Ecotopia

Ecotopia is a novel set in an alternative historical timeline, one in which Washington, Oregon, and Northern California have seceded from the United States to form a new country: Ecotopia. After independence, the two countries have severed all diplomatic relations and have existed side-by-side with virtually no communication, though there is plenty of mutual distrust, even after twenty years. Enter the novel’s protagonist, William Weston, “top international affairs reporter” for the Times-Post newspaper, who has secured the “first officially arranged visit by an American to Ecotopia,” in order to explore America’s neighbor and try to understand its society and people (1). In addition, Weston has a more pointed mission directly from the American president: to reestablish diplomatic ties and float the prospect of reunification.

The novel itself consists solely of Weston’s writings, both the twenty-four articles he writes and files for the Times-Post during his visit to Ecotopia, interspersed with his personal journal entries from the duration of his trip. We begin with Weston’s apprehensive first journal entry and column composed on his way to the country, unsure of what he will find when he gets there, since the only information Americans have about Ecotopia comes from rumor and speculation, most of which has been negative.