Solarpunk Conflicts Anthology

Solarpunk is optimistic. Solarpunk is hopeful. Solarpunk is about change and unity. Solarpunks seem to agree on these points. But what are the points of conflict within solarpunk? When do solarpunks disagree, and why? Is solarpunk a monolith, is it fractured and disparate, or is it somewhere in between? What spaces of tension exist within both genre and community that can flare to sudden flame at the right (or wrong) provocation? And, what do these conflicts look like in a solarpunk world?

This anthology is about these conflicts. Stories should explore a solarpunk conflict, either one manufactured entirely for the story, or one based in a real-world point of contention you feel currently divides solarpunks, or that has done so in the past. Conflicts can be as small or as grand as you would like, though the story as a whole should be legibly solarpunk and should not champion a non-solarpunk ethos.

I also invite stories that speak to perceived gaps in the solarpunk canon - for example, there has been commentary before on how solarpunk is close to afrofuturism in aspect and some goals, but has very little overlap. While there are some stories that do address that missing overlap, there is, of course, room for more.

Some example points of conflict are listed below, though please do not feel restricted to these possibilities!

• Is techno-solutionism the way forwards, or do we need to eschew modern technology in favour of other approaches?
• Is it solarpunk to punch Nazis, or is non-violence the only acceptable path? (related: Can it be solarpunk to not punch Nazis, or is failing to resist by violent means anti-solarpunk?)
• Could it ever be solarpunk to colonize other planets, or is any project that could lead to settler ideologies doomed to shatter any solarpunk endeavour?
• Do transhumanist ideas have a place in solarpunk, or is transhumanism’s often “cure-focused” rhetoric inherently ableist, eugenicist, and anti-solarpunk?

As the editor of this collection, I am looking for stories that fit a solarpunk ethos, even as they re-examine, push, or challenge some of its assumptions. A solarpunk ethos, in my mind, rejects all forms of oppression (systemic, political, and individual), including but not limited to bigotry, racism, sexism, ableism, and fascism. That is not to say that characters or worlds cannot have flaws - however, the narration should not serve to condone forms of oppression. Stories that encourage, promote, or perpetuate these forms of oppression may be included with major revisions, or may be rejected on those grounds without further commentary.

Country of Publication

Canada