Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explains written for nonspecialists interested in but unfamiliar with the Anthropocene concept. It shows how the Anthropocene is simultaneously a geologic epoch, a scientific term, and a cultural concept with no single, definitive narrative. The book investigates environmental racism in the Anthropocene, but from different angles. It offers an extensive critical review of major approaches to and studies of the Anthropocene in literature and the humanities, providing readers with a variety of methods and models. The book examines one particular author and/or literary text, using the Anthropocene concept as a lens to analyze the text, or using the text to analyze the Anthropocene concept. There are new academic journals devoted solely to the Anthropocene, as well as numerous special issues of journals in fields like literature, history, and political science.