Cli-Fi an Emerging Trend in Literature Studies

Cli-Fi an Emerging Trend in Literature Studies

AGRITA CHHIBBER

Climate Fiction is the new emerging branch of fiction that literature is hosting.

This Cli-fi literature majorly deals with the subject of climate change, which is contemporary writers’ prime focus.

The works set the plot in the world as present or something in the near future.

Science fiction and dystopian or utopian themes are common in this genre, which imagines possible futures based on how humanity reacts to the effects of climate change.

Rather than concentrating on climate and catastrophes in general, the genre usually explores environmental themes such as anthropogenic climate change.

In studies examining their effects on society, technologies like climate engineering and climate adaptation strategies frequently play a significant role.

The term Cli-fi came into existence by Dan Bloom a freelance climate activist and news reporter.

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Leading writers of the 20th century are Octavia E. Butler and J. G. Ballard, while Margaret Atwood‘s dystopian works are frequently recognised as the direct forerunners of the genre.

Among the well-known science fiction writers since 2010 are Barbara Kingsolver, Paolo Bacigalupi, Kim Stanley Robinson, and Richard Powers.

The genre’s rise was further cemented in 2020 with the release of Robinson’s The Ministry for the Future, which led to remarks from the White House and the UN as well as an invitation for Robinson to meet with Pentagon strategists.

The Cli-fi genre has only become more relevant and well-liked as the scope of the crisis becomes clear.

A galaxy of deeply intersectional worlds in which all communities see themselves represented in the future of our planet, one often rooted in justice and abundance, has also resulted from it, as has an almost bewildering array of subgenres that reflect the lived experiences — current and future — of Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and other folks.

You could use a little more of that right now, so if you’ve never read any climate fiction before, here’s a reading list to help you learn about its history and future directions. Even if you’re an expert in this field, there might be some gems in this collection that you haven’t yet read.

1. American War

Born in Louisiana, Sarat Chestnut is just six years old in 2074 when the Second American Civil War begins. But even she is aware that drones flying in the skies are unmanned, that oil is banned, and that half of Louisiana is submerged. She starts to be influenced by her specific time and location after her father is slain and her family is compelled to relocate to Camp Patience. However, not every individual at Camp Patience is who they say they are.

• Gold Fame Citrus

California is completely cooked due to the ongoing drought. Some Californians persevere despite being severely dehydrated and armed maniacs, even though the majority have chosen for the government to relocate them to more livable parts of the nation.

Among them are Ray, a combat veteran, and Luz, a former Bureau of Conservation poster kid. They are squatting in abandoned palaces, subsisting on soda cans, when they learn about a dowser who is still able to locate water in the parched Earth. They ventured into the desert in search of him, navigating through armed maniacs and government officials.

• Parable of the Sower

This groundbreaking science fiction book tackles issues of social justice, corporate greed, and climate change in a world that has evolved from fiction to reality in the years since it was published.

• Vigil Harbor

An isolated seaside village already dealing with political unrest, natural disasters, and unstable weather is put in jeopardy when two unexpected guests show up. Explore the group of enduring characters that Julia Glass’s vivid mind has created.

• Weather

Sylvia Liller, Lizzie Benson’s former mentor, puts up a suggestion. She wants to recruit Lizzie to answer the mail she gets from people on both the left and right who are concerned about the downfall of western civilization and climate change. She gained notoriety for her insightful podcast, Hell and High Water.

Lizzie starts to ponder what it means to continue caring for your own garden when you’ve witnessed the flames beyond its gates as she plunges more into this divisive society.

• Oryx and Crake

The Earth was in jeopardy long before the great plague that killed most of humanity, as depicted in Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake trilogy.

Tornadoes and severe storms are all too common due to an out-of-control weather system brought on by the failure to stop climate change. There are no longer any seasons—just one endless, sweltering summer—and the coastlines are submerged under water.

Images collected from different sources

Agrita Chhibber is a research Scholar and from Jammu.

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