#granted this is also why the southern reach trilogy fucks.

[essektheylyss]

I'm currently reading The Ministry for the Future, and it's really pinpointing some of my issues with contemporary fiction and why I struggle to solve them. It's essentially a near-future speculative fiction concept about climate change, which I think is difficult for me whether optimistic or fatalistic. I am suspicious of escapism where some miraculous solution is found, because I do not enjoy being placated and I find that I have no patience for those who want to be (in this genre of fiction anyway—I personally don't like escapism in general but I acknowledge its necessity otherwise), but I also get frustrated with defeatism because it tends to fall dangerously close to, if not outright within the bounds of, ecofascism, and if a middle ground between the two within a semi-realistic story exists, I haven't found it yet.

Granted, I am only about 20% of the way into this book, so it remains to be seen if Robinson has found that, but... it is making me think I should stick primarily to second-world speculative fiction.

#granted this is also why the southern reach trilogy fucks. #no one in that trilogy has the answers and jeff vandermeer is not going to hand them to me for some false satisfaction. #that reminds me I gotta pick up the ambergris trilogy as well. #actually hummingbird and salamander is probably closest to this genre maybe i should see if my boy jeff has done it lol #I'm SORRY I'm so fucking picky and i don't like being coddled #nor do i like hopeless crying. it's useless to me and I have avoided careers where i have to listen to it. #something something never tell me the odds or whatnot #megs is reading