by Pexels

CLIMATE CHANGE FICTION

   /   
Sometimes referrred to as 'cli-fi', climate change fiction is based around one of the biggest issues of modern times - climate change. The stories are sometimes dystopian in nature but usually deal with extreme weather events and the ways in which societies currently deal with these issues and plans which need to be made to deal with them in the future.

Burnt Out Victoria Brookman

The Blue Mountains community is being threatened by bushfires. Writer Calida Lyons has lost her home to the fire, she is behind with her latest book and her marriage has broken down. When Calida gives an emotional rebuke to the nation's wealthy elite, she becomes the face of the climate movement.

The New Wilderness Diane Cook

Bea's five year old daughter, Agnes, is slowly dying as her body is consumed by the smog and pollution of a major city. Agnes decides to take Bea to The Wilderness State along with eighteen other volunteers. They will be taking part in an experiment to see if humans can exist in nature without destroying it. As they face various challenges in their new environment, both mother and daughter find their bond tested to the extreme.

The Ministry for the Future Kim Stanley Robinson

The Ministry for the Future is established in 2025. Its goal is to protect all living creatures and to advocate for future generations. The story is told through fictional eye-witness accounts. A commentary on our near future, and one which gives mankind hope for the very many challenges which face us.

Termination Shock Neal Stephenson

A wealthy restaurant owner has a master plan for reversing climate change. He has constructed a complex in the desert capable of firing sulphur-burning jet missiles into the air with the intention of seeding the sky with sulphur dioxide, as studies have shown that doing this can cool the climate by reflecting sunlight away from the earth. The proponents of this geoengineering don’t perceive it as a permanent solution, but rather as a delay of global warming while a better solution can be worked out. In the long run might the cure be worse than the disease?

Bewilderment Richard Powers

 Astrobiologist Theo Byrne searches for life on other planets while solely raising his unusual nine-year-old, Robin, following the death of his wife. Robin's behaviour is sometimes challenging and he displays violent tendencies at school but his father refuses psychoactive drugs for him as his brain is still developing. Robin is questioning a world he sees as headed for self-destruction. His father takes him on a nature trip and conjures up alien life on fictional planets.

Scattered All Over the Earth Yoko Tawada

Translated from Japanese by Margaret Mitsutani. Japan has disappeared from the face of the earth and is now remembered as "the land of sushi". Hiruko, its former citizen and climate refugee is adrift in the world, but is currently living in Denmark. She is on a quest for someone who shares her mother tongue. Her search takes her around northern Europe and Hiruko gathers an entourage around her. A case is made for highlighting the transformational potential of transnational identities and stripping away nationalism.