Melissa Booth, PhD

Exploring the space between what science can do and what it should.

I'm a marine microbiologist, climate science educator, and novelist working at the intersection of science and storytelling.

This is where I think out loud about climate science, geoengineering, ocean systems, and what it takes to write fiction that grapples with complexity. I publish roughly twice a month—sometimes about the science, sometimes about the craft of writing, always trying to make sense of the messy choices ahead.

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Why I am Writing This Newsletter
Why I am Writing This Newsletter

We need stories that sit in the messy middle—where we have options, none of them perfect, and we still have to choose.

Why I Changed My Mind About Geoengineering Research
Why I Changed My Mind About Geoengineering Research

And we need stories that help us think through that complexity—not stories that give us permission to look away or simple villains to blame.

What Marine Microbiology Taught Me About Writing Fiction
What Marine Microbiology Taught Me About Writing Fiction

But the more I write, the more I realize I'm using the same skills. Observation. Systems thinking. Patience. Precision. Comfort with complexity. The ability to zoom in on the microscopic detail and zoom out to see the whole system.

Hear from me every month!

This newsletter is where I think out loud about climate science, ocean systems, geoengineering, and what it takes to write fiction that grapples with complexity rather than collapsing into either techno-optimism or doom.

Newsletter topics include geoengineering, behind-the-scenes novel writing, science in fiction, real world science that affects you, and easy to understand climate explainers.

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