Environmental Themes in Utopian and Dystopian Literature

Literary/ Cultural Context Essay

Fazila Derya Agis

Ed. by Sean Seeger, University of Essex
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 3.1.1: Canadian Writing and Culture (Anglophone): Colonial and The Nineteenth Century, 1783-1900.
Vol. editors: Glen Nichols (Mount Allison University), Wendy Roy (University of Saskatchewan), Denis Salter (McGill University), Karis Shearer (University of British Columbia), Cynthia Sugars (University of Ottawa)

Dates

Date of occurrence c.1880-2018

Places

Canada (Involved)
United Kingdom (Involved)
United States (Involved)

Genres and Modes

Science Fiction
Utopian / Dystopian

Ecological Utopias

A utopia may be defined as an ideal place in which a society and its policies, promote the wellbeing of all inhabitants. In contrast, a dystopian society is full of fear and danger, one where human wellbeing is significantly imperilled. An ecological utopia, meanwhile, tends to promote an appreciation of nature and its beauty, and may be modelled on the biblical Garden of Eden. However, ecological dystopias serve to warn of the risks posed by the devastation of nature. This essay chronicles the development of ecological themes, both utopian and dystopian, from the sixteenth century to the present day.

The Sixteenth Century

In the sixteenth century, …

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2716 words

Citation: Agis, Fazila Derya. "Environmental Themes in Utopian and Dystopian Literature". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 23 November 2021 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=19525, accessed 23 November 2024.]

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