Ecopunk – speculative tales of radical futures
Edited by Liz Grzyb and Cat Sparks
Published by Ticonderoga Publications in 2017
Over coming weeks we'll have a series of mini interviews ("minterviews" if you will) with some of the awesome writers in our forthcoming Ecopunk! (check it out on kickstarter http://kck.st/2xGeJ9x)
Next up is Claire McKenna. Claire is a writer from Melbourne, Australia. She is a graduate of the first Clarion South Workshop, an Aurealis, Ditmar and Writer's of the Future nominee, along with several other prizes and publications.
1. Tell us a little about your Ecopunk! story, and the inspiration behind it.
This story had to be written VERY quickly, as I got a last minute request from Cat Sparks needing some content to fill a space in the anthology that a departing writer had left. So my instructions were: a 6K positive story with no other elements from any of the other accepted stories (I was given a no-no list that included drones and arcologies and weird music!) and to be submitted within a few days if possible.
Anyway, without a lot of time to dwell on what the story was actually about, I turned to that beloved and much maligned go-to for quick and non-drug assisted plotting: the fairytale retelling. (Because in a future where genetic engineering is readily accessible, one definitely shouldn’t accept a stranger’s offer of magic beans…)
2. What science fictional technology do you wish we had now?
Apart from an unlimited and massive energy source (doesn’t everyone want that?), I’d be keen on an artificial magnetosphere. Solar wind is one of the major things completely harshing our eventual colonisation of Mars. The rest… well, I just came up with a great story idea just writing this, so I’ll say no more!
3. With all these scary climate events happening at the moment, it's sometimes hard to see some light. What gives you the most hope for humanity and the world?
That as a species we’re pretty adaptable. We’re still utilising some of our first climate-change assistive technology, commonly referred to as “Fire” and “Clothes”. However as a society we will have to make some big changes on how we organise resources and production in a world where such things may no longer be readily available.
I have a feeling what comes up next will have some deep roots in Marxism, but with less ego and a greater reason to make the end result work. (Cue Simpsons .gif of Zombie Lenin smashing his way out of his glass casket!)
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Ecopunk! - speculative tales of radical futures contains 19 optimistic tales, selected by two award-winning editors, showing how humanity can survive and flourish, despite the looming uncertainty from climate change. The incredible line-up includes some of Australia's best science fiction writers.
Over coming weeks we'll have a series of mini interviews ("minterviews" if you will) with some of the awesome writers in our forthcoming Ecopunk! (check it out on kickstarter http://kck.st/2xGeJ9x)
Next up is Jason Nahrung. Jason's work is often set in Australia and invariably darkly themed. His most recent books are the seaside Gothic Salvage (Twelfth Planet Press) and outback vampire duology Blood and Dust and The Big Smoke (Clan Destine Press). A PhD candidate in creative writing at The University of Queensland, the former Queenslander lives in Ballarat with his wife, the writer Kirstyn McDermott.
1. Tell us a little about your Ecopunk! story, and the inspiration behind it.
"Today Home" combines a couple of issues. The primary one is the dislocation of people in low-lying islands and coastal areas and the mass migration this will cause. We're already seeing this happen, not to mention those being pushed across borders by drought and famine. This bumps into Australia's anti-refugee policy and the notion that although our country is a contributor to climate change, we don't have a role to play in trying ameliorate it or help those disadvantaged by it. And the third strand is the moronic push for the Adani (et al) coal mine in the Galilee, against all economic and environmental sense. The aim was to show that bad decisions like the Adani mine can be turned around, that there are other options, and also to suggest that, although some things that are lost cannot be replaced, there might still be a way to keep a community and culture intact. There are many Australians who will relate to the disruption caused when a culture that is firmly anchored in place is forced to leave that place -- indeed, faces the destruction of that place. If it's too late to prevent that loss, then the least we can do is try to help -- and stop making the situation worse.
2. What science fictional technology do you wish we had now?
Sticking to environmental themes, on a personal level, a passenger jet that doesn't cause environmental grief -- I love planes, I love flying, I love travel. On a broader level, some big scrubbers to haul some of the greenhouse gas out of the atmosphere would be ace.
3. With all these scary climate events happening at the moment, it's sometimes hard to see some light. What gives you the most hope for humanity and the world?
When you look at the federal governments in Australia and America, and hear the corporations advocating for more fracking and more coal-fired stations, it's easy to despair. But then you look at the communities, the councils, the state governments, and those national governments that actually are doing somthing to improve things, well, that's where the hope is. We're seeing the rise of social justice, of environmental justice, a repositioning of humans and the non-human world with a goal of some kind of equilibrium, and there's hope for a more inclusive and healthy world.
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Ecopunk! - speculative tales of radical futures contains 19 optimistic tales, selected by two award-winning editors, showing how humanity can survive and flourish, despite the looming uncertainty from climate change. The incredible line-up includes some of Australia's best science fiction writers.
User Rating: 5 / 5
There are 10 days left in our awesome Ecopunk! kickstarter! We are 36% of the way!
The book is looking great. The initial layout has been completed, and we'r just waiting for September 17 to finalise the contents (all kickstarter backers before then will get their name in the book!)
We're also doing a very very limited run of hardcovers for Ecopunk! There will be no retail hardcover edition, the only way to get one of these beautiful books is to pre-order through kickstarter.
Check out our progress at http://kck.st/2xGeJ9x
Over coming weeks we'll have a series of mini interviews ("minterviews" if you will) with some of the awesome writers in our forthcoming Ecopunk! (check it out on kickstarter http://kck.st/2xGeJ9x)
First up is Rivqa Rafael. Rivqa is a freelance editor and writer based in Sydney. She started writing speculative fiction well before earning degrees in science and writing, although they have probably helped. Her editorial specialties are health and science in all forms (magazines, books, academia and custom publications); she also writes reviews and articles.
1. Tell us a little about your Ecopunk! story, and the inspiration behind it.
I've wanted to set a story in Far-North Queensland since travelling there for the solar eclipse in 2012, and it seemed the perfect setting for my guerrilla scientists, who are trying to continue life-saving research with no funding or infrastructure. I enjoy writing about the nitty-gritty side of science, and this story fits into that theme pretty neatly.
2. What science fictional technology do you wish we had now?
Matter transmitters. I'd love to be able to instantly visit friends around the world. I'd like to think it would be better for the environment than flying, although I might need to ask Sean Williams about that.
3. With all these scary climate events happening at the moment, it's sometimes hard to see some light. What gives you the most hope for humanity and the world?
I'm a pessimist by nature, so it is hard! But I take heart in every act of kindness in the face of hardship, especially when it comes from young people. We're continually told that young people are lazy and selfish but I don't see that at all. It might be cheesy, but I think Whitney said it best: "I believe the children are our are future."
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Ecopunk! - speculative tales of radical futures contains 19 optimistic tales, selected by two award-winning editors, showing how humanity can survive and flourish, despite the looming uncertainty from climate change. The incredible line-up includes some of Australia's best science fiction writers.
We've set up a kickstarter to spead the word about Ecopunk! Order your ebook or paperback here, or get a pre-order exclusive copy of the limited hardcover. The hardcover will not be available for general retail, only by pre-order. You can also get a copy of the awesome Ecopunk! souvenir hoodie! Check it out at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/499651181/ecopunk-speculative-tales-of-radical-futures-antho and help us make this awesome book happen!
The kickstarter runs until Friday 22 September.
Cover artwork is by Peg Hewitt (pegsplaytime.blogspot.com.au).
Ecopunk! - speculative tales of radical futures contains 19 optimistic tales, selected by two award-winning editors, showing how humanity can survive and flourish, despite the looming uncertainty from climate change. The incredible line-up includes some of Australia's best science fiction writers.
Adam Browne, “The Radiolarian Violin"
Matthew Chrulew, “Future Perfect”
Emilie Collyer, “From the Dark”
Jason Fischer, “Milk and Honey”
Tom Guerney, “The Mangrove Maker”
Claire McKenna, “Mr. Mycelium”
R. Jean Mathieu, “The City Sunk, the City Risen”
D.K. Mok, “The Wandering Library”
Jason Nahrung, “The Today Home”
Ian Nichols, “First Flight”
Shauna O'Meara, “Island Green”
Rivqa Rafael, “Trivalent”
Jane Rawson, “The Right Side of History”
Jane Routley, “The Scent of Betrayal"
Andrew Sullivan, “The Butterfly Whisperer”
Janeen Webb, “Monkey Business”
Corey J. White, “Happy Hunting Ground”
Tess Williams, “Broad Church”
Marian Womack, “Pink Footed”
Ecopunk! will be published in October 2017 by Ticonderoga Publications. Keep an eye on our website for more news.
Ticonderoga Publications
21st Century Australian Speculative Fiction
PO Box 29 Greenwood WA 6924 Australia