This book examines how Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, H. G. Wells’s The Island of Dr. Moreau, and Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World represent groundbreaking milestones in British apocalyptic literature, urging readers to recognize their lasting significance and influence. It illustrates how developments in science and technology from 1818 to 1932 bring humanity closer to a fictional apocalypse. Using this idea as a starting point, this book discusses how the hubris inherent in individuals pursuing scientific and technological advancements in the name of perfection is a mere pretext under which the true power dynamics are hidden, ultimately leading to an inescapable apocalypse. In these novels, the potential for apocalypse is revealed through the ‘mad scientist’ trope, which is closely tied to advancements in science and technology. It is this trope that accelerates the impending apocalypse through uncontrollable scientific experiments or a deep yearning for absolute power, both of which are what totalitarian ideologies require. In either case, at the core of these concerns lies one central idea that this book emphasises— the renunciation of humanity’s security and peace in exchange for much power by the powerful.

This book presents a vivid portrayal of an apocalyptic and catastrophic future, focussing on the consequences of humanity’s misuse of natural resources through the lens of ecocriticism. Compromising ten chapters, the book explores the concept of the ecological crisis as depicted in contemporary literature, particularly in novels and theatrical plays. The chapters feature works from British, American, and Canadian literature by scholars offering fresh perspectives on ecocriticism. Each part examines humanity’s survival stories set in contemporary contexts, often within the genres of science fiction and apocalyptic fiction, serving as warnings about a potentially devastating future. The book underscores the catastrophic outcomes and potential of chaos that could arise from humanity’s exploitation of natural resources. As the chapters unfold, these diverse scholarly contributions raise awareness of a global issue while illuminating the interconnected fates of nature, society, and humanity underscoring the urgent need for change before this impending crisis becomes a harsh reality.