Climate Fiction – A Genre of Literature for the Earth’s Future
Dr.T.Murugavel
Professor and Head
Department of Humanities and Social Sciences
Sri Venkateswara College of Engineering
Sriperumbadur, Tamilnadu, INDIA
Abstract
Science and literature were in two different fields until the early 1990s. However, when science advanced
in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, literature also responded to it. Stories on scientific information
and how science would change life on earth emerged. In the early part of the twentieth century, writers
started writing on how anthropogenic activities alter the natural world. This writing evolved into fictional
forms. This paper attempts to trace this progress in the literature and elucidates how climate fiction
emerged as a new genre of literature. Using a few novels as examples, this paper further explains how
climate change issues are represented in these fictions.
Keywords: eco criticism, science fiction, climate fiction, cli-fi, climate novel
Nature has always been an inspiring source for humans. In the primordial days, humans feared nature.
However, as their understanding of nature improvised, humans looked at it as a source of inspiration.
Right from Stone Age paintings to modern films, one can see nature's myriad forms being represented in
one way or another.
Nature and Literature
Nature represented in art and literary forms of ancient civilizations prove that yester year’s humans have
always had a great understating of nature. The best example could be Tamil’s Sangam Literature. Even
during this period, the Tamils have divided the landscape into five regions based on the ecosystem of that
region and they called it ‘thinai’. “The thinais are not inevitably distinct landscapes but they can also be
understood as a lively biological environment that has cyclically developed, due tonatural forces or
human civilization”. (Rajantheran, M.155) These five landscapes are Kurinji(hills) ,Mullai (forest),
Marutham (agriculture lands) , Neithal (seashore) and Palai (arid land).These landscapes were named
after the keystone plant species of that landscape.
Nature has always been portrayed in English literature all through the years, for example, “You'll find
lions, leopards, and bears (although no tigers), along with nearly 100 other animals, insects, and non-
human creatures, mentioned throughout the Old and New Testaments. And while dogs figure prominently
in several Biblical passages, interestingly there is not one mention of a domestic cat in the canon of
Scripture.” (Fairchild, Mary. “The Ultimate List of Animals Mentioned in the Bible”). Nature was dealt
with in all its glory during the Romantic Era. During this period, Nature was considered as an immaculate
and a sacred source of resilience and regeneration. Writers appreciated the beauty of nature and they
stressed the urgent need to reunite with it and be part of its sublimity and grandeur.
Dr.T.Murugavel
1
The Indian Review of World Literature in English Vol.16 No.II July – December 2020
Writing about the Environment
Even after the romantic period nature has been considered mostly as a thing of beauty. Conversely, it was
Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring (1962) that redefined how writers looked at the natural world. Neither did
she romanticize nature nor did she appreciate its aesthetics. But she talked about the kind of negative
impact humans had on Nature. Though not a fiction, her book was compared with great novels for the
kind of impact it had on its readers. “Her willingness to pose the moral question led “Silent Spring” to be
compared with Harriet Beecher Stowe’s “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” written nearly a century earlier. Both
books reflected the mainstream Protestant thinking of their time, which demanded personal action to right
the wrongs of society. Yet Carson, who was baptized in the Presbyterian Church, was not religious. One
tenet of Christianity, in particular, struck her as false: the idea that nature existed to serve man.”
(Griswold, Eliza. “How ‘Silent Spring’ Ignited the Environmental Movement”).
More than her concern for Nature and the kind of ethical stand she took, the book’s success was because
of her lucid writing on scientific facts. In simple terms, Carson took science to all. Even the general
population was able to understand what she intended to convey to them through her writings. She
expected people to realize the brunt of their deeds, and change. “Carson intended to trigger change, but on
the face of it, Silent Spring seemed unlikely to manage that. It was a beautiful book written by a scientist
at a time when scientists were not 'supposed to' write beautiful books. It was about pesticides, chemistry,
and society — by a researcher who studied fish.” (Dunn, R. “In retrospect: Silent Spring”. 485, 578–579).
This was also a big factor that differentiated her from the other scientists of her time. Almost all scientists
were contented with writing their hypotheses and proofs in peer-reviewed journals. They were not
inclined to reach out to the public. But Carson wanted to reach people and disseminate. She wrote about
something that was connected to their life “and it concerned the perils of excessive use of pesticides at a
time when pesticides were widely believed to be part of the progress of civilization.” (485, 578–579).
The book’s success resulted in the ban of DDT and the implementation of stringent norms regulating the
use of pesticides and more importantly, it ignited the environmental movement globally. It was around
this time, writers started writing about the relationship between humans and nature, not aesthetically but
critically. Science, till then, was not part of literature. As more and more writings on nature gained
attention and prominence, they were grouped as nature writing or green writing. In the United States, the
study of green writing was labelled as Eco Criticism and Cheryll Glotfelty of Cornell University was
responsible for this. “On the British side of things, Eco-criticism emerged through critic Jonathan Bate’s
Romantic Ecology: Wordsworth and the Environmental Tradition; and similar to Silent Springs, many
British critics have drawn inspiration from Raymond Williams’ book The Country and the City. Another
pioneer of Ecocriticism,” (DeMott, Nick. “A Brief History of Ecocriticism: Where Literature and the
Environment Cross Paths”).
Eco-criticism has thus got established itself and grew as a variety of literature. However, it was too broad
and not precisely defined. But one salient feature that connected all the works that were grouped under
this field has been the physical environment and literature. The physical environment was inclusive of
human and non-human components. This has been a major shift from the earlier forms of literary
expressions which always had humans as the centre or at the top. The inclusion of non-human beings in
the space which was considered as a human-centered resulted in viewing the world in a new discernment.
Consequently, a new point of discussion was on how humans’ influence and impact the other counterparts
that share the natural world. When writers let their imagination go beyond their usual spheres of operation
they created fresh thoughts, which had science as their base. Extinction of species, global warming,
greenhouse effects, became topics of discussion and as a result, stories based on these themes emerged.
Dr.T.Murugavel
2
The Indian Review of World Literature in English Vol.16 No.II July – December 2020
Sci-Fi’s and Cli-Fi’s
Like the science fiction of the 18th century, these novels talked about how anthropogenic activities will
influence the ecosystem in the future but they were not futuristic fantasies. When Issac Asimov wrote
about the humanoid robot, robots were a fantasy for people. Similarly, “In 1945, long before the first
satellite orbited Earth, Arthur C. Clarke famously described how radio signals could bounce off satellites
for long-distance communication. Today, communications satellites are common.” (Emerging
Technology. “When science fiction inspires real technology”). What were elaborately described in
science fiction, in scientific terms about advancements in science, are experienced by humans today.
Long-distance videoconferencing or robots performing chores of humans are now a reality. However,
when these were discussed in the science fiction of yesteryears, not many believed that it would be a
possibility.
If the same logic is applied to present-day climate fictions then it would be easy for anyone to understand
that things that are said in these stories might be today’s fantasies but, in the future, they might turn out to
be realities.
This kind of futuristic theme combined with science made it difficult to classify these novels under a
genre. Science fiction also faced similar issues. Many did not consider these writings as literature for
quite some, as they were published in pulp magazines. But this increased the readership of these stories
and they became popular. (James & Mendlesohn, xvi).
For some, science fiction is a story that is “compatible with current scientific knowledge and it
communicates this knowledge to its readers” (McLeod, 171). In a similar way, when eco-criticism
developed into a subject and when writers started writing stories that talked about dystopian societies as a
result of the human abuse of nature, it was difficult to group these stories under an umbrella. “Yet to
describe these as climate-change novels is also problematic, in the sense that climate change as we now
know it didn’t exist in the 1960s - or rather, it existed as scientific fact but not as the social phenomenon
that is now so pervasive and familiar.” (Dobson Andrew. “The fiction of climate change”). In a way, it is
a fact because; global warming is a recent phenomenon. Though there were so many other environmental
issues like poaching, deforestation, and fossil fuel depletion even before the 1960s, there was not much
awareness on these issues among the people. Even if any of them knew they did not care much. It was
under these circumstances, climate fictions emerged. “Many climate change dystopias offer object lessons
in environmentalist empathy, suggesting that—quite simply—love will let us save, survive, or escape an
ecologically degraded planet. Where SF has conventionally revelled in technological world-building,
these novels push the dark, dystopian side of science to the extreme, and insist on care and love as its only
viable alternative”. (Johns-Putra, Adeline. 128).
It cannot be denied that both science fictions and climate fictions have more than one thing in common.
Both are futuristic, they talk about science and cover a variety of themes. Therefore, it is convenient to
even consider climate fiction as a subsidiary of science fiction.
Climate fiction – a few foretastes
Writers from almost all major nations have made their contribution to this field of literature. At the same
time, some do not believe in global warming, even among writers. One of the prominent campaigners, in
this attempt, is Michael Crichton. He, being a nonbeliever in the concepts like global warming and
climate change, has never been shy of voicing it in international forums and all possible opportunities. His
book State of Fear (2004) is more like a scientific treatise. He starts his book with a disclaimer that it is an
imaginary tale, but the scientific data, used in the book by the characters are real.
Dr.T.Murugavel
3
The Indian Review of World Literature in English Vol.16 No.II July – December 2020
Interestingly, these are also the data that were used by scientists to prove that global warming is a myth.
He talks about eco-terrorists who scheme genocide to make global warming a reality. Nevertheless, the
story received a mixed response. Especially, the scientists who specialise in climate change research said
that the author has used the scientific data partially and to his benefit. They wrote articles to explain how
Crichton’s novel is misleading and designed to spread misconceptions about climate change. “In the
course of telling the story, Crichton paints a picture of climate science that is one-sided, error-ridden, and
undeserving of notice from experts in the field. But Crichton sees his commentary on climate science as
much more than a backdrop to an adventure story.” (Miller, Alan. “Bad Fiction, Worse Science”).
On the whole Crichton’s novel, despite qualifying as climate fiction, advocates against global warming.
At the same time, there are also other writers, who believe in global warming and talk about its impact on
the globe. The finest example is Barbara Kingsolver’s Flight Behaviour (2012). She, in her novel, talk sin
detail about how Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) unexpectedly change their migratory path and
shift their location to Southern Appalachia. The story talks about how this incident of these displaced
butterflies helps an archetypal frustrated housewife, Dellarobia Turnbow, metamorphosis into an
environmentally conscious individual. Through the conversations of the characters, the author takes
science to her readers in a very simple but effective language. Along with the protagonist, the readers also
learn, how Monarchs travel hundreds of kilometres to their wintering locations and how the
anthropogenic activities like deforestation, changing agriculture practices like the use of pesticides,
resulting in habitat fragmentation and loss, destruction of their host plants (milkweeds), and fluctuating
weather conditions, floods and droughts, affect them. Because of these reasons they change their
migratory pattern and path, only to end up in the wrong places. Monarch’s population is declining at a
very alarming rate. “Their numbers have been declining progressively. The Eastern North American
migratory Monarch (Danaus plexippus) abundance in Ohio is declining by 7% per year.” (Wepprich
T,Adrion JR, et al. “Butterfly abundance declines over 20 years of systematic monitoring in Ohio,
USA.”). Barbara Kingsolver talks about these factors in her novel. She brings in natural events like
torrential rains, sudden floods, and migrating butterflies and combines them with her imagination to
present a fascinating climate novel. The author has declared these at the end of the novel. More
importantly, the misguided migration of the monarchs is a certainty. She says“...the biotic consequences
of climate change tax the descriptive powers... (594).”
McEwan’s Solar (2010) is yet another Climate fiction that details the life of a Nobel Prize-winning
Physicist Michael Beard, who is a self-centered, adulterous, and self-indulgent person. Though a
physicist, he is commissioned to head the government’s new renewable energy research centre. The story
goes on to explain how he complicates his life by claiming his research assistant’s research idea as his
own. Throughout the story the author has given his readers scientific information on climate change,
melting of icebergs, and running out of fossil fuels.
Several other novels deal global warming and climate change like Amitav Ghosh’s The Hungry Tide,
Lauren Groff’s short story collection Florida (2018), Rita Indiana’s Tentacle (2015), Nathaniel Rich’s
Odds Against Tomorrow (2013), Kim Stanley Robinson’s New York 2140. Apart from these, there are
Barkskins (2016) by Annie Proulx, Aurora (2015) by Kim Stanley Robinson, The Swan Book (1997) by
Alexis Wright have made their presence felt. Authors like, Margaret Atwood, Kurt Vonnegut Jr, Barbara
Kingsolver, Doris Lessing, Cormac McCarthy, Ian McEwan, and T Coraghessan Boyle have made
credible contributions.
As there are a lot of themes that the climate fictions offer the readers need to have at least some
knowledge of the topic of discussion. This aspect of climate fiction makes the authors of these stories
more responsible. They need to be committed to making their writings intelligible. However, for any
reader who is sensitive to the changes that happen in the world and if the individual can relate to the
changes to the themes it would not be difficult for anyone to appreciate the narratives.
Dr.T.Murugavel
4
The Indian Review of World Literature in English Vol.16 No.II July – December 2020
One of the latest developments in climate novels is the emergence of novels that aim at the younger
generation. The Carbon Diaries 2015 by Saci Lloyd is an eco-thriller for teenagers. Another interesting
feature of this novel is that it discusses a policy for climate change and how it influences the system.
“Britain is the first country in the world to introduce carbon-rationing, and every citizen has been issued
with a carbon-card. How do young people live, love and make their way in a carbon-constrained world?
But the climate-change backdrop often disappears from sight as the story turns into a ... novel for
teenagers.” (Dobson, Andrew. “The fiction of climate change”).
It is of literary interest to note that climate fiction is slowly but steadily getting established itself as a new
kind of literary form. It is a known fact that global weather patterns are changing and that results in
unpredictable flood and drought. Extinction of species is hastened. Under these circumstances, the novels
that discuss these themes play a major role in educating the general public on issues related to climate
change. “One US University is now offering a literature course on cli-fi novels and movies for graduate
students working on degrees in environmental studies and literature. For Stephanie Le Menager, who is
leading the class at the University of Oregon this year, the course gives her and her students a chance to
explore the power of literature and film as writers and directors’ grapple with some of the difficult issues
facing humankind as the 21st century unfolds” (Bloom Dan. “Cli-Fi” May Be No Stranger than Reality”).
In the words of Margaret Atwood “A word after a word after a word is power.”... For concerned citizens
the Mother Earth is facing and making all possible changes in their lifestyles to reduce their carbon
footprint and gives themselves and the world a new lease of life.
Works Cited
Carson, Rachel. Silent Spring. Houghton Mifflin Company. 1962.
DeMott, Nick. “A Brief History of Ecocriticism: Where Literature and the Environment Cross Paths”.
Medium https://medium.com/@Nick_DeMott/a-brief-history-of-ecocriticism-a120614d30fc.
Dobson Andrew. “The fiction of climate change.” https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/fiction-of-climate-
change/
Dunn, R. In retrospect: Silent Spring. Nature 485, 578-579 2012https://doi.org/10.1038/485578a
Emerging Technology. “When science fiction inspires real technology”. MIT Technology Review.
https://www.technologyreview.com/2018/04/05/67057/when-science-fiction-inspires-real-technology/
Fairchild, Mary. The “Ultimate List of Animals Mentioned in the Bible”. Learn religions.
https://www.learnreligions.com/animals-in-the-bible-700169
Griswold, Eliza. “How ‘Silent Spring’ Ignited the Environmental Movement.” The New Yorker.
https://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/23/magazine/how-silent-spring-ignited-the-
environmentalmovement.html.
James, Edward, &Mendlesohn, Farah. The Cambridge Companion to Science Fiction. 2003.
Johns-Putra, Adeline. ‘Care and Gender in a Climate-Changed Future: Maggie Gee’s The Ice People’.
Green Planets: Ecology and Science Fiction, edited by Gerry Canavan and
Dr.T.Murugavel
5
The Indian Review of World Literature in English Vol.16 No.II July – December 2020
Kim Stanley Robinson, Wesleyan UP, 2014, pp. 127-42 .
Kingsolver, Barbara. Flight Behavior. A Novel. London: Faber & Faber, 2012.
McEwan, I. Solar. London: Vintage Books. 2010.
Dr.T.Murugavel
6
