« more discussions

• 

  Environmental Issues in Fiction?

  What books have you read that gave you a lasting impression concerning an environmental angle? Often science fiction books are the story of characters coping after a great disaster. Other fiction books touch on this as background or motivation. Do you have favorites?

  Jacks started this discussion 1 year ago. ( reply )

• 

  Lorena B 

  Carl Hiaasen's books are usually based around an environmental theme. I have listened to Hoot and Tourist Season and read Sick Puppy, all of which have a main character that is driven by environmental motives. Unfortunately, these main characters are portrayed as mentally unstable, though lovable, folks with good intentions. His stories are entertaining and often funny and the main environmentalist in them often brings others around to their way of thinking.

  posted 1 year ago. ( reply )

  show 3 replies

  • 

    Jacks 

    There does seem to be an unfortunate common impression from books or movies that someone concerned with the environment must be over-the-top and willing to chain themselves to trees to bring about change. I think far too many regular folks see this and shy away from becoming too involved for fear of being seen as a tree-hugging freak. Which is a shame! After all, the real change makers in life really are the regular folks who make decisions and stand by them in their daily lives.

    posted 1 year ago. ( reply )

  • 

    treehugger 

    I read Hoot and Flush by Carl Hiaasen and right now I'm actually reading Hoot again for a book report. I really liked both of them. Scott Westerfeld's Uglies series is kind of enviromental too, but it's a lot less obvious. It's not really all about saving the enviroment - it just has a little here and there, you know?

    posted 1 year ago. ( reply )

  • 

    Jacks 

    I've been meaning to read some of Westerfeld's newer stuff, anyway, so I'll be taking the initiative to do that now.

    posted 1 year ago. ( reply )

• 

  Lorena B 

  Also, Ishmael and My Ishmael by Daniel Quinn. Ishmael is the name of a gorilla who can speak and places in ad in the local paper saying "Teacher seeks pupil. Must have an earnest desire to save the world. Apply in person." Through a number of conversations, Ishmael imparts his knowledge to his pupils (one pupil in each of the books) about the environment and the way we, as humans, live. I read Ishmael for a political science class, environmental politics, at the same time that my brother was reading it for a social science class. It may have been one of the best assigned readings I've ever had.

  posted 1 year ago. ( reply )

  show 2 replies

  • 

    Jacks 

    I'm going to look that up and give it a read! I'll also add it to our shelf. Maybe we should read it as a group.

    posted 1 year ago. ( reply )

  • Sharon Fawcett 

    I never finished Ishamel, not because it wasn't a great book...something in my life just tore me away from reading for a while. But from what I remember of it, it was very thought-provoking!

    posted 1 year ago. ( reply )

• 

  Devona 

  I would also recommend "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy and "Oryx and Crake" by Margaret Atwood. Both of these books will challenge you to re-evaluate what it means to have a certain responsibility to the Earth as well as struggles of coping with morality.

  posted 1 year ago. ( reply )

• 

  Katydid (edited)

  One book that has really had a lingering impact on my psyche is Dune, because water is such a precious commodity throughout the entire story. Even something as simple as pouring out my unfinished glass of water makes me feel slightly uncomfortable after reading that, especially knowing that across the ditch in Australia, water is such a huge issue.

  posted 1 year ago. ( reply )

• 

  FlowerFly 

  The Wanting Seed is pretty disturbing. The collapse of civilization because of a limited food supply due to overpopulation resulting in fake wars. The soldiers going to these wars end up being butchered like pigs and processed into cans of a spam like food which is then eaten by everyone else.
  
  No Blade of Grass is another good one but it covers the anarchy that ensues after a virus wipes out the majority of the world's grain production.

  posted 1 year ago. ( reply )

• 

  mizu h 

  Try reading Collapse by Jared Diamonds ^^

  posted 1 year ago. ( reply )

• To reply to this discussion, please sign in or join now.

Return to top