What if any realistic yet hopeful speculative fiction is there (or is my question an oxymoron?)?
I am tired of the dystopian genre and our cynical, disintegrating culture and want to read some quality speculative fiction that helps me feel hopeful about humanity and our possibly viable future.
Granted, it’s difficult enough to write about the process of creating a utopian society, but it’s even more difficult to envision how we might realistically get from here to…a better world with policies that help renegerate the planet. …and people who care about each other and humanity as a whole.
And is it too much to ask for three-dimensional characters too, who are learning how to relate humanely and communicate sensitively?
We probably would need some highly evolved alien to help us, at which point, we are probably far from realism…but maybe still in the realm of possibility.
Maybe try taking a look at some books in the solarpunk genre? Sadly I don’t have any specific recommendations but I’ve heard solarpunk is generally more positive and hopeful in the ways you are describing.
For a near future sf I recommend a half built garden. Still kinda depressing cus this fictional future still has corporations that gonna corporate, but it has a lot of interesting concepts and general positivity.
For lots of positivity and highly relatable characters look for Becky chambers works. A long way to a small angry planet is her first novel and absolutely amazing. Much farther in the future, so not probably future realistic in terms like space travel etc
