Andrea McKenna • May 21, 2026
Salton Sea Tales
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Speculative Fiction Grounded in Science
Salton Sea Tales, a novel by Gabriel Wisdom
A New Novel Rooted in Science and Imagination
Author and broadcaster Gabriel Wisdom explores a timely environmental and geological premise in his latest novel, Salton Sea Tales. The book merges speculative storytelling with scientific research, weaving fact-based creative non-fiction into a “what if” scenario inspired by real evidence.
From the Author
Salton Sea Tales is a fast-paced adventure story which combines both the ‘what if’ elements of speculative fiction with more fact-based creative non-fiction, based upon verifiable geological evidence.
An inland desert sea is drying up, causing an unlikely group of outlaws, stakeholders, and secretive Native Americans to join forces. The story imagines what would happen if geothermal and lithium mining operations at California’s Salton Sea were to accidentally set off the San Andreas Fault, which spans the 330 square mile lake perimeter.
Half of the world’s lakes are less resilient to disturbance than they used to be (Advancing Earth and Space Sciences, 2024), impacting an estimated one in three people. Salton Sea Tales is a plot-driven fictional adventure based in part upon real events with a wildly plausible ending that hasn’t happened… yet.
ALL PROCEEDS BENEFIT THE RAM MEDIA FOUNDATION
Salton Sea Tales Giving Back
Salton Sea Tales is a creative, story-driven look at California’s inland sea. Net proceeds from all sales—paperback, Kindle, and Audible—are donated to Ram Media Foundation, supporting awareness of the ecological crisis at the Salton Sea.
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By: Explore Always on YouTube
This video from Make Tech Future explores the changing future of the Salton Sea — a place long associated with environmental decline, toxic dust, and delayed restoration efforts. The documentary looks at how the shrinking lake unexpectedly became an important habitat for migratory birds along the Pacific Flyway, including a record-breaking shorebird count in 2023. It also covers California’s first major restoration ponds beginning to receive water in 2025 after years of stalled projects and debate. The channel focuses on megaprojects, environmental restoration, and technologies shaping the future of ecosystems around the world.
Source: PBS SoCal
