Rachel O'Malley
Please forward, post, and announce: The Department of Environmental Studies at
San José State University is pleased to invite you
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER
16, 2016,
1:30 pm, Washington Square Hall, Room 111
Tara L. Caughlan
MS Candidate, Department of Environmental Studies San José State University
Environmental Fiction Literature Review and Novel Project: Into the Ashes
The planet is facing many problems, from pollution, to climate change, to the over-exploitation of natural resources. Fixing many of these problems requires widespread action by many people, though it can be hard to convince people to change their lifestyles. Creative arts are one way to reach out with information about environmental problems, in order to inspire emotion and action from the audience. Fiction is one such medium in which environmental themes can be placed. Literature can be used to call attention to the problems our unsustainable actions are causing. Fiction may warn us of what our actions may cause, elaborating on the consequences that could appear in the future.
The review that begins my project looks at works of environmental fiction. I explore the themes these novels use, and how the themes affect the audience’s views toward the environment. Following the review is the main body of my project, in the form of a young adult environmental novel. This novel, titled Into the Ashes, takes place in a world where the sudden collapse of fossil fuel infrastructure leads to a partial collapse of society. When the majority of fossil fuels are suddenly unavailable, an unprepared world struggles to make ends meet. In the midst of the chaos, a girl called Ashlyn loses her family and flees her hometown, hoping to find safety along the coast. When she gets there, she finds parts of society that are determined to move forward and use the disaster as an opportunity to change for the better.
L I G H T R E F R E S H M E N T S P R O V I D E D . A L L A R E W E L C O M E .