Climate Fiction for Climate Change

Abstract

Climate fiction has become one of the prominent genres in the 2020’s. It has gained much attention academically. As such, climate fiction is studied across diverse fields, including environmental psychology and social geography. To understand its literary and societal impacts, this literature review provides a discussion of the major genre influences. Despite climate fiction’s popularity, there is no current consensus on a precise definition. Many scholars argue that climate fiction is an important tool for climate action, especially for younger audiences. The second-half of this analysis provides an overview of Duke University undergraduate students' interpretation of climate fiction. Students wrote primarily in the nature writing genre. These stories may reflect their understanding of climate change, depicting teachers and parents as knowledge-holders and hope through technological solutions.