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The looming threat of apocalypse has long been a staple of science fiction, but it feels more urgent than ever in the era of climate change. This slow-moving crisis has inspired a new literary genre: climate fiction, or cli-fi. These novels, often set in the near or distant future, examine how climate change could reshape our world and highlight the power of both collective and individual efforts to avert catastrophe.
1. Dune // Frank Herbert (1965)
'Dune' | Penguin Publishing Group / AmazonThe barren, resource-scarce world of Arrakis in Dune has become a hallmark of cli-fi, inspiring numerous books and films over the years. When Herbert penned the novel, the full scope of climate change and resource depletion was not yet widely recognized. Yet, the author’s foresight into ecological crises was evident, as he once remarked, "I refuse to tell my grandchildren, 'I'm sorry we used up the world and left nothing for you.'"
Herbert’s concerns were echoed by other science fiction writers of his time, such as John Brunner, author of the pollution-themed The Sheep Look Up (1972), and J.G. Ballard, known for his environmental dystopias. Although Dune was written decades before cli-fi emerged as a genre, it remains a foundational work, gaining renewed cultural relevance with the 2021 film adaptation featuring Zendaya and Timothée Chalamet.
2. and 3. Parable of the Sower (1993) and Parable of the Talents (1998) // Octavia Butler
'Parable of the Sower' | Grand Central Publishing / AmazonOctavia Butler’s Parable series stands as one of the earliest examples of cli-fi, emerging during a period when awareness of humanity’s impact on the planet was growing. Set in 2024 Los Angeles, Parable of the Sower follows Lauren, a teenager living in a gated community designed to protect against the chaos of a collapsing society. As climate disasters exacerbate existing inequalities, Lauren’s world falls apart, and after her family is killed, she journeys north with fellow survivors to establish a new community in Northern California. The novel’s themes resonate strongly with modern crises, contributing to its renewed popularity in 2020.
The sequel, Parable of the Talents, delves into the group’s struggles with unimaginable hardships, including enslavement and violence. Despite these challenges, Lauren continues to refine
Butler’s skepticism about humanity’s willingness to address climate change in the 1990s fueled her writing. In a 1995 interview, she remarked, "I think it’s going to remain uncertain until we can no longer ignore or deny it, because no one truly wants to make the necessary changes to adapt."
4. Flight Behavior // Barbara Kingsolver (2012)
'Flight Behavior' | Harper Perennial / AmazonThe story of Flight Behavior begins with a real-life landslide at a monarch butterfly sanctuary in Jalisco, Mexico (2010), which leads to a fictional event where the displaced butterflies settle on a Tennessee logging site. This unusual occurrence brings biologists to the area, sparking nuanced and complex conflicts between conservationists and the local Appalachian farming community.
Narrated through the eyes of Dellarobia, a young farmer’s wife and mother of two, Flight Behavior explores the cultural and environmental tensions that arise when the butterflies land on her family’s property. Hired by researchers to assist with data collection, Dellarobia becomes a bridge between opposing worlds. The novel examines how cultural divides hinder progress in human-nature relationships while also uncovering shared values that could unite seemingly disparate groups.
5. Orleans // Sherri Smith (2013)
'Speak' | Speak / AmazonSet in a near-future dystopia, this young adult novel portrays a New Orleans ravaged by a succession of hurricanes, beginning with Katrina in 2005 and culminating with the fictional Hurricane Jesus in 2019. After the latter, a deadly virus emerges, halting evacuation efforts and leading to the isolation of the coastal South behind a wall. When a scientist crosses the barrier in search of a cure, he encounters a determined teenager striving to protect a newborn. Their journey forces him to confront the inequalities and societal issues persisting on his own, seemingly secure side of the wall.
6. Clade // James Bradley (2017)
'Clade' | Titan Books / AmazonClade stands out in the cli-fi genre as it portrays a world where societal structures endure despite a series of environmental catastrophes. Spanning a generation, the novel follows one family through near-future events, including devastating floods in England and a global virus that forces widespread isolation. While the world remains intact, the family faces relentless challenges, offering a unique perspective on resilience in the face of disaster.
Reflecting on Clade, Bradley observed the unsettling trend of reality surpassing fiction: "One of the most troubling aspects of writing about climate change is how quickly real-world events outpace your imagination. A key element in the final chapter of Clade was purely speculative when I wrote it, but it has since started to unfold in reality."
7. American War // Omar El Akkad (2017)
'American War' | Vintage / AmazonIn the late 21st century, after a string of environmental catastrophes, the U.S. government outlaws fossil fuels, igniting a second Civil War. Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina secede, while other regions face dire fates: Florida is submerged, and Texas, among other states, is reclaimed by Mexico.
While climate change plays a significant role, it is not the sole focus of the story. As Omar El Akkad explained, "The term ‘climate change fiction’ may eventually fade, much like we don’t categorize stories as ‘love fiction’ or ‘loss fiction.’ Fiction’s purpose is to explore the human condition, and climate change is an inherently human issue."
8. Trail of Lightning // Rebecca Roanhorse (2018)
'Trail of Lightning' | Gallery / AmazonAfter a global flood devastates the U.S. coasts, the traditional Navajo lands survive, forming a protected territory called Dinétah. Shielded by a mystical barrier, Dinétah escapes the chaos of the outside world but faces its own challenges as gods and monsters rise in this new reality. Maggie, the novel’s protagonist, is a monster-hunter gifted with supernatural abilities, making her a formidable force against these emerging threats.
Trail of Lightning offers a unique perspective on whether an apocalypse can pave the way for a better world. While the Navajo lands are restored, the novel explores how suffering and conflict persist despite this justice. Amidst the pain, the story’s central love affair suggests that joy and resilience remain enduring aspects of the human experience.
9. Blackfish City // Sam J. Miller (2018)
'Blackfish City' | Ecco / AmazonSam J. Miller’s novel explores a timeless question in apocalyptic fiction: What emerges when governments collapse and the old world fades? In Blackfish City, unfettered capitalism takes center stage in Qaanaaq, a floating Arctic city designed for sustainability but dominated by the wealthy. As global cities sink, Qaanaaq becomes a refuge for the displaced, yet inequality and corruption flourish. The arrival of a mysterious woman accompanied by an orca and a polar bear disrupts the city’s fragile order, hinting at the possibility of a more equitable future.
Miller’s cli-fi emphasizes the potential for change, aiming to inspire action. He explains that his work seeks to "empower those who recognize societal flaws but feel powerless to address them."
10. The Resisters // Gish Jen (2020)
'The Resisters' | Vintage/AmazonCli-fi novels often depict a world where disaster stems from multiple social fractures rather than a single cause. In The Resisters, climate change and inequality collide, reshaping humanity’s future. The novel’s near-future society is split into two classes: the netted, who enjoy education and careers, and the surplus, who subsist on basic income and face the constant threat of being abandoned to rising seas.
Gwen, the story’s heroine, is a baseball prodigy offered a chance to escape the surplus class. Baseball serves as a powerful metaphor, prompting readers to consider how they’ll respond to global decline—will they retreat or fight with everything they have?
11. The Ministry for the Future // Kim Stanley Robinson (2020)
'The Ministry for the Future' | Orbit/AmazonBarack Obama named Kim Stanley Robinson’s latest novel among his top books of 2020. The story, rooted in climate science and the complexities of enacting policy, follows a fictional Zurich-based organization, the Ministry for the Future, tasked with combating planetary collapse. Robinson’s global perspective is evident from the start, as the novel opens with a harrowing wet-bulb event in India—a deadly combination of extreme heat and humidity that prevents the body from cooling, leading to catastrophic consequences.
The novel’s protagonist, an aid worker, survives days in wet-bulb conditions while an entire town perishes around him. This chilling event, already a reality in parts of the world, serves as a grim reminder of the escalating climate crisis. Robinson, in a TIME interview, emphasized the urgency of action over despair: "We’re on the brink of triggering irreversible mass extinction. While despair is natural, it’s not a solution. Hope must be wielded as a weapon to drive change."
