Megan Lewis

My research uses soil as a lens to examine the relationship between human and biosphere in speculative fiction, and considers what this means for the collective survival of species in the Anthropocene. A better understanding of soil in literature is essential, as intensive agriculture, poor land management and soil degradation are major contributors to climate change (IPCC, 2018), and soil remains an under-explored topic both in literature and critical theory. Using a practice-led approach in combination with interdisciplinary scholarship drawing from material ecocriticism, soil biogeochemistry, and narratology, I am considering the interconnections between soils and culture.

Publications

Meredith, M. (2024) 'Five speculative novels that can help to understand our relationship with soil'. The Conversation.