Ecological Imaginations in Latin American Fiction

Abstract

From the rainforests of Costa Rica and the Amazon to the windswept lands of Tierra del Fuego, this book discusses natural settings within contemporary Latin American novels as they depict key moments of environmental change or crisis in the region from nineteenth-century imperialism to the present. By integrating the use of futuristic novels, the book pushes the ecocriticism discussion beyond the realm of “nature writing.” It avoids the clichés of literary nature and reminds readers that today's urban centers are also part of Latin America and its environmental crisis. One of the first books to apply ecocriticism to Latin American fiction, this text argues that literature can offer readers a deeper understanding of the natural world and humanity's place in it. The book demonstrates that ecocritical readings of Latin American topics must take into account social, racial, and gender injustices. It also addresses postapocalyptic science fiction that speaks to a fear of environmental collapse and reminds North American readers that the environments of Latin America are rich and diverse, encompassing both rural and urban extremes.