6 Books About Collapse, Community Care, and Collective Action
As we celebrate Earth Day, it's important to acknowledge that we are currently witnessing unprecedented, human-provoked environmental degradation. This reading list encapsulates and represents fears of a crumbling world while encouraging us to fight for environmental, social, and political justice.
A Clear Spring by Barbara Wilson
In Barbara Wilson’s A Clear Spring, Willa spends her summer in Seattle with Aunt Ceci and her partner, Janie. As Willa becomes familiar with Janie’s work as a naturalist, she learns about ecosystems and embarks on an eco-sleuthing mission when a salmon stream becomes polluted. An empowering narrative for young readers, Willa’s diverse family and passion for nature signal hope, compassion, and care for the earth and those who inhabit it.
A Line You Have Traced by Roisin Dunnett
Set against a backdrop of violence and environmental collapse, A Line You Have Traced traverses centuries to ask questions about personal and moral responsibility, action and inaction, and meaning and connection. Narratives set in three different time periods provide perspectives for navigating change and uncertainty as characters—Bea, Kay, and Ess—attempt to build meaningful lives in the midst of decay.
Black Wave by Michelle Tea
Black Wave is an inventive and striking depiction of life on the brink of an apocalypse. As Michelle attempts to reform her drug use and romance habits, she is confronted with the knowledge that the world will end in one year. Uncertainty and art intertwine to bend genre and reality as this narrative interrogates notions of how we should live amidst degradation and collapse.
The Feminist Utopia Project edited by Alexandra Brodsky and Rachel Kauder Nalebuff
The Feminist Utopia Project directly challenges and questions societal norms that allow for violence and inequality. A wide variety of essays demonstrate the value of pushing for joy, equity, and collective action. Anyone who feels unmotivated to seek liberation for ourselves, and in turn, our planet will find encouragement in this collection of diverse visions for the future.
Sweetlust by Asja Bakić
In Sweetlust, Asja Bakić uses a speculative lens to explore intertwining themes like gender, climate change, pleasure, time, and artificial intelligence. Throughout eleven stories, characters must learn how to navigate dystopian, dangerous, and disturbing circumstances as well as their own desires and fragilities. The book asks questions about the value, methods, and meaning of survival within strange, unfamiliar worlds.
Women on War edited by Daniella Gioseffi
As wars waged around the world continue to cause unthinkable environmental damage and apocalyptic scenarios, it is imperative to advocate for peace and responsible, ethical dealings with global conflict. Combining grief, hope, and defiance, Women on War centers women’s perspectives on the personal, social, and environmental tragedies that stem from unnecessary violence.
