If hope is a muscle, then how do I build it? Climate-Fiction Author & Editor Tory Stephens + Autumn Brown

In the Season Four premiere of the Climate Changed podcast, Autumn Brown engages in a deeply inspiring conversation with Tory Stephens, a storyteller, cultural worker, and climate justice advocate.

They explore the transformative power of climate fiction and its role in helping us envision the future. Tory discusses his groundbreaking work at Grist, where he co-founded Imagine 2200, an initiative that asks a simple yet radical question: What if we wrote stories not about what we fear but about what we hope to create? The discussion dives into how imagination connects with responsibility, how storytelling serves as a profound form of spiritual leadership, and why envisioning a new reality is essential for climate justice.

Link to discussion guide and transcript www.climatechangedpodcast.org

Grounding: To begin the episode, producer Peterson Toscano leads a grounding exercise by sharing a short, speculative story. Modeled on the type of climate fiction discussed in the episode, the story features a message from "Timothy Meadows from the Future" giving a broadcast from the year 2115. Timothy explores the history of how human relationships with pets and animals shifted and adapted in the face of climate change. This strange and wonderful story sets the stage for the episode by letting imagination lead and inviting listeners to envision a workable, adaptable future.

Resources & Concepts Mentioned:

• Thrutopia: Coined by philosopher Rupert Read and popularized by author Manda Scott through the Thrutopia Masterclass, a Thrutopian narrative threads the needle between utopia and dystopia. It focuses on writing grounded, plausible, and inspiring route maps that show exactly how we navigate through our current struggles to reach a future we'd be proud to leave behind.
• Octavia E. Butler & Bloodchild: Autumn quotes the legendary science fiction author—who was the first African American woman to reach mainstream success in the genre—and her collection Bloodchild and Other Stories, reflecting on how sci-fi stimulates necessary imagination and creativity.
• Humans of New York: The iconic photoblog that Tory credits with changing his perspective early in his career, teaching him the unparalleled power of human-centric storytelling over dry statistics.
• Visionary Fiction: A framework of world-building and storytelling that Autumn Brown and her sister use in their writing retreats, which actively wrestles with the sacred and reclaims spiritual practices.
• Dream Seeds: A term favored by Grist and Imagine 2200 to describe stories that plant concrete, hopeful visions of how society could be organized completely differently.
• Eve Moser & Creating Your Story of Tomorrow: An adult education facilitator guide and video created by renowned environmental artist Eve Moser, available on the BTS Center's Leadership Commons.

Guest Bio: Tory Stephens is a storyteller, cultural worker, and climate justice advocate. At Grist, he co-founded Imagine 2200, a climate-fiction powerhouse, and has produced two anthologies of climate fiction: Afterglow and Metamorphosis. He now focuses on publishing climate fiction year-round and building partnerships that connect culture, justice, and climate solutions. In addition to his work at Grist Magazine, Tory is also involved with the Hollywood Climate Summit.

Connect with Tory & Explore His Work:

• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/torystephens
• Bluesky: @torystephens.bsky.social
• Imagine 2200 (Grist): About Imagine 2200: Climate Fiction
• Read the Anthology: Imagine 2200: We Are What We Nurture
• Read the Book: Afterglow (The New Press)
• More from Tory: Shaping the Future Through Climate Fiction (Podcast Interview)

Thank Yous: We want to extend our deepest gratitude to everyone who made this episode possible:

• Tory Stephens, for sharing his incredible vision, imagination, and wisdom with us.
• Peterson Toscano, producer of Climate Changed, for producing this episode and for providing the wonderful grounding for this episode.
• The BTS Center team, for your ongoing support and for providing the resources and platform that make this podcast possible.