by Kim Stanley Robinson, Francis Spufford
First published 2020
In a radical reimagining of California's potential trajectories, Kim Stanley Robinson explores three parallel versions of the state's future. Each narrative represents a dramatically different environmental and social outcome: an ecological collapse scenario, a sustainable green world, and a high-tech urban landscape. As climate change and technological shifts reshape human civilization, these interconnected stories reveal how small decisions cascade into profound systemic transformations. The landscapes of California become a living canvas, reflecting humanity's adaptive capacity and environmental resilience. Different characters navigate each version, experiencing radically distinct social structures, technological capabilities, and ecological conditions. Robinson's intricate worldbuilding traces how political choices, technological innovation, and environmental adaptation can generate wildly divergent human experiences within the same geographic space. These three Californias are not just speculative scenarios, but urgent explorations of potential human futures.
Genres: science-fiction, dystopia, speculative-fiction, environmental-science, climate-change, alternate-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: alternate-universe, found-family
Setting: California
Period: 21st-century
848 pages · Kindle Edition · Tor Books