Capitalist realism is dead. Long live utopian realism! A sociological exegesis of Kim Stanley Robinson’s The Ministry for the Future

Abstract

Can utopian realism constitute an antidote to today’s ‘pervasive atmosphere of capitalist realism’, as defined by the late critical theorist Mark Fisher? Through this article, a collaboration between a sociologist and a literary scholar, we argue that the answer to this question is a resounding yes. To substantiate our thesis, we conduct a ‘sociological exegesis’ of the best-selling science fiction book The Ministry for the Future written by the prolific US author Kim Stanley Robinson. The book, set in a quasi-present future, describes a multiplicity of successful transformative strategies implemented to address the ongoing climate crisis and, as the title of the novel suggests, preserve the future of human and non-human life on planet Earth. While still a fictional recount, we claim that the novel possesses a sociological quality since it showcases a unique approach to societal change that we label ‘utopian realism’. This approach combines top-down strategies with grassroots organising, technological solutions with back-to-nature projects, and ecomodernism with eco-spiritualism. We analyse the novel through the lens of contemporary sociological debates on the transformative power of utopianism as found in many science fiction books, movies and TV series. We are especially inspired by the work of Ruth Levitas, Mathias Thaler, McKenzie Wark, Lisa Garforth and Erik Olin Wright. Our conclusion is that The Ministry for the Future represents an attempt to move beyond the dystopian pervasiveness of capitalist realism and thus constitutes a much needed, albeit far from unproblematic, contribution to envisioning just and sustainable alternative futures.