I've always been interested in game design and how subtly it can teach and influence us. It's not only how a given game is constructed on the surface, but also what emergent behaviours it can induce in us - and make us internalize, more or less consciously.

I find Solarpunk fascinating as a genre which is connected to - but distinct from - other kinds of climate and science fiction. Its many perspectives are an attempt to balance a big, global narrative of saving the planet and creating a sustainable civilization with a very humane and communal perspective of our way there.

I've been working on this blogpost for a year and I see that it's never going to be as comprehensive as I would like to. In the spirit of "done is better than perfect", let me then present you with my Notes Towards - and hope that you find them useful!

Game Type Legend

V - Video Game
B - Board Game / Card Game
R - Role Playing Game / Storytelling Game

What makes a …

W INN:Poland pojawił się artykuł Sebastiana Luc-Lepianki pod tytułem Solarpunk – ruch społeczny, który może przemówić do ludzi bardziej niż akcje Ostatniego Pokolenia. Wprowadza on czytelników w tematykę Solarpunka, odnosi go do obecnych w Polsce protestów klimatycznych i opowiada o jego relacji z wiecznie-zjadającym-idee kapitalizmem. Artykuł obszernie cytuje moje własne komentarze oraz odwołuje się do pracy Fanpage Ekofikcji.

Więcej artykułów o ruchu, manifestów i opowiadań można znaleźć na stronie solarpunk.pl.

For a few years now, I've been analyzing how technology is represented in fiction and popular culture. I not only mean specific technologies or devices, but also the core concept of what technology is in a given genre, world or story. To illustrate with an example:

In most modern action and superhero movies, technology is always a weapon. We don't see widely-spread infrastructure, we rarely see plot-related neutral technologies, but we see a lot of new threats coming from tech, be it androids, satellites, laser weapons and other McGuffins. It is usually also an artifact, a prototype, something one-of-a-kind that cannot be replicated, or it will lose its plot relevancy. Wakanda cannot revolutionize African electrical grids with Vibranium the same way Iron Man doesn’t replace oil and coal worldwide.

On the other hand, in cyberpunk and dystopian futures, technology is either a means of oppression or rebellion. This time it's usually evil governmental/corporate infrastructure oppressing people, or some disruptive gadgets used by anarchist protagonists. Staying out of the …

On the 9th of July 2024 I had a pleasure of giving an interview to Nico Heller from the Democracy School, as a part of his Reboot 2030 project!

You can listen to the interview on YouTube and Reboot 2030 Substack as well as Spotify and other podcasting platforms!

The project defines itself as:

Are we headed irreversibly towards catastrophe or do we have what it takes to fundamentally remake our world in time, sustainably, regeneratively and equitably? If so, who are the people and organisations that drive the transition to a sustainably regenerative negative carbon economy and a better life for all? To shed some light on these questions we have created Reboot2030, a podcast and YouTube channel that engages transformational leaders in ongoing dialogues about their vision and work.

This episode's description:

In an era of multiple global crises – from the climate emergency, to rising populism and the existential threats posed by rapid developments in AI – positive visions of a sustainable and regenerative future are urgently needed.

This episode of Reboot2030 explores solarpunk …

On the 27th of May 2024 the Solarpunk Presents podcast published an interview with me, available on YouTube, Spotify and Google Podcasts. I would like to thank Christina for the invitation to the podcast and a wonderful conversation!

We discussed how the depictions of technology in our culture shape our imaginations of the future, how our treatment of disabled people allows us to see our biases more clearly, what appropriate technology is and how we could start seeing every tech as infrastructure, not artifacts! We also looked at the (often invisible) power structures present when not everybody understands how a technology works. Christina really liked the idea of telling a Solarpunk story through a generational soap opera focusing on a family or a community!

If at any point I make little sense, I have to thank my doggo for a very early morning wake-up ;)

About the podcast:

Solarpunk Presents is a podcast that explores the people and projects working on bringing us a better world today.

Solarpunk is more than just an idea, more than …