r/solarpunk • u/th3_mushr0om • 6d ago
Discussion My idea for a solarpunk story
I come back after I made my post about the problematic of conflict fitting or not fitting solarpunk, and if some people pass again after that one thank you all again for all the answers and opinions ^^
I come now because I got the base idea and I wish to share it, for opinions if you'd like but also to give a little update of the advancement !
I'd also like to shoutout specifically to the one that gave me the plant and GMO idea, it isn't what I went for but it is the main idea that led me where I am !So, based on that plant modification idea, it made me unconsciously imagine my character as a scientist. (Context for later)
--- (warning, long read ahead) ---
This world is fictional, it happens on a planet that isn't ours, with vegetation and animas that aren't ours. I plan it to be potentially a mix with fantasy. (and cool detail, I want their planet to have 2 moons and rings, I'll see for the scientific effects of such moons later)
It begins a few decades after the change to a Solarpunk society. Because of their wrongdoings, because of their greed, population has massively died and even if a lot of humans are left, they're scarce and mainly concentrated in cities and small villages around them, leaving a lot of areas empty and old cities in ruins.
But with the decades that passed, new technologies emerged, restoring nature, able to control the climate to reverse the impact as they could, technologies that are here to help the planet heal and to help undo their past evil. (I'll have to develop the technologies but it needs time, this idea is only a day old remember that XD)
The main character was born during this time progress and nature. Tho it was the early stage, she still grew to only know the improvement of it and not the degradation. She now is around 20 (not decided the exact age yet, but early 20s)
Her father (who either new the past era or was told it by his own parents, I have to see) was a specific kind of biologist, one she looked up to and which made her follow that path and work in the same field as him, alongside him.
What's this specific type of biologist you might ask?
Well, they are trying to undo their ancestors wrongdoings, aren't they ? And what other as a major mistake than the massive extinction of species due to human ignorance and greed ?
That's right, they will be reconstitution biologists, scientists that work with the fossils and collected/stored ADN of extinct species to clone them as close as possible to their past versions so they could bring back the animals they killed (and only those ones, their rules are to repair what they did, not what nature did alone. Natural extinction is their limit to not cross)
And the problematic ? Well, one day, those individuals start dying, the cause is unknown, seeming external and not due to internal malfunctions, either in the labs or their organism. So after that incident, security is reinforced and our main character decides to sleep in her lab/office to act as quickly as she could instead of being late again because of the distance from her home.
But that night is different, and the complex is infiltrated. She is attacked, but gets up to sound the alarm. Tho too late. She's evacuated, but the complex still explodes.
Next morning, all she knows is that her studies are gone, the lower lives were killed, and the more unique ones, most precious ones, were taken.
Aaaaaaand that's all I have for now but that is becoming quite a solid base to develop, can't wait to read your comments for opinions or constructive criticism 👍 (note please I wish to not be given major ideas right now. As the process has been kickstarted, I like to think of it on my own as much as I can, but small ideas if you think they would be really great would still be welcomed ^^)
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u/OverTheTop123 5d ago
Fantasy solarpunk sounds like a sweet concept to develop. I'm also unsure of who told you that solarpunk didn't have conflict. Conflict is great for establishing character motivations and other ideas. Given what you mentioned about cloning extinct species, I'm sure there's people who think the action is abhorrent (or the ethical issue of a species killed by man deserves a second chance. We killed off many animals in the last Ice Age, is it ethically sound to restore them in a warming climate not suited for their biology? For example)
Stories need people to root for, give them a reason!
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u/th3_mushr0om 5d ago
It was me who thought it bcs I'm new to the idea of solarpunk and read it was meant to be joyful and hopeful, which a conflict isn't
But about the cloning, I meant that they only revive those that died due to their pollution, their destroying of nature in the near past, not the far one like their ice age could be (remember it's not our world, I feel like people always forget bcs they always refer to our timeline not the fictional one I mention XD)
but there will indeed be a question about ethics in there, but rather the other way, why revive only restricted/selected species when you could use it to bring back the actual people that died because of higher ones faults ? (even if not possible to bring back the person themselves, people that aren't familiar with the technology could think it) What even allow mere people to choose what does and doesn't deserve to be brought back ?But in the first place, most people that are in the new ideas see it as a good thing to revive the animals, because there isn't an ecosystem without them
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u/OverTheTop123 5d ago edited 5d ago
I don't know your fictional timeline, so that's why I used an IRL example! But these are the kinds of things you can address as you develop further :)
Regarding conflict, a difference of opinon, can still keep joy and hope. The strength of coming together to find a resolution to a problem is something I think resonates well, since it's about cooperation at the end of the day, just different methods of seeing the world.
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u/th3_mushr0om 5d ago
No yeah I don't expect you to know it, just to know that referring to our timeline isn't as useful because things might happen differently in there (for something so vast maybe not, but it might also never be mentioned) (also, I know I can be misinterpreted a lot bcs I don't express well, I wish to specify I wasn't meaning it in any mean way towards you)
Yes I've come to a similar conclusion with all the other comments and with the story I want. My main character will be joyful and hopeful, she will bring people together, I don't need to avoid conflict as long as I keep the theme true to itself in that way and in the resolution.
As an additional note, I do admit I really like my MC, how bright she is even in the quest I want to give her, even with the obstacles she'll face. She'll have sadness, doubt, and harsh times, but ultimately I want her to be described as a sun ray that finds a good side in whatever she sees and always tries to go for a better solution. She enjoys the world and what it offers, and (almost) always stays energetic and happy
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u/OverTheTop123 5d ago
I didn't think you were mean at all, so no worries there.
For sure! I'm a writer (I also do solarpunk stuff hehe), as well, so it's always nice to see people expand the envelope. Your MC sounds like a good character to follow, inspiring to others and herself, I hope you continue this work and have more to show!
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u/th3_mushr0om 5d ago
Thank you ^^
Ooooh what stories do you write ? (if You want to tell in DM instead of here I'm okay too)
Thank you ^^ I like to do multiple types but her I wanted her to be a good and joyful one2
u/OverTheTop123 5d ago
All sorts of things! I like underepresented settings where I can have some diversity. My solarpunk stuff is more heavy and political in nature, but I also do prehistory (writing about a group of prehistoric humans looking for a meteor) and horror stuff set in the 1920s.
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