Envisioning Eco-Futures though Pedagogies of Climate Fiction

This paper presents climate fiction as an essential pedagogical tool for envisioning more sustainable and just ecological futures, drawing upon the “The Camille Stories” by Donna J. Haraway as one example (2016). Haraway’s fiction depicts human and more-than-human ongoingness in the face of destruction and despair – challenging readers to resist nihilism and build resilient communities even without the guarantee of success. Beyond analyzing the theory and method of climate fiction, this paper focuses on the benefits of asking students to write their own fictional pieces. Fiction writing challenges students to envision the futures they actually want to sustain: the people, places, and values that are worth their collective effort to protect. Writing fiction also allows students to productively grapple with the possibilities and limits of their own ecological agency. This paper will conclude with practical activities and writing prompts that instructors can integrate within their own courses.