1. Solid Frames and Open Doors; 2. Varieties of Utopian Thinking; 3. What if: Planet Earth as an actor; 4. If Only: Eutopias of Scientific Progress between Techno-Optimism and Anti-Capitalism; 5. If this goes on: Hope Lost, Hope Regained; 6. Sober Realism and Radical Imagination.
Investigates the role of hope and fear in our climate-changed world by focusing on various expressions of the utopian imagination.
Mathias Thaler teaches Political Theory at the University of Edinburgh.
'No Other Planet synthesises astute theoretical analysis, bold
imagination and an acute consciousness of the stakes for scholars
writing about the climate crisis to engage readers in the
transformative possibilities of utopian thought, art and action.
Dispelling both tired dismissals of utopia as wishful thinking, and
their counterpart in resigned fatalism, Mathias Thaler demonstrates
how different utopian imaginations, in theory, in fiction and in
the prefiguration of activism, can estrange, galvanise and caution
those for whom the future seemed fixed by the past and present. In
this sense, while never overstating the difference that theory can
make in the face of our planet in peril, Thaler has written a book
that allows his readers to recognise this one, only planet as one
whose future our care, attention and imagination might make a
difference.' Danielle Celermajer, The University of Sydney
'Thaler offers a challenging vision for our times in applying
varying traditions of utopian enquiry to the prospect of imminent
environmental catastrophe in the coming decades. Commencing from
the premise that utopianism involves the 'education of a
desire for being and living otherwise', he contends that this
process demands re-imagining who we are and where we are going. No
mere wishful thinkers or builders of castles in the sky, utopians
vindicate the imagination in offering us visions of prospective
alternative worlds which lift us beyond the constricting horizons
of the everyday and suggest solutions to the deadly scenario
looming before us. This is a provocative, refreshing, and welcome
addition to the literature on utopianism, to current proposals
about solving global warming, and to the revival of utopian
thinking itself.' Gregory Claeys, University of London
'Our ecological predicament can seem overwhelmingly grim. Mathias
Thaler's deeply thoughtful book shows what speculative fiction can
bring to understanding present-day crises, and the desire and
impetus for ecological hope. Thaler resists clean-cut, easy
solutions. Instead, utopian studies, environmental humanities, and
political theory meet in this brilliant exploration of the social
and theoretical tensions that arise when there is nowhere else to
go, and where the flourishing of the radical imagination, in all
its diversity, depends on supporting rather than papering over the
faultlines.' Davina Cooper, Kings College London
'The extensive analysis of the meanings of utopianism in No Other
Planet is the most illuminating that I have come across in
political theory. This is in large part a result of Thaler's style
and sensibility. He is a very generous interlocutor: rather than
seeking to discredit or dismiss alternative viewpoints, or engaging
in polemics with authors he disagrees with, he seeks out points of
agreement or constructive elements that he can build on or
incorporate into his own thinking, even as he is clear about what
he rejects. As such, the book has an admirable cumulative synthetic
quality, grounded in a view of scholarship as a shared endeavour
rather than a blood-sport. It is an attractive scholarly virtue.
Indeed it can be read as modelling some of the utopian openness and
generosity that he seeks to diagnose and prescribe.' Duncan Bell,
Centre for the Study of Governance and Society, King's College
London
'Thaler's innovative methodological framework and judiciously
analysed examples effectively and powerfully demonstrate the value
of thinking speculative fiction, political theory, and climate
change together. The study, with this constellation of elements,
sets out a research agenda that will no doubt spur other green
political theorists to explore the world of speculative fiction.
Given the political disruptions associated with the climate crisis,
new ways of thinking are required - and the dreams of climate
fiction writers, whether weird or wonderful, hopeful or
apocalyptic, are an invaluable resource.' Joe P. L. Davidson,
Environmental Politics
'No Other Planet covers an enormous amount of ground, drawing from
an admirably wide range of texts and showing an impressive mastery
of multiple literatures. … the book is an exemplar of
problem-driven interdisciplinarity and a model of how theorists can
and should make use of cultural resources to understand our world.'
Benjamin L. McKean, Contemporary Political Theory
'Thaler makes a compelling case for the importance of studying
utopian visions in helping “us” to figure out better ways of being,
living and surviving the Anthropocene. He demonstrates an ability
to render complex concepts and diverse literatures accessible, and
weaves them together into a coherent albeit wide-ranging survey of
utopian visions.' Carl Death, Cambridge Review of International
Affairs
'[… this book] covers an enormous amount of ground, drawing from an
admirably wide range of texts and showing an impressive mastery of
multiple literatures. … [It] is an exemplar of problem-driven
interdisciplinarity and a model of how theorists can and should
make use of cultural resources to understand our world.' Benjamin
L. McKean, Contemporary Political Theory
'How can utopianism inform a response to the climate crisis?
Examining utopianism in political theory and speculative fiction,
Mathias Thaler demonstrates how utopianism already functions in
both genres. Through sensitive analyses of Bruno Latour; N.K.
Jemisin; eco-modernists like Steven Pinker and Kim Stanley
Robinson; and eco-pessimists like the Dark Mountain Collective and
Margaret Atwood, Thaler shows not just the variety of utopianism
but also how utopianism motivates readers toward action, even in
what feels like dystopian times.' Joel Alden Schlosser, Political
Science Quarterly
'The book is an excellent example of cross-disciplinary work,
bringing together political philosophy, insights from literary
studies, and environmental humanities. In that respect, [it] is an
important work for scholars working across utopian studies as well
as scholars working more broadly on utopian thought in political
philosophy and environmental humanities. Thaler's theories of
utopian fault lines open a productive line of enquiry with the
potential for studies to investigate the other fault lines that
underpin utopian literature.' Ruth Houghton, Global Policy
'Drawing upon the utopian trope as manifested in theory and
fiction, Thaler tackles the difficult question of how we can shape
a future for humanity and for nonhuman lifeforms on a radically
altered planet. His methodical analysis and critique of utopian
ideas, and his innovative use of speculative fiction to shed light
on and add depth to theoretical discussions on Earth and our
future, constitute an important intellectual contribution to this
critical debate.' Nicole Rogers, The Review of Politics
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