– Which common climate solutions appear in multiple stories in the collection? Why do you think so many of the authors were drawn to similar visions for the future?
– Which of the solutions do you think are most and least likely to happen? What steps do you think we need to take now to make these futures a reality?
– Which future world would you prefer to live in? Which would you hate?
– In “Float” and “Dump Devil”, modern technology is used to control people’s activities. Carbon footprints are restricted, and augmented reality gives teenagers digital “childminders” who monitor their behaviour. Do you agree with these predictions for how technology is going to be used in the future?
– People grow plants in several of the stories, though for different reasons. Remi restores the landscape through guerrilla gardening in “The Lighthouse Keeper’s Garden”; the village farm to make income in “The Drongo’s Call”; and the community grow plants for food in “Saving Olumide”. However, all of the characters find comfort through connecting with nature. In what ways do you connect with the environment in your own life? Why is nature so healing?
– The stories take place across the world, from India in “The Drongo’s Call” to Scotland in “The Invisible Girl and the Impossible Otter”. Do the characters’ experiences match what you think the future might be like in these countries? Why does the location matter?
– In “Eyeballs, Tentacles and Teeth” and “Food of the Future”, living creatures are used in new and unexpected ways. Bacteria break down plastic in the ocean, and crickets are used to make flour for baking. Can you see these solutions being used in real life? What sort of issues might prevent them from happening?
– In “They Came Back”, Isla is frustrated that humans can’t use the land near her home, and that they have to grow everything from scratch, while her father doesn’t share this frustration. Why do you think Isla and her dad feel differently about these things? How do you think the world they live in has affected the way they feel?