Anthropocene Reading

Anthropocene Reading, Volume 1, examines the profound implications of the Anthropocene epoch for literary history and critical methodology. This scholarly work explores how the human signature within the geological record intersects with cultural production. By engaging with geologists and geographers, the text reinterprets the cultural past through the lens of anthropogenic Earth system transformations. It investigates how literary analysis helps conceptualize this significant geohistorical event, bridging the gap between the humanities and the earth sciences.

This collection of literary criticism features diverse essays on texts ranging from The Tempest to contemporary dystopian novels and the poetry of Emily Dickinson. The contributors analyze how literature mediates the convergence of social institutions, energy regimes, and planetary systems. As a vital resource for science and semiotics and theory, Anthropocene Reading, Volume 1, addresses the complex dialogue between geological timescales and human history. The volume offers various methodological perspectives on reading literary history in a changing world.