Illustrator Bochica uses knowledge to make the world a better place, to help people express the utopia inside them. He is a social muralist, who supports war-victims communities in Colombia. Concerning the cover art, he wrote the following:

*The technique used was mixed, acrylic and ink on canvas. Painting this piece was a real challenge—synthesizing and imagining a culture made of many ancestral cultures. The arch was inspired by art nouveau but also by Hindu art, while the figures reference both southern and northern Native American cultures. The pillars are like “totems” of Native American origin, but the figures are inspired by Indigenous peoples of South America and the South Pacific, from Easter Island, the Maori, through the Incas to the Mayans and Aztecs. These columns also reference the legend of “Huitaca” from the muysca people, which speaks of a demon who ascended and became the owl—a symbol of wisdom and knowledge in many cultures. In this case, I wanted to refer to the novel’s great library. The circles are inspired by the sun but are also inspired by speakers, referencing the “voice of the people” and social organization within solarpunk.

At the top, there’s a kind of staircase inspired by the “chakana,” an Incan symbol representing the connection between the human world and higher realms.

The mermaid is inspired by “Yemaya,” who is an Orisha or goddess in the Yoruba culture from Haiti.*

And if you read the post or watch the video instead of trying to discourage people from voting, you will see I have considered this and speak to it.

Clearly I don’t have the right setup (or aptitude) for this kind of video. I’m only speaking at the camera because this is life-and-death important.

I think I’m a registered organ donor. Would prefer to donate my whole body to science and sidestep the whole funeral business.

None of you caught it, but apparently AI stole art to make this image. My intention was to hire and fairly pay an illustrator. I sourced Nell Fallcard through Art Station, searching for mermaids, filtering out AI art. She met those criteria. However, I do see that recently she has used AI. Her bio's did not mention AI art, and on her recent pieces I saw that she had used blender, photoshop, and I was less familiar with AI apps and did not spot those. Reddit users voiced concerns that the art was stolen by AI. I hired an independent artist to look the piece over. She determined it was likely AI. To see her analysis, follow this link.

Even given her explanation, I find it unlikely I would be detect similar AI thefts. I will have to be more careful in hiring illustrators in future. My graphic designer also used AI art to make a back cover. I caught that and had him redo it. The front cover was not obvious to me. There are few things less solarpunk that stealing work from artists. I will not be publishing my novel with AI art, which means the release date for Missing Mermaid will be postponed. If you know illustrators who would be excited to work on a solarpunk piece featuring mermaids, do tell.

Good eye.

Yes, in this city there is a fusion power plant. Whether fission power is worthwhile has been a lively debate. Fusion represents a more aspirational goal. In this story it is paired with DAC plants to remove carbon from the atmosphere, another aspirational technology that will be necessary in some form to reverse climate change.

Yes. It is called the Great Wall of Oakland. People dance on it too: Bandaloop.

Yup. Projected in Oakland.

The climate crisis ruins everything.

This is a year before the next presidential election. It’s important to be critical of lesser evils, to force them to work for you. Specifically, this week at APEC, Biden will likely make economic decisions that could cause decades of damage, exploiting oil and labor reserves in Asian countries. Now is the time to call him out and the system as a whole.

Thanks! Hope you enjoy the story. 💚

“To earn revenue, the company is selling carbon removal credits to companies paying a premium to offset their own emissions.” So, this isn’t any help yet. But it will be an important technology to develop because otherwise it takes 300 years for carbon to leave the atmosphere.