentless creditors, she can’t find a safe place to live or work in the hyper-surveilled streets of 2050 America. Her only hope? The underground world of augmented reality games, where players vanish from society’s watchful eye and thrive in an alternate economy of Notchcoin and blockchain. If Sura can prove herself, she may find allies among the very people who designed the surveillance networks—and an escape route hidden in the code. But as she navigates high-stakes games and shadowy alliances, Sura discovers her skills could make her invaluable—or mark her as a target in both worlds. Will she outplay the system, or lose everything?

In 2140, New York City’s streets are canals, and its skyscrapers are islands rising from the flooded landscape. Yet, for the residents of one Madison Square apartment building, life goes on in unexpected ways. A shrewd market trader sees opportunity in chaos, while a determined detective pursues justice in a city of secrets. The building’s beloved internet star thrills millions with her airship adventures, and the quiet, capable manager keeps it all running. Two young boys who don’t belong anywhere else find an unlikely home here—and may play a role more vital than anyone realizes. But when a group of rooftop coders vanishes, their disappearance sets off a chain of events that threatens not only the building but the very foundations of a submerged New York. Will this fragile community survive?

In a world governed by micro-democracy, where corporate coalitions hold global power, the stakes of the upcoming election couldn’t be higher. Heritage, the ruling party, faces fierce opposition from Policy1st, a party of idealists hoping to disrupt the status quo. Ken Seong, a Policy1st hopeful, sees this election as his chance to make real change. For radical Domaine, it’s a battleground in his fight against corporate control. And for Mishima, an elite operative with Information—the powerful search engine monopoly behind micro-democracy—it’s a test of her skill in keeping the system stable amid mounting tensions. As power struggles intensify and alliances shift, each player risks everything to shape the future. But will the promises of micro-democracy hold up under pressure, or is the system itself on the brink?

When northern California, Oregon, and Washington secede to form Ecotopia, they create an experimental “stable-state” ecosystem, a society built around harmony with nature. Now, twenty years later, skeptical New York Times-Post reporter Will Weston is the first American invited to witness this green utopia. Determined to report objectively, Will encounters Ecotopia’s unconventional practices: cities designed to prevent sprawl, strict pollution controls, tree-centered spirituality, and a government led by women that’s pioneered ideas like the twenty-hour workweek. The longer he stays, the more Will’s skepticism fades—especially when he begins a passionate relationship with a free-spirited Ecotopian woman. Now torn between two worlds, Will must choose: return to America or embrace a radically different way of life? Will he remain an outsider, or find himself at home in Ecotopia?

When the bloodthirsty yumens conquer the Athsheans’ peaceful world, the once serene inhabitants are thrust into brutal servitude. Selver, an Athshean leader, faces an impossible choice: either accept his people’s suffering or fight back against their violent oppressors. Driven to defend his people, he chooses rebellion, even though each act of violence tears at the foundations of their peaceful society. As Selver leads the Athsheans in a desperate uprising, he realizes that every strike against the invaders changes his people—risking the loss of their identity and humanity. But with survival on the line, can the Athsheans defend their world without destroying themselves? In this clash of cultures, will peace ever be possible again, or has the cycle of violence taken root for good?