Environmental Thought in Contemporary Pakistani Fiction: Novels of Uzma Aslam Khan

This book looks at Pakistani fiction from an environmental perspective, focusing on the novels of the internationally renowned author Uzma Aslam Khan. It explores the rich environmental landscapes of Khan’s works and their distinctive contribution to developing Pakistani ecocriticism. The book examines the discourse on the environment in contemporary Pakistani fiction in English and the contribution of Khan’s fiction, such as The Story of Noble Rot, Trespassing, Thinner than Skin, and others, towards developing ecological thinking in Pakistani literature and literary criticism. In her novels, Khan gives voice to the nonhuman or the ‘Other’, highlights the harmonious connections between humans and nature, and reflects on the far-reaching ecological, social, and health effects of climate change. The author showcases literary activism and analyses how the ‘state’ engages with the ecopolitical discourses in Pakistani society by studying the intersections of Western imperialism, militarism, state policies, capitalism, consumerism, and global climate change. The book will be of interest to students and researchers of English literature, environmental studies, ecocriticism, literary and critical studies, postcolonial studies, and indigenous studies.