Overview

Apocalypse in Media, Literature and Linguistics: Narratives of Despair and Hope argues that apocalyptic stories are not merely genres or headlines; they are cultural technologies that construct environmental crises and channel public response. The volume shows how language and narrative—metaphors, frames, and plotlines—shape ecological identity, moral urgency, and policy choices across fiction, film, journalism, and community activism. Contributors trace how alarmist framings can heighten attention yet also induce paralysis or denial, and how hopeful, justice-oriented discourse can motivate stewardship and collective action. Case studies range from McCarthy’s The Road and Atwood’s climate fiction to Swahili-language media in Kenya, Brazilian news rhetoric, cinematic reception of The Day After Tomorrow, necropolitics in the Niger Delta, and critiques of anti-apocalyptic techno-optimism. Together, the chapters advance a clear claim: apocalyptic narratives do political work, distributing fear, responsibility, and possibility. The book offers practical analytic tools—drawn from ecolinguistics, critical discourse analysis, cultural studies, and media analysis—for diagnosing destructive framings and designing alternatives that inform without fatalism. It is a timely resource for scholars, educators, journalists, and advocates seeking language that moves audiences from dread to durable, justice-centered action.

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9798216380252

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Reviews

""This edited volume effectively grips our imaginaries and impressively guides us as we do our best to navigate through the churning uncertainties in these turbulent times. The contributions to the book charts valuable courses through eddies of concerns, worries and woes in directions of hopes, ambitions and aspirations. I recommend this to readers who seek to work through surrender and arrive at productive engagement with contemporary global challenges."" * Maxwell Boykoff, University of Colorado Boulder *

Author Information

Mohamed Mliless is an independent researcher in ecolinguistics and critical environmental discourse analysis, Meknes, Morocco. Latifa Belfakir is the Head of the Department of English Studies at Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Dhar El Mehraz, Fez, Morocco. Hicham Laabidi is an associate professor of applied linguistics at the School of Arts and Humanities, Moulay Ismail University, Meknes, Morocco.

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