Is science fiction holding back climate action?

For centuries, we’ve been reading, watching and listening to
science fiction. And all too often, it’s pretty pessimistic about
our future, especially when it touches on the topic of climate
change.


This is leading some to ask whether these doom and gloom stories
are doing the climate fight more harm than good - causing us to
feel so anxious and powerless that we don’t take action.


So for this week's climate question, we’re asking: Is sci-fi
holding us back?


Graihagh Jackson is joined by:


Amy Brady, editor-in-chief of the Chicago Review of Books, where
she writes a monthly column called Burning Worlds. In it she
explores how fiction addresses climate change.


Cheryl Slean is a playwright, filmmaker and educator working with
the National Resource Defense Council’s Re-write the Future
campaign to increase accurate climate stories in film and
television.


Ken Liu is a futurist and author of speculative fiction. He has
won the Nebula, Hugo, and World Fantasy awards. His debut novel,
The Grace of Kings, is the first volume in a silkpunk epic
fantasy series.