Reading Literature in the Anthropocene: Ecosophy and the Ecologically-Oriented Ethics of Jeff Noon’s Nymphomation and Pollen Emma Nicoletti 10012001 B.A. (Hons), The University of Western Australia, 2005 Dip. Ed., The University of Western Australia, 2006 This thesis is presented for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of The University of Western Australia School of Humanities (English and Cultural Studies) 2014 ii Abstract This thesis examines the science fiction novels Nymphomation and Pollen by Jeff Noon. The reading brings together ideas from the eco-sciences, environmental humanities and ecocriticism in order to analyse the ecological dimensions of these texts. Although Noon’s work has been the subject of academic critique, critical discussions of his oeuvre have overlooked the engagement of Nymphomation and Pollen with ecological issues. This is a gap in the scholarship on Noon’s work that this thesis seeks to rectify. These novels depict landscapes and communities as being degraded because of the influence of information technologies and homogeneous ideologies, making them a productive lens through which to consider and critically respond to some of the environmental and social challenges faced by humanity in an anthropogenic climate. In order to discuss the ecological dimensions of these novels, the thesis advances the notion of an “ecosophical reading practice.” This idea draws on Felix Guattari’s concept of “ecosophy,” and combines it with the notions of “ecological thinking” developed in the work of theorists Timothy Morton, Lorraine Code and Gregory Bateson. While Morton’s work is extensively cited in ecocritical scholarship, with a few exceptions, the work of the other theorists is not. This thesis thus seeks to demonstrate how these theorists’ ideas are also valuable for exploring ecocritical concerns, thereby contributing to the range of theoretical scholarship from which ecocriticism draws. The thesis is divided into four main sections. The Introduction begins by discussing the socio-economic and literary contexts in which Nymphomation and Pollen were produced, and then outlines the notions of “ecological thinking” and an “ecosophical reading practice.” Chapters One and Two are devoted to examining Nymphomation and Pollen respectively, and show how “ecological thinking” is at work in these novels through a close reading of their ecological dimensions, which, in turn, demonstrates an “ecosophical reading practice.” Chapter One examines Nymphomation’s representation of virtual reality and mass media technologies, as well as post-industrial capitalism and neoliberalism. It analyses how the novel portrays these phenomena as contributing to environmental degradation and restoration, as well as the welfare of the nonhuman other. Chapter Two considers the role of Pollen’s epigraph and prologues in framing its eco-project, before interpreting the significance of its representation of stories, virtual reality, technological efficiency, maps and myths for its plotline of eco-catastrophe and eco-restoration. Both Chapters One and Two are iii divided into four subsections, each centring upon a specific textual element. The conclusion, through its examination of a game called Ingress, illustrates how “ecological thinking” and an “ecosophical reading practice” can be effectively applied to other narrative-based cultural forms in order to consider their potential to produce ecologically-oriented understandings. The importance of this research lies in its detailed analysis of Nymphomation and Pollen, and its theorisation and demonstration of “ecological thinking” and an “ecosophical reading practice.” These two interrelated strands of the thesis represent original contributions to the existing bodies of scholarship both on Noon’s work and ecocriticism. iv Declaration This thesis contains only sole-authored work, some of which has been published and/or prepared for publication under sole authorship. The bibliographical details of the work and where it appears in the thesis are outlined below. Nicoletti, Emma. “Reality Hacking – A Reality Check: Ecological Advocacy in Jeff Noon’s Nymphomation.” This article has been accepted for publication in the forthcoming collection: Emergent Environments: New Critical and Creative Directions in Ecology and the Humanities, eds. Lucy Burnett, Deborah Lilley, Catherine Parry, Sam Solnick. Arguments and ideas that appear in this article have been included in Chapter One, Section Two “Blurbflies” (under the subheadings “Consumerism” and “Capitalist Subjectivity”), and Section Three “Yawndale Monstermarket and Dream to Win” (under the subheadings “Dream to Win and Culture Jamming” and “Ecosophic Object”). Nicoletti, Emma. “Virtual Catastrophe: The Ecologically-Oriented Ethics of Jeff Noon’s Pollen.” Colloquy: Text, Theory, Critique. 23 (2012): 31–49. Arguments and ideas that appear in this article have been included in Chapter Two, Section Two “Flower Map and Dodo Beetle,” and Section Four “Maps and Myths.” v vi Acknowledgements This thesis—the process of undertaking it and its completion—has been supported and enriched by many people. Foremost, I want to thank both of my supervisors, Tanya Dalziell and Tauel Harper, for the generous care and attention they have extended to both me and my work. Their encouragement and enthusiasm for my project, their insightful and probing questions and commentary, and the depth of their general and disciplinary knowledge have put me on intellectual trajectories that I have found equal parts challenging, exciting and engrossing. Our conversations have been precious to me, and they will, I am certain, continue to shape how I understand and interact with the world into the future. For their efforts, I am truly indebted and grateful. This research has benefited immensely from the financial support I have received from the University of Western Australia. I kindly thank the University of Western Australia’s Dean of Arts, Graduate Research School and Convocation for awarding me four separate travel grants to present papers at five conferences. I am also very grateful for the Completion Scholarship the Graduate Research School saw fit to award me. I would like to extend my gratitude to Van Ikin and Kieran Dolan for their help in preparing these various successful applications. I would also like to acknowledge several of my fellow postgraduate and early career researcher colleagues. Special thanks to Alison Jaquet, Christopher Lin, Amy Hilhorst, Jane Thomson, Christina Chau, Cathy Fitzgerald and Lynette Frey for their sense of humour, advice and friendship—it has been invaluable. I wish to thank my family whose contribution to this project cannot be overstated. My brother Martin has provided excellent IT support and a keen dry wit that continues to keep me well grounded. There is no combination of words that can sufficiently express the support my mother Anita and father Zenebrio have given me, not only during this project, but throughout my entire life. Their love and generosity is limitless; and their willingness and capacity to guide and encourage my many interests is boundless. For giving me life and teaching me how to live life well I am, and will be forever, grateful. Finally, my partner Matthew needs to be thanked again and again. In so many ways he has made this thesis possible. He has intelligently, patiently and carefully listened to my arguments and read my work, and his insightful and thoughtful questions have helped me to clarify many of my ideas. His unwavering confidence in my abilities has been a constant source of encouragement. And without his expertise at tea-making and grammar, this thesis would have been greatly impoverished. I wish to thank Matthew for his kindness, friendship and love. vii viii Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................................................. iii Declaration ........................................................................................................................................................ v Acknowledgements ..................................................................................................................................... vii Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................... 1 Section One: The Ecological Dimensions of Nymphomation and Pollen ............................. 3 Section Two: Refractions of Manchester ...................................................................................... 11 Section Three: Refractions of Cyberspace .................................................................................... 24 Section Four: Ecological Thinking ................................................................................................... 42 Chapter One: Nymphomation .................................................................................................................. 83 Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 83 Section One: Hackle Maze ................................................................................................................... 88 Section Two: Blurbflies ...................................................................................................................... 109 Section Three: Yawndale