Why is every little territory of our lives colonised by devices? And why has technology invaded the planet, as the only force capable – so we are told – of keeping it liveable and getting global warming under control? In this pellucid and pithy essay, Tanner Mirrlees and Imre Szeman strip away the illusions around dead things supposed to be green – EVs, carbon capture, clouds, AI and much more – connect them to the far right and Hollywood, write the history of the cult and critique of modern tech and, most importantly, insist on shaking off this preoccupation. Only if living human beings rediscover their freedom to shape the world can it become less destructive. Essential reading for an age saturated with gadgets.

Andreas Malm, author of 'The Long Heat: Climate Politics When It's Too Late', with Wim Carton

Can Elon Musk, Bill Gates and other big-tech Prometheans tackle the climate crisis on our behalf using technologies so clever they seem like magic? No, is the emphatic answer detailed in this absorbing and alarming book. Capitalism California-style is the root of our global problems, not the source of much-needed solutions. Wake up from your 'green dreams' is the urgent message of Mirrlees and Szeman.

Noel Castree, Professor of Geography, University of Manchester, UK, & Adjunct Professor, University of Technology Sydney, Australia

The energy landscape is shifting beneath our feet. Solar and wind power are spreading, as are right-wing movements that defend fossil fuels, allied with tech elites who demand more energy. Green Dreams is an indispensable guide through this morass. At the root of the problem, argue Tanner Mirrlees and Imre Szeman, is our widespread faith in technology as the only hope for a better future. From Hollywood to liberal environmentalists, and from AI to China's green tech boom,Mirrlees and Szeman tell a dynamic story of how techno-optimism rose to power, turned green, and remains as strong as ever. Readers will find the tools to dislodge that false hope and bring better energy dreams to life.

Cara Daggett, author of Birth of Energy