Anthropocene Fictions: The Novel in a Time of Climate Change

273 Pages·2015·1.212 MB·English

by  Adam Trexler

ANTHROPOCENE FICTIONS

ANTHROPOCENE
FICTIONS THE NOVEL IN A TIME
OF CLIMATE CHANGE
Adam Trexler
University of Virginia Press
CHARLOTTESVILLE AND LONDON
University of Virginia Press
© 2015 by the Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper
First published 2015
1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Trexler, Adam.
Anthropocene fictions : the novel in a time of climate change / Adam Trexler.
pages cm — (Under the sign of nature: explorations in ecocriticism)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
isbn 978-0-8139-3691-8 (cloth : alk. paper) — isbn 978-0-8139-3692-5
(pbk. : alk. paper) — isbn 978-0-8139-3693-2 (e-book)
1. Ecofiction—History and criticism. 2. Ecofiction, American—History
and criticism. 3. Climatic changes in literature. 4. Environmentalism in
literature. I. Title.
pn3448.e36t84 2015
809.3936—dc23
2014036319
CONTENTS
Acknowledgments vii
Introduction: Contextualizing the Climate Change Novel 1
ONE Truth: Science, Culture, and Construction 29
TWO Place: Deluge, Floods, and Absence 75
THREE Politics: Opposition, Bureaucracy, and Agency 119
FOUR Eco-nomics: Domesticity, Ecology, and Political Economy 170
Conclusion: The Real and the Future 223
Notes 239
Index 255

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The research for Anthropocene Fictions was partially funded by the European
Social Fund, agreement number 09099NCO5. I also wish to acknowledge
the University of Exeter, where much of the research for this book was
undertaken.
Adeline Johns-Putra saw the early promise of climate change and litera-
ture as an area of study. Although our approaches ultimately diverged, I am
grateful to her as a research supervisor and colleague.
Many colleagues at the University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, were in-
strumental in developing my thinking about climate change. Ilya MacLean
and Hilary Geoghegan were tremendous coinvestigators, and Simon Nay-
lor provided important insights into both the history of science and geog-
raphy. The English, geography, and biosciences departments fostered a re-
markable spirit of interdisciplinary exchange, for which I am truly grateful.
I also wish to acknowledge the insights and encouragement of Greg
Garrard, Evan O’Neil, Dana Phillips, Sharae Deckard, Jenni Halpin, Rich-
ard Kerridge, Heather Sullivan, SueEllen Campbell, and Robert Markley, as
they encountered early versions of this work.
I would like to express my very great appreciation to Boyd Zenner for
her perceptive, enthusiastic, and patient editorial efforts. Carol Sickman-
Garner’s copy editing was a joy to receive; any remaining errors are solely
my own.
My family showed tremendous endurance and faith during the process
of writing this book. My heartfelt thanks to Tom and Lorraine. Fritz and
Carlyn’s support made the completion of this project achievable. Without
Jen, this book would have been impossible, many times over. Thank you.
vii

ANTHROPOCENE FICTIONS