Narrating the Anthropocene Through Ecocritical Perspectives in 21st Century Climate Fiction and Dystopian Prose

Abstract

The present paper seeks to discuss the presentation of the Anthropocene epoch in the works of 21st century cli-fi in terms of ecocriticism. The themes related to environmental issues that will be analyzed include environmental apocalypse, resource depletion, and techno-oppression. Dystopia in cli-fi will be viewed from the perspective of its importance in showing the impacts of environmental catastrophe. Moreover, by means of ecocritical analysis, this research intends to highlight the relationship between humans and nature, as well as the ethical implications associated with it. The importance of ecocritical approaches will also be explained by pointing out how climate fiction addresses both negative aspects and possible ways of solving environmental problems. Through the themes of survival, resilience, and sustainability, climate fiction becomes both a mirror and a voice that is used to address climate change. In terms of the discussion, the paper underlines the significance of including ecocriticism in literary studies as a means of gaining deeper insight on the challenges that the Earth has to face in the context of Anthropocene. Finally, the paper indicates possible areas for further investigation such as ecocriticism in combination with other approaches to literary theory, agency and hope in climate fiction, as well as comparison between various types of speculative literature in their depiction of social and ecological issues.