Speculations on the future has been a central element of human civilisation. Hope and fear are the two points of origin of such speculations. Hope, over the centuries, has given rise to utopian narratives while fear has birthed various dystopian nightmares. One sees a remarkable increase in utopian and dystopian literature in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. A common theme of such works is the human interaction with nature and ecology. In utopian works, either society is imagined totally within the ecology wherein technology is shunned or, it is imagined as a technological Shangri-la wherein nature has been completely conquered. On the other hand, dystopias are imagined as places where technological advancements have destroyed human civilisation as we know it. This paper interrogates the relationship of human civilisation with nature and technology from the point of view of Solarpunk literature which presents an alternative way of situating humans in midst of ecology and technology. The paper analyses the extent to which Solarpunk literature negotiates with utopianism in speculating on the future from its ecological and techno positive stance.
Assistant Professor, Department of English, A.M. College, Gaya
