CLIMATE FICTION – A NEW GENRE
In the 21st century a new genre of fiction has emerged: novels known as "climate fiction" – or "cli-fi," for short. Writers of this increasingly popular branch of fiction imagine the impact of climate change on the future of our planet and possible ways to prevent the environmental and social catastrophes that could lie ahead. Some of them paint a very gloomy picture of a future full of dramatic changes. Most, however, present a world where the Earth and its inhabitants ultimately survive.(lines 1–6)
Like science fiction ("sci-fi"), which has been around since the 19th century, the new genre sets its stories at some point in the future. Sci-fi, however, deals with a much wider range of contemporary scientific and social problems. Moreover, when sci-fi authors describe a world transformed by climate change, many of the solutions they offer are pure fantasy – involving, for example, travel back through time to the distant past. Cli-fi authors, by contrast, are much more focused on reality. They aim to alert readers not only to possible climate disasters, but also to the fact that our future depends on the lifestyle choices we make today.(lines 7–13)
But for cli-fi to achieve these goals, says environmentalist Jasper Corren, it must use genuine scientific information. "Providing readers with unreliable or inaccurate facts," he warns, "can have very negative consequences." As an example, he points to the film The Day After Tomorrow, which is based on the book The Coming Global Superstorm, where the whole world rapidly freezes due to climate change. "Viewers don't realize that such an event is scientifically impossible, and regard the film as factually correct," says Corren. "As a result, it's impossible to convince them that the real dangers of climate change are heat waves and flooding."(lines 14–20)
Most cli-fi writers, however, put a lot of effort into avoiding such errors. According to professor of literature Simona Dunn, they understand their responsibility, and interview experts on climate change to ensure that their novels contain accurate details. In addition, she says, scientists are not portrayed as eccentrics interested only in abstract problems. "In these books they are heroes – real people searching for solutions to enormous challenges. And my research has shown that this increases readers' trust in what they've been telling us for years."(lines 21–26)
How influential is the new genre? The answer is still unclear. One recent survey found that after reading a cli-fi novel, people expressed greater concern about the impact of climate change. Unfortunately, the effect was short-lived, lasting only a few months. Moreover, it did not lead to changes in lifestyle. "I was surprised to learn that readers haven't even increased their use of public transportation," says Corren. Nevertheless, he believes that cli-fi novels play a vital role: "They promote discussion of this major issue. Even if that's all they do, it's a big step in the right direction."(lines 27–32)