A look‐back from the future: Anthropogenic crisis and memory in N. K. Jemisin's Broken Earth trilogy

Abstract

Referring to recent discussions on the challenges the concept of the Anthropocene poses for humanities and literary representation, this article investigates N. K. Jemisin's Broken Earth trilogy as a narrative that addresses the crisis of imagination, in particular with respect to memory. Examining the tensions between individual, collective, and planetary memory, I read Jemisin's novels as an attempt to direct attention to the systemic exploitation of both marginalized minorities and the environment as a key ethical problem of the Anthropocene, which necessitates rethinking the relationship between humanity, climate change, and the planet in the face of the forthcoming crisis.