Blackwater Children
Alternative Ways of Knowing Cities Colonialism Culture & Society Environment & Climate Toolkit Stories
‘Humans had managed to build a community up here, where no life was thought to be possible. It had been thirteen years since the Call, thirteen years since the oceans had swelled and a thousand species had ballooned overnight to titanic proportions, replacing humankind as the apex predator of the world.’
Photo: Grant Galbraith
Suggested discussion points
- How does the story connect ecological collapse with histories of colonialism?
- How does this story help question the boundaries of what is real or scientific?
- In this story, the question of survival hinges not on collective action but on the self-sacrifice of the few. What are the parallels with the real world? Who could the protagonist represent?
- Adaptation in this story is portrayed as both biological and social. What are the ethics of considering biological (genetically engineered) adaptation to climate change?
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