They Could Be Saviors
Diana Colleen
PLH Press (2026)
ISBN: 979-8999808516
Reviewed by Rachel Meghan for Reader Views (07/2026)
What a lovely idea Diana Colleen presents in her book, They Could Be Saviors. Billionaires are actively making the planet unlivable, so the solution is to kidnap and force them to come up with a solution to climate change, with the aid of mind-altering psychedelics, of course. Colleen says in her authors’ note that the idea for this book came to her during a meditation session after her own psychedelic therapy, and I have to say, I think she’s onto something.
They Could Be Saviors introduces the idea that the greed of a billionaire can be changed through forced and monitored use of MDMA, psilocybin mushrooms, and ayahuasca. In the novel, a group of the world’s richest and most powerful men is brought together to a remote compound by a group of women determined to change their minds in ways that maybe aren’t that ethical, but might just be necessary. One by one, the billionaires have their awakenings, not without a fight that at times turns dangerous. Will they solve the climate disaster before the world becomes unsafe to live in? Or are they too caught up in their greed, their space colonization, and billion-dollar businesses to care about the rest of the world?
It’s an idealized situation that Colleen writes about. Because of course, all it would take to solve the world’s problems is to change the minds of the ones who hold the most power. In a world where individual people feel powerless as to where we as a species are heading, it’s cathartic to read about an alternate universe where these problems are being worked on, where there’s hope instead of doomerism. It really is an astounding book, a solid idea with a meticulously executed manner of storytelling, and I commend Colleen for writing it.
As the author says in her final note, billionaires are like dragons, hoarding wealth from the world, not helping the large majority of its people who are suffering one way or another. The world in They Could Be Saviors shows what happens if these dragons got a dose of empathy, and effectively demonstrates what a new world could look like.
At a Glance:
A speculative literary novel that imagines a radical response to the climate crisis. A group of activists abducts powerful billionaires and subjects them to psychedelic-assisted therapy in hopes of transforming their values and inspiring global change. Contains discussions of psychedelics, climate anxiety, and ethical dilemmas.
Best for Readers Who Enjoy:
climate fiction, speculative fiction, social commentary, environmental themes, billionaire satire, psychedelic therapy, moral dilemmas, activist fiction, thought-provoking literary fiction, books about systemic change