Episode 19: Author Interview - Paul E. Hardisty, "The Hope", and Ecodystopia.

<p>In this episode, we speak with Paul E. Hardisty, an environmental scientist, keen conservationist, and novelist known first for his &#39;Claymore Straker&#39; series and, most recently, &#39;The Forcing&#39; trilogy - a series of dystopian fiction with an ecological emphasis that has been called &#39;provocative and insightful, visceral and terrifying&#39;.</p><p><br></p><p>We speak with Paul about <em>The Hope</em>, the final instalment of &#39;The Forcing&#39; trilogy, which came out on January 29th 2026! Called a &#39;superbly handled tale of struggle and survival in a maimed world&#39; by <em>The Times</em>, <em>The Hope</em> is set in the near-future, where climate collapse, famine, and war have ravaged the world. It features sixteen-year-old Boo Ashworth, a girl with the remarkable ability to perfectly recall anything she had read previously, who fights to save her loved ones and bring hope to a broken world.</p><p><br></p><p>You can find Paul on the <a href="https://orendabooks.co.uk/authors/paul-e-hardisty" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Orenda Books website</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PaulEHardistyWriter/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://paulhardistyauthor.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Substack</a>, and <a href="https://x.com/Hardisty_Paul" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">X</a>. You can order <em>The Hope</em> <a href="https://orendabooks.co.uk/product/the-hope" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">here</a>.</p><p><br></p><p>You can read the Australian National Outlook - the report we discussed with Paul that sets out how Australia can move towards a more sustainable future - <a href="https://www.csiro.au/en/work-with-us/services/consultancy-strategic-advice-services/csiro-futures/innovation-business-growth/australian-national-outlook" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">here</a>.</p><p><br></p><p>Paul&#39;s non-fiction recommendations are:</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com.au/books/In-Hot-Water/Paul-Hardisty/9781923022386" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"><em>In Hot Water: Inside the Battle to Save the Great Barrier Reef</em></a>, by Paul E. Hardisty</li><li><a href="https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/396600/the-golden-spruce-by-john-vaillant/9780099515791" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer"><em>The Golden Spruce</em></a>, by John Valliant</li><li><a href="https://www.natcap.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer"><em>Natural Capitalism</em></a>, by Amory Lovins, Hunter Lovins, and Paul Hawken</li><li><a href="https://www.jasonhickel.org/less-is-more" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer"><em>Less is More: How Degrowth will Save the World</em></a>, by Jason Hickel</li></ul><p><br></p><p>A huge thanks to Paul for joining us on the podcast, and to his publishers at Orenda Books for reaching out and sending us proof copies of <em>The Hope</em>.</p><p><br></p><p>If you enjoyed this episode, please let us know! You can follow and rate the podcast, leave us a comment, or email us on <a href="utopiananddystopianfictions@gmail.com" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠utopiananddystopianfictions@gmail.com</a></p>