African Sci-Fi: Climate Change and Futuristic Worlds
Africanfuturism: Challenging Climate Narratives with Bold Visions
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Science fiction, particularly the vibrant genre of Africanfuturism, offers a powerful lens through which to examine our planet’s most pressing challenges, chief among them the climate crisis. These narratives, far from being mere escapism, serve as potent political tools, prompting us to question established norms and envision choice futures.
Domed Cities and the Politics of Inclusion
A recurring motif in many Africanfuturist stories, and science fiction more broadly, is the concept of domed cities – enclaves designed for protection against hostile environments. Tsamaase’s digital dystopia in “Virtual Snapshots” provides a striking example of this trope.
These fictional enclaves compel us to confront critical questions: Who is granted access, and who is excluded? Do these seemingly safe havens, or even homesteads, truly offer sanctuary, or do they harbor their own forms of danger? How are the cultural legacies of past societies, the ancestors, reimagined or honored within these protected spaces? and crucially, how are these cities shared, or not shared, with nonhuman species?
Read more: African sci-fi: body hopping, artificial wombs and angry ghosts in a future Botswana
Redefining Heroes and Villains in the Climate Fight
These climate-focused narratives, which I categorize as Africanfuturist following the insights of Nnedi Okorafor, also challenge our perceptions of who the heroes and villains of the climate crisis truly are.In stark contrast to official government climate strategies, these tales do not shy away from identifying the perpetrators of environmental degradation. They unflinchingly point fingers at colonial regimes, hypocritical and imperialistic Western governments and corporations, and corrupt “big men” politicians.
The heroes within these stories are a diverse and compelling lot. Many are young,Black,and female. Some are queer, others disabled or neuro-diverse, and many are depicted as flawed or outcast.Significantly, not all heroes are human; the narratives feature winged mutants, characters who are more machine than human, and even creatures like crocodiles, spiders, and an angry swordfish! These diverse protagonists offer fresh perspectives on how we might conceive of political agency in the fight against the climate crisis.
The Power of Storytelling for Radical Transformation
Ultimately, the aim of exploring these narratives is to convince readers that stories are inherently political and possess immense power. As Nnedi Okorafor eloquently states:
Science fiction is one of the greatest and most effective forms of political writing.It is indeed all about the question: what if?
The act of writing, reading, and discussing stories is, in itself, a political intervention. If we are to survive and continue to tell new stories in a liveable future, we must urgently and radically transform the foundations of carboniferous capitalism.