Narrative in the Anthropocene

by Erin James

In Narrative in the Anthropocene , Erin James poses two complementary What can narrative teach us about our current geological epoch, defined and marked by the irrevocable activity of humans on the Earth’s geology and ecosystems? and What can our current geological epoch teach us about narrative? Drawing from a wide range of sources—including Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park , Maria Popova’s collective biography Figuring , Richard McGuire’s graphic novel Here , Indigenous and Afrofuturist speculative fiction, and more—James argues that a richer understanding of the forms and functions of narrative in the Anthropocene provides us with invaluable insight into how stories shape our world. At the same time, she contends that the Anthropocene alters the very nature of narrative. Throughout her exploration of these themes, James lays the groundwork for an “Anthropocene narrative theory,” introducing new modes of reading narrative in the Anthropocene; new categories of narrative time, space, narration, and narrativity; and a new definition of narrative itself as a cognitive and rhetorical tool for purposeful worldbuilding.

222 pages, Hardcover

Published April 28, 2022

Reviews

[Lou Braibant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eager to see how the 3 projects work out!

[josie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The content is lovely, but I found it difficult to receive all of the information due to the repetition of some of the content.