Woodworth’s response is to hope that “[climate fiction] writers really can be agents of change…but how?” Great question, but her answer misses the original premise of her essay about the efficacy of climate fiction to help foster climate action and instead posits a generic solution: “I could invite readers of my climate novel, Little Great Island, to perform one small act or behavior change that will help mitigate climate change. Each person could choose the act that made sense in their own life.”
There’s nothing wrong with the sentiment, but it avoids the question of what climate fiction may be capable of, which, I argue, is to help readers identify with today’s issues on climate change by identifying themselves within fictional characters who experience the pains and pressures of today’s climate change experience and the decisions of these characters toward positive understanding and action.
David Guenette is the author of The Steep Climes Quartet, a climate activist, and frequent commentator on climate change and climate fiction. www.davidguenette.com
What is missed by most authors is to succeed the works got to not preach to the choir or sensationalize climate, but sneak in the theme quietly or destruct the worldview logic behind the denial in some other story.
It’s key that those in ambivalent or slight deniers camp love the surface story so that the basis becomes part of their worldview. Most great classic works (Dr Zhivago, Lord of the Rings examples) moved generations of readers worldview to accept worldviews outside what their personal worldviews would have never allowed them to read, greatly reducing polarization.
IMO “Day After Tomorrow” done more to polarize Climate, a great counter example is “AI” which effectively great climate film in the end as only in end of it directly hints strongly a climate driver.
My effort is writing about an incredibly improbable thriller (beyond any James Bond spy thriller) that cause of Ozone depletion by CFCs ever got resolved. Believe me it should have never happened in time! There is huge material in this area and if any interested contact me rougenasa at g mail.
Thanks for this, very inspiring. I agree, storytelling is a powerful way to envision (and bring about) the future we want to create. There’s no reason to write dystopian tales.
I admire the work of the Sunrise Movement, as it involves youth activists for climate justice.
Dear Kate, you ask an important question ... what we know for sure is that we humans are emotional beings (not the rational decision makers we would like to believe). Our behavior is largely shaped by the stories we absorb growing up in a particular culture. Most of the world is currently acting out of stories that say we need "more", that our economies must grow forever, and that we humans are separate from nature. Replacing these outmoded and destructive stories with better stories, stories that support a sustainable, desirable future is best done with fiction. The academic papers of the scientists are not very effective at changing hearts and minds. Changing hearts and minds takes the work of artists ... and fiction writers are perhaps the most critical of them all in this respect.
Thank you so much for this opportunity. As a writer/author of climate fiction for tweens and teens your article crystallizes why I write eco-fiction and cli-fi for tweens and teens to, hopefully, inspire the next generation of wise environmentalists. My organizations of choice: National Environmental Education Association, Writers League, Audubon Society.
Woodworth’s response is to hope that “[climate fiction] writers really can be agents of change…but how?” Great question, but her answer misses the original premise of her essay about the efficacy of climate fiction to help foster climate action and instead posits a generic solution: “I could invite readers of my climate novel, Little Great Island, to perform one small act or behavior change that will help mitigate climate change. Each person could choose the act that made sense in their own life.”
There’s nothing wrong with the sentiment, but it avoids the question of what climate fiction may be capable of, which, I argue, is to help readers identify with today’s issues on climate change by identifying themselves within fictional characters who experience the pains and pressures of today’s climate change experience and the decisions of these characters toward positive understanding and action.
I address these questions in more depth in a new post, “Seriously, More Conversation about Climate Fiction and Its Efficacy” [https://davidguenette.com/seriously-more-conversation-about-climate-fiction-and-its-efficacy/]
David Guenette is the author of The Steep Climes Quartet, a climate activist, and frequent commentator on climate change and climate fiction. www.davidguenette.com
What is missed by most authors is to succeed the works got to not preach to the choir or sensationalize climate, but sneak in the theme quietly or destruct the worldview logic behind the denial in some other story.
It’s key that those in ambivalent or slight deniers camp love the surface story so that the basis becomes part of their worldview. Most great classic works (Dr Zhivago, Lord of the Rings examples) moved generations of readers worldview to accept worldviews outside what their personal worldviews would have never allowed them to read, greatly reducing polarization.
IMO “Day After Tomorrow” done more to polarize Climate, a great counter example is “AI” which effectively great climate film in the end as only in end of it directly hints strongly a climate driver.
My effort is writing about an incredibly improbable thriller (beyond any James Bond spy thriller) that cause of Ozone depletion by CFCs ever got resolved. Believe me it should have never happened in time! There is huge material in this area and if any interested contact me rougenasa at g mail.
PSG
Thanks for this, very inspiring. I agree, storytelling is a powerful way to envision (and bring about) the future we want to create. There’s no reason to write dystopian tales.
I admire the work of the Sunrise Movement, as it involves youth activists for climate justice.
Dear Kate, you ask an important question ... what we know for sure is that we humans are emotional beings (not the rational decision makers we would like to believe). Our behavior is largely shaped by the stories we absorb growing up in a particular culture. Most of the world is currently acting out of stories that say we need "more", that our economies must grow forever, and that we humans are separate from nature. Replacing these outmoded and destructive stories with better stories, stories that support a sustainable, desirable future is best done with fiction. The academic papers of the scientists are not very effective at changing hearts and minds. Changing hearts and minds takes the work of artists ... and fiction writers are perhaps the most critical of them all in this respect.
Thank you so much for this opportunity. As a writer/author of climate fiction for tweens and teens your article crystallizes why I write eco-fiction and cli-fi for tweens and teens to, hopefully, inspire the next generation of wise environmentalists. My organizations of choice: National Environmental Education Association, Writers League, Audubon Society.
What is "wise environmentalism"?