Climate Fiction: How Climate Change Will Effect Us
Climate fiction, sometimes called "cli-fi", is a literary genre that deals with the impacts of climate change. According to a recent articles in the Atlantic and Wired, the term 'cli-fi" was coined in 2007 by climate activist and writer Dan Bloom who was looking to spice up the dull name 'climate fiction' and raise awareness about global warming. In this genre, authors take climate change predictions to their logical conclusion and explore how people may survive. Climate fiction (and its related eco-fiction) is considered a subcategory of science fiction. Popular authors of this genre are Margaret Atwood, Paolo Bacigalupi and Kim Stanley Robinson.
With the United Nations Conference of Climate Change being held soon, from November 30 – December 11, 2015 in Le Bourget, France, this is a great time to try one of the many books in this growing genre.
Here are a few 'cli-fi' books:
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Forty Signs of Rain by Kim Stanley Robinson
Senate environmental staffer Charlie Quibler must find a way to get a skeptical Washington administration to act on climate change before it's too late. His wife, Anna, who works at the National Science Foundation, comes across a proposal for a revolutionary process that could solve the problem of global warming. However, when a race to control the budding technology begins, the stakes only get higher and fate is about to create a twist that will place them at the heart of an unavoidable storm.
• eBook
Gold Fame Citrus by Claire Vaye Watkins
Unrelenting drought has changed Southern California. In this barren world most "Mojavs," prevented moving to lusher regions, have allowed themselves to be evacuated to internment camps. Two young Mojavs, Luz and Ray, squat in an abandoned mansion subsisting on whatever they can loot or scavenge. When they cross paths with a mysterious child, they begin to thirst for a better future.
• eBook
• eAudiobook
Memory of Water by Emmi Itäranta
In the far north of the Scandinavia, in the power state of New Qian, Noria Kaitio studies to become a tea master. It is a position that holds great responsibility and a dangerous secret. Tea masters alone know the location of hidden water sources, including the natural spring that once provided water for her whole village. Nominated for the Arthur C. Clarke Award 2015.
• eBook
Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
In this first book of the Maddaddam trilogy, Snowman is struggling to survive in a world where he may be the last human. He embarks on a journey through the lush wilderness that was recently a great city, until powerful corporations took mankind on an uncontrolled genetic engineering ride.
• Large Print
• Audiobook
• eBook
• eAudiobook
• Talking Book (Restricted to print disabled patrons)
The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi
In an American Southwest decimated by drought, Angel Velasquez is working as a water cutter, ensuring through violence that lush, luxurious developments have access to water. Sent off to investigate a new source, Angel meets journalist Lucy and migrant Maria. The three work together when they find themselves used as pawns, but in this world where water is more valuable than gold, alliances shift like the sand.
• Large Print
• Audiobook
• eBook
If you prefer to learn about climate change from non-fiction books, have a look at the Readings on Mother Earth blog post for some suggested titles to get started.
Note: Both Atlantic and Wired are available for free (with a library card) through Zinio, the Toronto Public Library's eMagazine service.
6 thoughts on “Climate Fiction: How Climate Change Will Effect Us”
Oops – since this is the library’s website, you’d better fix your heading quickly. The verb is affect and the noun is effect, so:
How will climate change AFFECT us?
What EFFECT will climate change have on us?
Thanks so much Denise. You are absolutely correct! I thought I had fixed it before publishing, but it slipped through after all.
Kelli, very good piece and I will add it to my link farm of cli-fi news articles and analyses from the four corners of the world at The Cli-Fi Report at http://cli-fi.net
As a committed climate activist and non-PhD literary theorist who was looking to spice up the dull name of ‘climate fiction’ and make it more media headline-savvy and short for headline space, while also raising awareness about global warming, I was happy to see your very good piece here. Bravo.
One note to Kelli: You typed ”Gold Flame Citrus” when you meant to type ”Gold Fame Citrus.” Since the theme of the novel is that three things made California a mecca: gold….Hollywood fame….and orange groves……..This small typo is what is known as an ”atomic typo” since the words are spelled correctly but SPELLCHECK cannot “see” them in their different contexts. We need humans for this. Fix later if you can. See http://atomictypo.blogspot.com
Another typo! Yikes. I was definitely working to fast on this one. Thank you so much for letting me know about that error and for sharing the information on ‘atomic typo’.
Thank you for your kind words Dan.