The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson

Note: This book was recommended previously by Jonathan Thompson, but hearing from another reader, with a different take, seems fitting for these times.

The future of the Earth seems so uncertain. Humans hold the key, of course—whether we continue our current destructive path, or, as a global society, find a path to ecological health and societal equity.

In The Ministry for the Future, Kim Stanley Robinson deftly takes us through one possibility for that future. As we expect, there are grim climate-related disasters. But there is also societal resistance to the perpetual growth-focused status quo, and there are fascinating ideas about how positive change could come about. For me, this novel was a page-turner, largely because the author creates great characters, a fast pace (covering decades), and well-researched ideas of what change could look like. The author also suggests a hopeful outcome for society and Earth’s ecological systems way out in the future—and I think we all need some hope.

So why have a review of this science fiction novel here? Because the conservation and community concepts of Wildlands, Woodlands, Farmlands & Communities, and the insightful and well-written articles in From the Ground Up, are also extremely hopeful. If we heed them and act on them, we could achieve that positive future for the Earth and all its inhabitants.

To learn more and read a sample from the book, visit Orbit Books.

To purchase, visit IndieBound.

Recommended by Eric Sorenson