Is the Apocalypse Near? The Anthropocene in post-apocalyptic, young-adult fiction

Abstract

This thesis will analyse the concept of the Anthropocene in post-apocalyptic, young-adult fiction. Specifically, it will look at the effects of the Anthropocene that are present within the novels and the way in which the environmental crises in the books ‘guide’ the narratives as well as the messages that are presented in the novels. Two young-adult novels were selected to analyse; The Carbon Diaries 2015 by Saci Lloyd and Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. The intent is to find out what perspectives on environmental crisis and other representations on the environment are present and what young readers could take away from these representations.