Fiction has always been a route to experience the unexperienced.
In the realm of climate change, it may be a challenge to wrap our minds around what a future devastated by environmental catastrophes can look like.
Novelists have been using fiction to explore these circumstances, ranging from the post-apocalyptic to the political tensions that arise with a scarcity of resources.
Of course, these are rarely affixed to scientific truths, but yet impart the honest gravity that looms in the near future as we continue to stress the planet.
In the run-up to Cop28, we’ve picked eight books that envision a reality governed by climate change.
These cli-fi books are speculative, but draw from the realities of climate change, underscoring the importance of implementing policies to better the Earth’s health.
Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler (1993)
Butler’s classic dystopian novel takes place in a 2024 that is wrought by disease. Global warming has ravaged the planet, disrupting food supplies, and causing water shortages and violence.
Society outside a few walled communities have descended into chaos; and to make matters worse, the US has a president who is more interested in spouting strongman slogans than bettering the lives of his people.
Written in 1993, Parable of the Sower has chilling similarities with present times. The novel is a cautionary tale that is a riveting classic of the cli-fi genre.
How Beautiful we Were by Imbolo Mbue (2021)
The pivoting point of Mbue’s novel is an oilspill by an American firm that plummets the fictional African settlement of Kosawa into turmoil.
Disease spreads across the village as a result of the spill, and Kanga, dubbed the village mad man, starts rallying a revolution.
American War by Omar El Akkad (2017)
El Akkad’s book is set in the US in the latter half of this century. In a landscape suffering from challenges brought on by climate change and sickness, civil war has broken out over fossil fuels.
The novel revolves around Sarat, who is six when the war breaks out, and her family is soon forced to live with other displaced people at Camp Patience.
After meeting an enigmatic official, she soon finds herself being turned into an instrument of war.
War Girls by Tochi Onyebuchi (2019)
Onyebuchi’s young adult novel is set in a post-apocalyptic Nigeria. The year is 2172 and clashes between ethnic groups have surged over the mineral chukwu.
Nuclear fallout and global warming have devastated the world, and much of the population has been subject to cyberisation as a result of war injuries and radiation.
The novel’s story is told between the perspectives of two residents of the War Girls camp, which houses former child soldiers of the Biafran separatists.
The Drowned World by J G Ballard (1962)
A classic within the cli-fi genre, Ballard's novel is set in the 22nd century.
Solar radiation and a debilitated ionosphere have raised sea levels and turned a large part of the planet to a tropical climate. The two poles become some of the Earth’s few inhabitable places.
In the middle of this, a science expedition embarks to the flooded city of London to catalogue the flora and fauna, and it is then that the novel takes a strange and fevered turn.
The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson (2020)
A novel that is as informative as it is gripping, mainly due to author Robinson’s efforts to use scientific accuracy.
The book revolves around the international Ministry for the Future, established under the Paris Agreement with the aim of ensuring the rights of future generations.
The book follows Mary Murphy, who heads the organisation, and Frank May, a US aid worker who is left traumatised after a deadly heat wave in India.
Drawing on several historical figures and events, this one is a must read. Robinson has also written other climate change-related novels, including New York 2140 and 2312.
Bewilderment by Richard Powers (2021)
Shortlisted for the 2021 Booker Prize, Bewilderment by Richard Powers presents the tensions of family life within a landscape of environmental debilitation.
It follows astrophysicist Theo Byrne and his nine-year son Robin.
Refusing to give his son psychoactive medication for his Asperger’s syndrome and obsessive compulsive disorder, he instead resorts to using an experimental form of therapy that uses neurofeedback, which focuses on the brain’s neuronal activity.
With the moving relationship between father and son, the novel is an emotional and poignant read, replete with striking visuals of a devastated world.
Termination Shock by Neal Stephenson (2021)
Stephenson’s book centres on a solar geo-engineering plan. The scheme is conceived by a billionaire in the oil industry who fires sulphur into the air to cool the planet and reflect sunlight back to space.
But how will it affect the planet and its population? The novel touches on political nuances that come about with climate change.
It features characters including the Queen of the Netherlands, Frederika Mathilde Louisa Saskia, and granddaughter of Queen Beatrix, as well as Deep "Laks" Singh, who becomes embroiled in clashes along the Line of Actual Control on the border between China and India.
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025, Thailand
UAE fixtures
May 9, v Malaysia
May 10, v Qatar
May 13, v Malaysia
May 15, v Qatar
May 18 and 19, semi-finals
May 20, final
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Britain's travel restrictions
- A negative test 2 days before flying
- Complete passenger locator form
- Book a post-arrival PCR test
- Double-vaccinated must self-isolate
- 11 countries on red list quarantine
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
More coverage from the Future Forum
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Zayed Sustainability Prize
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The years Ramadan fell in May
More on animal trafficking
Star%20Wars%3A%20Episode%20I%20%E2%80%93%20The%20Phantom%20Menace
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDeveloper%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Big%20Ape%20Productions%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20LucasArts%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EConsoles%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20PC%2C%20PlayStation%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The years Ramadan fell in May
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4.0-litre%20twin-turbo%20V8%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E640hp%20at%206%2C000rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E850Nm%20from%202%2C300-4%2C500rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E8-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E11.9L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDh749%2C800%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Martin Sabbagh profile
Job: CEO JCDecaux Middle East
In the role: Since January 2015
Lives: In the UAE
Background: M&A, investment banking
Studied: Corporate finance
THE SPECS
Engine: Four-cylinder 2.5-litre
Transmission: Seven-speed auto
Power: 165hp
Torque: 241Nm
Price: Dh99,900 to Dh134,000
On sale: now
The five pillars of Islam
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
More on Quran memorisation:
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The five pillars of Islam
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Star%20Wars%3A%20Ahsoka%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Various%20%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Rosario%20Dawson%2C%20Natasha%20Liu%20Bordizzo%2C%20Lars%20Mikkelsen%20%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
3%20Body%20Problem
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreators%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20David%20Benioff%2C%20D%20B%20Weiss%2C%20Alexander%20Woo%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBenedict%20Wong%2C%20Jess%20Hong%2C%20Jovan%20Adepo%2C%20Eiza%20Gonzalez%2C%20John%20Bradley%2C%20Alex%20Sharp%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How being social media savvy can improve your well being
Next time when procastinating online remember that you can save thousands on paying for a personal trainer and a gym membership simply by watching YouTube videos and keeping up with the latest health tips and trends.
As social media apps are becoming more and more consumed by health experts and nutritionists who are using it to awareness and encourage patients to engage in physical activity.
Elizabeth Watson, a personal trainer from Stay Fit gym in Abu Dhabi suggests that “individuals can use social media as a means of keeping fit, there are a lot of great exercises you can do and train from experts at home just by watching videos on YouTube”.
Norlyn Torrena, a clinical nutritionist from Burjeel Hospital advises her clients to be more technologically active “most of my clients are so engaged with their phones that I advise them to download applications that offer health related services”.
Torrena said that “most people believe that dieting and keeping fit is boring”.
However, by using social media apps keeping fit means that people are “modern and are kept up to date with the latest heath tips and trends”.
“It can be a guide to a healthy lifestyle and exercise if used in the correct way, so I really encourage my clients to download health applications” said Mrs Torrena.
People can also connect with each other and exchange “tips and notes, it’s extremely healthy and fun”.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More on Quran memorisation:
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
The years Ramadan fell in May
BeIN Sports currently has the rights to show
- Champions League
- English Premier League
- Spanish Primera Liga
- Italian, French and Scottish leagues
- Wimbledon and other tennis majors
- Formula One
- Rugby Union - Six Nations and European Cups
Best Academy: Ajax and Benfica
Best Agent: Jorge Mendes
Best Club : Liverpool
Best Coach: Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
Best Goalkeeper: Alisson Becker
Best Men’s Player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Best Partnership of the Year Award by SportBusiness: Manchester City and SAP
Best Referee: Stephanie Frappart
Best Revelation Player: Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid and Portugal)
Best Sporting Director: Andrea Berta (Atletico Madrid)
Best Women's Player: Lucy Bronze
Best Young Arab Player: Achraf Hakimi
Kooora – Best Arab Club: Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
Kooora – Best Arab Player: Abderrazak Hamdallah (Al-Nassr FC, Saudi Arabia)
Player Career Award: Miralem Pjanic and Ryan Giggs
How to donate
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
