We All Die at the End - by Sam Haddow (Hardcover)

About the Book

As the ravages of climate change throw our future into question, many of our stories are turning to the subject of extinction. This book is about what they are saying and why it demands our attention.

Book Synopsis

We all die at the end offers a survey of contemporary end-of-the-world fiction, spanning literature, children's fiction, video games, theatre and film. It draws on eco-critical philosophy and narrative theory to show ways in which the climate crisis is reorienting storytelling in the face of foreseeable human extinction. In the process, it argues that such stories have a role to play in helping us come to terms with the severity and scale of the crisis that we face.

From the Back Cover

As climate change threatens the future of our species, many of our stories are turning to the subject of extinction. We all die at the end explores what these narratives are telling us -- and why we must pay attention.

From dark forests, to deep caves and open oceans, humanity has always imagined what lies beyond the unknown. Today, on our mapped earth amidst the sixth mass extinction event, our most foreboding terra incognita is the time directly ahead. In response, our culture has been filling this space with zombie videogames, post-apocalyptic quest narratives, political dystopias and ecological horrors, to the point that the future is now saturated with competing narratives of disintegration.

By navigating these stories across literature, children's fiction, videogames, theatre and film, We all die at the end shows a species trying to come to terms with the unthinkable prospect of its own demise. Yet this is not a book about giving up. Rather, it argues that hope for survival depends on realising what's truly at stake -- and that our stories, if we truly listen, might hold the key.

Review Quotes

' a timely and thought-provoking examination of climate crisis storytelling across genres. This study will be of particular interest to scholars in environmental humanities, literary and media studies, and cultural criticism. It is recommended for those interested in ecocriticism, media studies, or the cultural work of climate storytelling.'
CHOICE (Reprinted with permission from CHOICE)

About the Author

Sam Haddow is Senior Lecturer in Modern and Contemporary Drama at the University of St Andrews