A Comparative Study of The Overstory by Richard Powers and The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi as Cli-Fi Novels

The developing ’green’ worries of the past few decades have, had a distinct influence on literature beyond science fiction. The intricate cultural phenomenon of climate change has elicited a variety of creative reactions. Richard Powers’ novel The Overstory challenges readers to consider a different worldview in which plants, not people, could have important knowledge and where humans are not the pinnacle of complex webs of existence. He serves as an example of how rapid logging is bad for both people and trees. The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi is a grim, dystopian picture of the near future. Presenting the postmodern society in which water is more valuable than gold, he already gives the impression of having lived in the future. He sends a strong environmental message when he predicts a thirsty future for the southwest region of the United States. Although they follow different conventions, both books are in the sci-fi genre. The novels emphasize the critical need for conservation efforts. The paper attempts to explore the ethical dilemmas faced by individuals trying to survive in a world where climate change has drastically altered the availability of natural resources.