Forest ecology and fantasy fiction: forests and the fantastic imagination in a time of ecological crises

Dobrzynski, Dion (2023). Forest ecology and fantasy fiction: forests and the fantastic imagination in a time of ecological crises. University of Birmingham. Ph.D.

Preview

Dobrzynski2023PhD.pdf
Text - Accepted Version
Available under License All rights reserved.
Download (6MB) | Preview

Abstract

This thesis explores how forests are represented in the fantasy fiction of William Morris (1834-1896), J. R. R. Tolkien (1892-1973), and Ursula K. Le Guin (1929-2018). Rooted in real social, cultural, and environmental contexts, fantasy forests are also spaces to reimagine our present relationship with forests in a time of ecological crises. As complex ecosystems composed of real and imaginary beings, fantasy forests challenge us to perceive real forests in new ways and, in the process, complement and enrich our scientific understanding of forest ecology. Given its popularity, fantasy has real potential to engage wider society in forest environments in a context of global deforestation, mass extinction, and climate crisis.

A unique combination of literary analysis and qualitative social science methods were employed in a series of immersive “reading walks” and interactive workshops I designed and delivered in an area of ancient woodland, Ruskin Land, in the Wyre Forest. These workshops aimed to test how these fantasy texts may be used as an innovative form of environmental engagement. Participant responses, discussed in the final chapter, reveal a range of cognitive, emotional, and ethical effects were stimulated when reading fantasy forests within and in relation to a real forest ecosystem.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Doctorates > Ph.D.)

Award Type:

Doctorates > Ph.D.

Supervisor(s):