But what are we looking for in these stories: a guide to survival? How fictional mistakes can help us solve more urgent, contemporary concerns? Or just a good story? "If we look to the historical precedent of dystopian fiction, I think the vast majority of writers who tackle dystopian worlds are trying to enact a critique strong enough to change the world. There is definitely a certain activism [involved]," muses Fitzsimmons. Morillo proffers that such stories remind us that things could always be worse. "I think we often use dystopian fictions to cope with our problems, rather than just wallow in misery," he says. "They can allay our fears by showing them in extreme, and then often reintroduce some kind of heroic narrative to console those anxieties rather than just magnifying them. Consolation often comes from individual heroic action, as if one good person’s acts will indeed save the world." There’s no doubt that while much of Forest 404’s appeal lies in its urgent interrogation of the damage we are inflicting on the natural world (expanded upon in a series of insightful accompanying talks on the issues each episode raises), there is undoubtedly a sense of hope and encouragement offered by the defiant, funny and self-sacrificing heroine at its heart.