Cory Doctorow, THE LOST CAUSE

Writer's Voice with Francesca Rheannon

We talk with Cory Doctorow about his new novel The Lost Cause, “a solarpunk science fiction novel of hope amidst the climate emergency.” It imagines an America where another better world is possible, while confronting the evils of today.

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Read the transcript

Key Words: writer’s voice, podcast, book recommendations, author interview, book podcast, book show, book excerpt, fiction, cli-fi, Cory Doctorow, Green New Deal, climate change

A Green New Deal America

What would America look like 30 years from now if the Green New Deal were mainstream? A universal jobs guarantee? Renewable energy the law of the land? Social solidarity the guiding principle of society?

Now, imagine that the forces of reaction are anything but vanquished. The tax-avoiding tech billionaires have teamed up with MAGA remnants to overthrow progress and reinstate reaction. And the climate crisis is still ongoing.

What’s a young person to do? Especially because the MAGA forces are armed to the teeth — and the young person in question is related to one of them, his “Gramps.” That’s the dilemma facing the 18 year -old protagonist of Cory Doctorow’s new novel, The Lost Cause.

A Battle For The Future

The questions posed in The Lost Cause are salient to our current moment: how to protect democracy against violent extremism; how to build social solidarity within the pressure cooker of crises that threaten to divide us; and how to use technology responsibly for human good instead of for the profit of a few.

Those questions and more are wrapped in a package of vivid storytelling — something the incredibly prolific writer Cory Doctorow excels at.

About The Author

Cory Doctorow is a science fiction author, activist and journalist. He’s been on Writer’s Voice several times to talk about his books Walkaway, Radicalized and Makers. In addition to The Lost Cause, his most recent nonfiction book is The Internet Con: How To Seize The Means Of Computation. In 2020, he was inducted into the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame. Doctorow is the author of the popular website, Craphound.com.