Solarpunk space opera? Exploring 'The Expanse'

It's one of the best SciFi series of recent times, but is it solarpunk?

The Expanse has been one of SolarPunk Stories favourite SciFi series of the past decade.

Thrilling plots, brilliant acting and convincing world building have all made it a blast to watch. But is its world a solarpunk one?

Arguments in favour

Set in the 24th Century, Earth appears to have avoided catastrophic climate breakdown.

It’s not made clear how this has been achieved. One of the characters comments when walking through woods that it was one of the first great reforestation projects of past centuries.

We also see Baltimore and New York City have been protected from sea level rise by massive walls.

Many people on Earth don’t appear to have to work, instead receiving a benefit called ‘Basic’.

There’s an echo of the utopian from Kim Stanley Robinson’s Mars Trilogy too.

Generations of the best and brightest humans are attempting to transform the red planet into a new Eden through terraforming.

Arguments Against

The biggest argument against The Expanse being solarpunk are social and economic.

The humans who live and work in the solar system’s asteroid belt are shown having to pay for air and are kept in line by corrupt privatised police forces.

They work dangerous, dirty jobs with apparently few to no labour rights.

Mega corporations span the solar system with an extremely extractive business model.

They are contemptuous of human life using their power to influence governments to kill their own citizens as part of product development processes.

As we’ve already mentioned, citizens of Earth receive a form of welfare known as ‘Basic’.

As becomes clear thought the series though this isn’t enough to support a dignified standard of life.

People ‘on Basic’ having to beg, barter and steal to get essentials like medicine. Some even have to drink sewage contaminated water just to survive.

Mars appears to be the least unequal of the three main human societies.

However it has become heavily militarized in its pursuit of fuller independence from earth.

Given all of the cons, you might ask why did we even consider aksing the question if The Expanse is solarpunk?

The reason why is one we cover in our upcoming many shades of solarpunk article.

There are quite a few things we feel get labelled as solarpunk that don’t deserve the term.

One of those are universes that may be more sustainable than our present but not more socially just.

To see more examples of what we think solarpunk is, isn’t and its many shades, subscribe to this newsletter.

You’ll then get get the shades of solarpunk article straight to your inbox when it goes live.

What do you think? Are you a fan of The Expanse, whether it’s solarpunk or not?

Are there any SciFi you see labelled as solarpunk that you don’t think merit the term? Let us know in the comments below.

And…

• The Expanse's Basic Support vs. Basic Income @ UBI Guide

• Hard sci-fi vs soft sci-fi || measuring science fiction hardness @ Book Odyssey

• Reigniting Social and Political Imagination - Geoff Mulgan @ Life Itself

• Sci-Fi Worldbuilding a Solarpunk Venus Colony @ Loretta Lok

• The AfterFuture & Tough Times @ Letters of Ultraazuli

• Engineered Timber - building the skyscrapers of our future @ Just Have a Think

• How America's hottest city is trying to cool down @ Vox

Until Next Time

That's all for this update. If you like what we’re trying to do here and know someone else who might do too then please like, comment and share. 

See you in the sunshine,

Alex Holland

Founder, SolarPunk Stories