In a post on the SFWA blog, Holly Schofield wonders if modern science fiction needs to be continually dark or if we can expect a bit of hope. “It’s rare to see any form of media where the character arc is one of gaining non-futile hope,” Schofield writes. “Just like we’ve added diversity, a sense of justice, and the climate emergency to SFF in recent years, can we add hope? Can optimism be the new “bleak”? I think it can.”
Is “Hopepunk” too corny, unrealistic, or childish? Would it be too preachy? Schofield suggests some methods for ensuring that a hopeful narrative arc isn’t too pollyanna.
She suggests that the right subgenre choice can help, as some lend themselves to a more hopeful vision of the future. Cyberpunk may not, but Solarpunk, Afrofuturism, and Amazofuturism can and do. These stories posit solar-powered futures where black, neuro-divergent, and queer characters thrive. There’s nothing corny or clichéd about that.
You can also craft it into the story itself. Schofield cites to gentler character-driven stories in which hope is not out of place. Avoiding the “lone wolf” protagonist and building cooperative character casts and plots that focus on group dynamics and collaboration can also make hope a realistic outcome. You can also plant hope in your plot, by creating stories and conflict out of restorative acts, rather than destruction.
“Create worlds that let the reader imagine them continuing for centuries to come, not collapsing from internal stresses after the last page,” Schofield writes. “When you worldbuild a community that is working toward resilience and sustainability, you are imagining a better place.”
