INTRODUCTION TO CLI-FI: A NEW TYPE OF FICTION TO ADDRESS A NEW TYPE OF REALITY

Abstract

Over the past couple of decades, literature focusing on climate change has emerged as a significant trend in English-language publishing and readership. This genre is now commonly referred to as climate fiction, or Cli-fi. By the end of the twentieth century, environmentalists and cultural critics were rightly questioning why authors—and artists more broadly—weren't more engaged with this pressing issue. A decade later, a substantial number of works addressing both natural and human-caused climate change were being published across the globe. This surge in artistic and academic interest in climate change fiction is driven by the increasingly evident climatic changes we experience daily. Additionally, there is hope that these plays, novels, short stories, poems, and children’s books might foster greater climate awareness, potentially influencing a more optimistic and actionable approach to environmental policy and politics.

The objective of this research paper is to explore and trace the emergence and development of climate fiction as a literary genre. It seeks to examine how climate fiction originated, the factors that contributed to its rise, and how it has evolved over time to become a significant part of contemporary literature.