The Ecology of Italian Science Fiction

Abstract

The Ecology of Italian Science Fiction investigates the representation of ecological issues in Italian science fiction and film from the 1950s to the present. Taking into account a previously understudied corpus, the book reveals how Italian science fiction has consistently been able to conceptualize and dramatize the impact of human activities on the health of planetary ecosystems and addresses the radical environmental changes that have occurred in the country since the Second World War. Moving from current debates on the environmental humanities and on the cultural status of speculative fiction, the book provides an in-depth analysis of the evolution of the genre in Italy in relationship to the country’s environmental history. The book highlights the ways in which Italian science fiction represents non-human agencies – animal, vegetal, mineral – and how the recent Solarpunk movement imagines new synergies with the environment. Drawing on notable works ranging from Lino Aldani to Gilda Musa, from Francesco Verso to Paolo Zardi, from Nicoletta Vallorani to Laura Pugno, The Ecology of Italian Science Fiction covers topics as diverse as the evolution of petroculture in Italy, environmental justice and migrations, encounters with animal and vegetal alterity, ecofeminist stances, and new dreams of sustainability.