The rise of apocalyptic novels

The ongoing pandemic is a once-in-a-century event that has put the feeling of comfort at a premium. One such unexpected source of comfort is the relatively new genre of cli-fi, that is the dystopian world of climate fiction: stories related to environmental devastation revolving around either the pre-apocalyptic ‘before’ or the post-apocalyptic ‘after’.

This genre is a rising trend, with novels that offer climatic doom or widespread ecological calamities becoming award-winning bestsellers.

• In uncertain times, the appeal for novels telling stories of havoc and wrenching loss is rising. With anxiety and uncertainty all around us, the narratives offer a degree of hope, humour and catharsis.
• The disorientating environment, existential despair and the many new challenges which are part of the narration in dystopian novels provide a new kind of thrill and entertain the readers even with their bleakness.
• The new kinds of decisions that many have to make offer an extreme alternative of what could happen, resulting in the readers re-examining their current relationships and feeling better.