I'm writing a climate fiction series
Series intro • There Is Hope • Climate fiction
There Is Hope is a climate fiction series about life on a planet devastated by climate change and the things that give humans hope.
There Is Hope
Will heat get you first on the Dust Road?
It’s the year 2550 and, following a period of 400 years—also known as the Data War—in which data moguls battled for the last natural resources, Europe is a post-apocalyptic wasteland ravaged by climate change and human greed.
The North Colonies Alliance, located in the cool north, is segregated from the Dust Tribes of climate refugees gathered in the dust bowl of Central Europe and the Japanese Seaweed Colonies situated in the largely uninhabitable south. The Siberian Cooperatives—the stewards of the Taiga, the last standing forest—have a monopoly on all natural resources in an attempt to save the planet’s ecosystem from extinction. Everything is connected by an underground trading route known as the Dust Road controlled by the mysterious Dust Pirates.
Will humans finally find their humanity in a wasteland plagued by suffering, scarcity and death? Watch the tapestry of life unfold on the Dust Road through five thrilling stories of hope and an unexpected arrival.
Episodes
The series There Is Hope is a mosaic novel composed of five interlinked stories with recurring characters and an overarching plot.
Season 1: Human Island
While making a documentary about a sacrificial ritual, a grieving mother comes to terms with the untimely loss of her daughter.
S1E1 ∼ A documentary
S1E2 ∼ A sacrifice
Season 2: The Seed Grower
A farmer grows illegal seeds of resistance, but her life gets complicated when an unlikely guest joins the Midsummer festival.
S2E1 ∼ The delivery
S2E2 ∼ The ghost
S2E3 ∼ The escape
S2E4 ∼ Seeds of resistance
Season 3: The Dust Pirates
During the rainmaking festival, a young boy rescues a teenage girl from danger, but her secret sends him on a perilous journey.
S3E1 ∼ Trapper
S3E2 ∼ Secrets
S3E3 ∼ Betrayal
S3E4 ∼ Children
S3E5 ∼ Hope at the end of the world
Season 4: The Cooperatives
When a fungus attacks the last forest, an AI Officer is sent on a seemingly futile investigation that takes a dangerous and unexpected turn.
S4E1 ∼ The last forest
S4E2 ∼ The scream
S4E3 ∼ The struggle
S4E4 ∼ The fortune teller
S4E5 ∼ A letter from the future
Season 5: There Is Hope
Release date: Q1 2025
Bonus stories
My story-world spans more than 1,000 years between 2400 and 3600 CE and it includes three historical periods: The Data War, The Dust Road & The Deep Dive.
This is an attempt to depict a realistic transition to a better world following a 5°C global warming at the end of the 21st century. It gets worse before it gets better, and the narratives are both dystopian and utopian in nature.
The following stories are placed in the same universe.
The Data War period
∼2400 CE ∼ Illegal, a Lunar Award 🥇winner
The Dust Road period
The Deep Dive period
∼3510 CE ∼ Initiation, a four-episode mini-series
E1 ∼ Changes
E2 ∼ Rebel
E3 ∼ Hunger
E4 ∼ Mindbinding
∼3540 CE ∼ Welcome to gulmohur
Worldbuilding
Deep dives into the secondary world creation of my cli-fi series There is Hope.
How you can enjoy the series
Subscribe to the newsletter to get each episode directly in your inbox
Go to the blog to read on your desktop or mobile phone
Download the Substack App to listen to the audio version
How it works
Everything you get in your inbox will always be free to read. On the blog, the fiction goes behind a paywall after a month.
If you’re new to Story Voyager and want to read There Is Hope but can’t afford a paid subscription, drop me an email and we’ll work something out.
What readers say
‘All caught up on what’s available from There Is Hope and boy was it a cathartic ride. My grief surrounding the deforestation and desertification of Iran—and, let’s be real, the world at large—has really bubbled to the surface through these pieces. What a beautiful planet we have the privilege of inhabiting. And what beautiful stories Claudia has written to remind us of that.’ — Keyon Hejazi, Stardust Press
‘Beautifully written and utterly believable, unfortunately.’ — Terry Freedman, Eclecticism
‘Claudia renders a tragically beautiful world so complete and immersive that it feels sensual even as it’s breaking your heart.’ — Ben Wakeman, Catch & Release
‘Excellent! The writing feels careful and intentional. It’s a fascinating world.’ — Peter Clayborne, Anarchy Unfolds
‘That's rough kid.’ — Ken W., Vindicators