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What is Solarpunk? The simplest definition is an ecopositive story. You’ll find many works of Solarpunk mislabeled as dystopian.

Dystopia - an imagined place or state in which everything is unpleasant or bad, typically a totalitarian or environmentally degraded one.

Solarpunk usually depicts, or gives reference to, the fall of a society that is not working and the rise of something different. Something closer, or more collaborative, to nature and community.

This does not mean Utopia.
This does not mean it is easy.
This does not mean it works.

It means change.

That people are labeling change as dystopia is telling.

Here is a free short story example of change, of Solarpunk:
Cold Comfort by Pat Murphy & Paul Doherty.
Story:
Podcast:

I made a massive post on Tumblr once about a lot of the specificity of solarpunk and its lunarpunk counterpart. Posting here in case it's helpful. It's a bit manic of a post, sorry about that, but it has done a good job at kind of analyzing the 3 levels of solarpunk in its meaning to different groups of people thus far. Of course, that's not to say they are defining explanations nor are they guaranteed to be accurate as things change over time!

From Solarpunk: Ecological and Fantastical Stories in a Sustainable World:

The solar in solarpunk has come to represent not only the ecological aspect of this budding subgenre, but also the idea of brightness and hope.

I am 100% behind this statement by Sarena Ulibarri!

Just found this open letter to the science fiction community by Elizabeth Bear, printed in Clarkesworld Issue 68, that calls for a return to positive, fun, meaningful science fiction. I wanted to cheer!

Another Word:
Dear Speculative Fiction,
I'm Glad We Had This Talk
by Elizabeth Bear ★★★★�
Link:

(view spoiler)[By just found I mean it was reprinted as a preface to Far Orbit: Speculative Space Adventures which I’m currently reading :) (hide spoiler)]

Lena wrote: "Just found this open letter to the science fiction community by Elizabeth Bear, printed in Clarkesworld Issue 68, that calls for a return to positive, fun, meaningful science fiction. I wanted to c..."

I love her and her writing. Found out recently that she and Scott Lynch are married, too - if they ever write together it could be a beautiful, beautiful thing.

Hey everyone! I thought this might be of interest to people here - not sure where to post it so I'll put it here:
The rest of the episodes are a also great resource about energy thinking, just not about solarpunk :)

Thanks for sharing!

Rhys wrote: "Hey everyone! I thought this might be of interest to people here - not sure where to post it so I'll put it here:
The rest of the episo..."

Very cool, thanks Rhys! A nice, upbeat, theme for a Christmastime episode :)

Thank you for sharing!

A friend told me about solarpunk and I've been learning about it through this community. I'm excited that the genre helps to imagine what a regenerative future can look like. i used some of the references in a newsletter I sent out today.

Thanks for the resources and insights!

I love hearing that people are spreading the word!

Fantastic - I've subscribed as well. It's great to see such a positive message making an impact :)

Greta Thunberg is so brave, clear, and true.

FutureCon SF 14. Anthropocene and Capitalocene: threats and hopes to the future of mankind. (Panelists: Francesco Verso, Ann VanderMeer, Kim Stanley Robinson, Ian McDonald)

(Thank you Kalin for posting the link in the "Chat About Anything" thread.)

Defining the PUNK in Solarpunk:

It gets juicy around 00:55:40 onward (especially 01:03:00 to 01:13:00)! Wherein, KSR (b. 1952) disses punk musics (KSR was a prog rocker back in the day), misunderstands its cultures and ethos as an anti-collective nihilism that concludes in corporatism, as it so often does in first wave cyberpunk, which he doesn't like either.

We learn that "Solarpunk" is an unfortunate marketing term, "the name is stupid," and (01:03:00) an "artistic error," in the sense that (I paraphrase KSR) it artificially limits the creativity of the author who must write within the conventions of a genre/movement/school; whereas authors would be better served by writing in a sort of artistic vacuum free of cultural influence. He goes on to tell us that "Utopia" is the better term for Solarpunk writing. (00:59:15) KSR does throw Solarpunk genre writers a bone by claiming that our writing, at least, is often good.

The moderator (00:59:37), Francesco Verso (b. 1973), who markets Solarpunk books, must now say something in SP's defense without offending KSR (Ann VanderMeer will do this dance later). He describes a more modern conception of "punk" as a set of living, countercultural, anti-Capitalocene resistance practices that are not stuck in 1974, etc. So, 180° from KSR.

KSR (01:02:30) counters that the word "punk" is a fossil, his 1974 associations too strong to be reclaimed. Solarpunks must come up with a better word/term, etc.; no one takes him up on it.

Cut (01:03:30) to Ian McDonald (b. 1960), former punk rocker, who describes his experience of punk music and culture as a positive, countercultural, DIY movement that brought an entire generation together to imagine a better, different world. He subtly calls KSR out on his conservative definition of the term. He seems okay with Solarpunk (01:06:26). Digresses to a mysterious (or is it timely?) rant about space-operas. Meanwhile, back on topic...

(01:08:00) Ann VanderMeer (b. 1963), also a punk rocker in her youth, finds Solarpunk useful for marketing and academics, but decries the limits of having to write within a genre's conventions, so has it both ways. But, she goes on to defend the emergent Solarpunk genre as an organic expression of an authentic cultural movement and not merely a cynical pandering to a set of marketing requirements within a genre convention (01:12:00). Francesco Verso backs her up. Both view SP as a creative/artistic reaction to the excesses of the late-Anthropocene and late-Capitalocene.

The generational gulf in understandings surprised me. I really wish they'd spent more time discussing SP books, culture, ideas, and themes! That said, I'm all for the putting more punk in Solarpunk.

You're welcome! And thanks for moving this discussion to a more relevant thread.

An article from May, 2020. I can't agree with the author's statement that solarpunk "needs to be Earth-based," nor that solarpunk antecedents aren't, well, also proto-solarpunk. But, for those interested in the evolving public perceptions about the genre, it's worth a look.

Connor wrote: "I made a massive post on Tumblr once about a lot of the specificity of solarpunk and its lunarpunk counterpart. Posting here in case it's helpful. It's a bit manic of a post, sorry about that, but ..."

Hiya,
I'm interested in reading this article but it seems that the site has been shut down. Is it posted anywhere else? Thanks!!

Celicia wrote: "Connor wrote: "I made a massive post on Tumblr once about a lot of the specificity of solarpunk and its lunarpunk counterpart. Posting here in case it's helpful. It's a bit manic of a post, sorry a..."

I couldn't find it posted elsewhere, but good old wayback machine has a copy:

It does take a little while to load, but it gets there :)

sweet! Thank you!

Solarpunk Yogurt Ad:

There is now a Solarpunk solo RPG: