Young Adult Fiction and Ecofeminism

Abstract

This chapter primarily focuses on different types of environmental crises in Young Adult (YA) fiction, arguing that environmental crisis fiction is inherently ecofeminist in its depiction of the cultural and material anxieties of the modern world. It explores selected YA novels (aimed at 12 years and above) across Britain and America from the 1970s onward. While dystopia is recognized as a popular and significant branch of environmental crisis fiction, and is discussed in some depth, there is also an emphasis on broadening out to more genres, and their links to ecofeminism, including nuclear fiction, fantasy (especially involving magic), speculative fiction, and science fiction. At the same time, this chapter attempts to identify common tropes and themes in YA environmental crisis fiction, such as the importance of community and activism in YA nuclear fiction, magic as a trope of environmental activism and consciousness, and the intersection of race, technology, and annexation in science fiction. Finally, this chapter underlines the importance of marginalized voices in YA publishing and the role of representation, arguing that YA fiction is one of the most dynamic areas for ecofeminist debate as well as a catalyst for change.