THE ANTHROPOCENE AND LITERATURE - Exploring Humanity’s Planetary Impact Through Stories

Aug 2, 2026

The Anthropocene and Literature examines how literature and literary studies illuminate humanity’s profound impact on Earth amid climate change, extinction, and planetary crisis. Drawing on scholarship from leading and emerging researchers worldwide, it surveys critical debates across genres and scales—from Romantic precursors and deep time to contemporary climate fiction and speculative futures. The volume connects questions of scale, ethics, and entanglement with infrastructure, animal studies, colonialism, and extractivism.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages375

Reading Time9 h 38 min

AccessFree to download

Overview

The Anthropocene as a Lens for Literary Study

Literature, Scale, Ethics, and Entanglement Across Contexts

Themes and Research Directions

Infrastructure, Animal Studies, Colonialism, and Extractivism

Deep Time and Speculative Futures

How Literature Anticipates and Responds to Human-Planet Relations

THE ANTHROPOCENE AND LITERATURE In recent decades, the Anthropocene has become a powerful concept for understanding climate change, extinction, and planetary crisis, and literature is one of its most vital arenas of reﬂection and imagination. Drawing together the work of both emerging and leading scholars from across the globe, this volume explores how stories, genres, and critical debates illuminate humanity’s profound impact on Earth. From Romantic precursors to contemporary climate ﬁction, from deep time to speculative futures, this volume traces how literature and literary studies grapple with questions of scale, ethics, and entanglement across global contexts. Combining historical depth with current theory, the book oﬀers fresh insights into topics such as infrastructure, animal studies, colonialism, and extractivism, while engaging urgent questions: How have literature and literary studies anticipated and responded to humanity’s fraught relation with the planet? Can literature change our behavior and help us imagine new, more sustainable ways of living? 􀀁􀀃􀀄􀀅 􀀄􀀆􀀅 􀀇􀀈􀀉􀀅􀀄􀀊􀀅􀀈 is Associate Professor of Comparative Literature at Aarhus University. He has published numerous essayson literary ﬁction in journals such as Critique, Narrative, Poetics Today, Textual Practice, and American Literary History. His mostrecent book is Planetary Pynchon: History, Modernity, and the Anthropocene (Cambridge University Press, 􀀁􀀃􀀁􀀄 ) . 􀀋􀀇􀀌􀀍􀀄􀀎􀀉􀀏􀀅 􀀋 􀀄􀀎􀀁􀀎􀀋􀀇􀀐 􀀋 􀀃􀀈􀀋􀀅􀀑􀀁􀀊 Cambridge Critical Concepts focuses on the important ideas animating twentiethand twenty-ﬁrst-century literary studies. Each concept addressed in the series has had a profound impact on literary studies, as well as on other disciplines, and already has a substantial critical bibliography surrounding it. This series captures the dynamic critical energies transmitted across twentieth- and twenty-ﬁrstcentury literary landscapes: the concepts critics bring to reading, interpretation and criticism. By addressing the origins, development and application of these ideas, the books collate and clarify how these particular concepts have developed, while also featuring fresh insights and establishing new lines of enquiry. Cambridge Critical Concepts shifts the focus from period-or genre-based literary studies of key terms to the history and development of the terms themselves. Broad and detailed contributions cumulatively identify and investigate the various historical and cultural catalysts that made these critical concepts emerge as established twenty-ﬁrst-century landmarks in the discipline. The level will be suitable for advanced undergraduates, graduates and specialists, as well as for those teaching outside their own research areas, and will have cross-disciplinary relevance for subjects such as history and philosophy. Titles in the Series Law and Literature Edited by 􀀒􀀎􀀅􀀄􀀇􀀈 􀀉􀀃􀀐􀀎􀀈 University of Western Australia Time and Literature Edited by 􀀁􀀓􀀃􀀌􀀇􀀊 􀀌 . 􀀇􀀐􀀐􀀅􀀈 University of Ottawa The Global South and Literature Edited by 􀀄􀀔􀀊􀀊􀀅􀀐􀀐 􀀕􀀅􀀊􀀁-􀀑􀀇􀀖􀀐􀀃􀀖 University ofTbingen Trauma and Literature Edited by 􀀄􀀃􀀏􀀅􀀄 􀀒􀀔􀀄􀀁􀀗 The College at Brockport, State University of New York Food and Literature Edited by 􀀏􀀎􀀁􀀇􀀈􀀘􀀇􀀐􀀎 􀀊􀀓􀀇􀀓􀀇􀀈􀀎 San Francisco State University Animals, Animality, and Literature Edited by 􀀍􀀄􀀔􀀋􀀅 􀀍􀀃􀀅􀀓􀀄􀀅􀀄, 􀀌􀀃􀀐􀀐􀀆 􀀓􀀇􀀈􀀉 and 􀀍􀀄􀀎􀀇􀀈 􀀌􀀇􀀊􀀊􀀔􀀌􀀎 Florida State University, University of Montreal Terrorism and Literature Edited by 􀀑􀀅􀀁􀀅􀀄 􀀓􀀅􀀄􀀌􀀇􀀈 San Diego State University Climate and Literature Edited by 􀀇􀀉􀀅􀀐􀀎􀀈􀀅 􀀘􀀃􀀓􀀈􀀊-􀀑􀀔􀀁􀀄􀀇 University of Surrey Orientalism and Literature Edited by 􀀏􀀅􀀃􀀙􀀙􀀄􀀅􀀆 􀀈􀀇􀀊􀀓 SOAS, University of London Decadence and Literature Edited by 􀀘􀀇􀀈􀀅 􀀉􀀅􀀊􀀌􀀇􀀄􀀇􀀎􀀊 and 􀀉􀀇􀀖􀀎􀀉 􀀕􀀅􀀎􀀄 Goldsmiths, University of London and Hunter College Aﬀect and Literature Edited by 􀀇􀀐􀀅􀀚 􀀓􀀃􀀔􀀅􀀈 University of Cambridge Sound and Literature Edited by 􀀇􀀈􀀈􀀇 􀀊􀀈􀀇􀀎􀀁􀀓 King’s College London Magical Realism and Literature Edited by 􀀋􀀓􀀄􀀎􀀊􀀁􀀃􀀑􀀓􀀅􀀄 􀀕􀀇􀀄􀀈􀀅􀀊 and 􀀒􀀎􀀌 􀀇􀀈􀀉􀀅􀀄􀀊􀀃􀀈 􀀊􀀇􀀊􀀊􀀅􀀄 University of Cambr

FAQs

What is the central focus of THE ANTHROPOCENE AND LITERATURE?

It explores how stories, genres, and critical debates help interpret humanity’s impact on Earth during the Anthropocene.

Which literary timeframes and genres does the volume cover?

It spans Romantic precursors, deep time perspectives, contemporary climate fiction, and speculative futures.

What research themes are highlighted beyond genre and period?

The book engages topics such as infrastructure, animal studies, colonialism, and extractivism, linking them to ethics and entanglement.

Aug 2, 2026

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