“Green to Grey” Explores Environmental Impacts Through Short Fiction

Reviewed by Lisa Timpf

Pollution, environmental degradation, and the loss of starlight are among the scenarios depicted in the thirteen stories in Green to Grey: An Environmental Anthology. Edited by Ian Thomas Shaw and Timothy Niedermann, this fiction collection is divided into two sections, Green (eight stories), and Grey (five stories). In all, the collection includes the work of nine authors, with some writers contributing two stories.

In the Introduction, the editors state, “the eclectic stories in this anthology speak to our changing climate and degrading environment—the transformation of our world from green to grey.” They add that the tone of the stories ranges from sardonic, to whimsical and poetic—an assessment I find accurate after reading the collection.

Some stories are set in the present day or near future, while others take place a long time from now. Among the most compelling pieces are two stories set in Latin America, “Patagonia” by Cora Siré, and “Tio,” by Matthew Murphy. “Patagonia” revolves around the protagonist’s experiences during three visits to Patagonia, with the visits set about ten years apart, the last one taking place in 2020. The protagonist visits different areas of Patagonia, learning about the culture and history of the area while admiring the natural beauty.

The fragility of the ecosystems, the negative effects of deforestation, and the environmental impact of issues like degradation of the ozone layer, pesticide use, and drought are revealed in a way that is organic to the story. The protagonist notes, “it’s tempting to fall for the illusion that this landscape looks exactly as it did millennia ago, carved by the ice age, flooded by the glacier melt,” but realizes that “the water is actually warmer than it once was, the air impure, the unseeable wildlife in distress.”

“Tio” is a compelling, layered tale about Bolivian miners and the Western tourists who come to visit their country. The miners’ difficult lives, often brutishly shortened by their working conditions, is brought home by small details provided by the author.

Meanwhile, we also get to see the experiences of the Western tourists who visit the mines. The tourists see the day’s excursion into the mine as a risky adventure they can brag about later. As the story progresses, the reader is privy to details that highlight the way the tourists fail to fully empathize with the realities of daily life in the areas they are visiting. “Tio” is a deftly-told story that uses multiple characters to good effect.

Michael Mirolla’s “Hothouse Love,” described in the Introduction as “a cautionary tale told to aliens,” features the intriguing characters Bob the Preacher and the No-Name Puppy. Mirolla offers a parable about humanity’s treatment of the environment. While sardonic at times, “Hothouse Love” contains some lyrical passages.

Ursula Pflug’s “A Green and Just Recovery” builds resonance by referencing the works and life of author Malcolm Lowry. In this story, protagonist Simon lives in the present, but spends time nostalgically thinking about the past. “A Green and Just Recovery” is a quiet story that reminds us how easy it is to undervalue the good things in our lives—until we lose them.

“Grey-ish” by Ian Thomas Shaw is bitingly satirical. The setting is clearly laid out by the opening sentence: “The last gas station in Canada closed last week.” The protagonist describes himself as “an elderly gent, mostly bionic with a lot of Costco aftermarket parts.” He has an AI implant that his nephew, a neuro-app designer, had a hand in setting up. The AI implant reminds him to “keep walking—500 steps per hour—or risk an electric shock.”

Elizabeth May, leader of the Evergreen Party, is now Prime Minister, largely by default: Liberal and Conservative politicians have “headed to Cuba for cheap health care.” The story continues in this sort of vein, taking shots at political entities and personages and using acronyms to comic effect.

While the stories vary in length, theme, and tone, the collection as a whole is united by focus on the environment. Some stories tackle issues at the micro level, some focus on the macro level, and some aim in between. As is the case with many collections, I found I connected with some stories more than others.

All of the stories, however, brought home the way the choices we make individually and as a society impact not only the environment, but other entities (human and non) with which we share the planet. As the editors note in the introduction, “If fiction is to serve a purpose, it should be to stimulate reflection on what we have done and are doing. As our world rolls toward the abyss of environmental collapse, can we not change course?”

The stories in Green to Grey sometimes take us to dark places. Even on a good day, it’s easy to feel that the combination of human and corporate greed that has caused so much of the planet’s misery is just too powerful to be countered. But it’s up to us whether we accept that as a given, or continue to take what action we can to heal the planet. As Ian Thomas Shaw notes in the opening story, “Green-ish,” “We live in hope until we don’t.”

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About the Editors

Ian Thomas Shaw is the author of two novels: Soldier, Lily, Peace and Pearls (DeuxVoiliers Publishing) and Quill of the Dove (Guernica Editions). Choosing Eleonore (Guernica Editions 2021) is his first translation from French to English. Shaw was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. For 34 years, he worked as a diplomat and as an international development worker, living in Africa, the Middle East and Europe. He currently lives in Aylmer, Quebec. He is also the founder of Deux Voiliers Publishing, the Prose in the Park Literary Festival and the Ottawa Review of Books.

Timothy P. Niedermann is a graduate of Kenyon College and attended the Albert-Ludwigs Universitaet in Freiburg, Germany. A professional editor for most of his career, Mr. Niedermann has edited magazines, books, and scholarly journals and has dealt with subject matter ranging from sports to law to public policy to celebrity biography. He is the author of two novels: A Purer Evil and Wall of Dust. A native New Englander by birth, he divides his time between Bethany, Connecticut, and Montreal, Quebec.

Book Details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Guernica Editions (April 1 2025)

• Language ‏ : ‎ English

• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 208 pages

• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1771839295

• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1771839297