Climate Fiction (Cli-Fi) Practice Questions
20 free Climate Fiction (Cli-Fi) practice questions for the English Literature. Tap an option to answer — you get instant feedback, the correct answer, and a detailed explanation for every question.
The term 'Cli-Fi' (Climate Fiction) was coined by which journalist and activist in 2007?
- A Dan Bloom
- B Al Gore
- C Margaret Atwood
- D Amitav Ghosh
Correct answer: Dan Bloom
Dan Bloom coined the term to describe a burgeoning subgenre of fiction that deals specifically with climate change and global warming. It has since become a standard literary category used by critics and academics.
Which Margaret Atwood trilogy, beginning with 'Oryx and Crake', is considered a foundational work of contemporary climate and speculative fiction?
- A MaddAddam Trilogy
- B The Handmaid's Tale
- C The Blind Assassin
- D The Penelopiad
Correct answer: MaddAddam Trilogy
The MaddAddam trilogy explores a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by genetic engineering and ecological collapse. It critiques corporate greed and the human impact on the biosphere.
In Kim Stanley Robinson's 'The Ministry for the Future', what catastrophic event in the opening chapter serves as a catalyst for global climate action?
- A A deadly heatwave in India
- B An earthquake in Tokyo
- C The melting of the entire West Antarctic Ice Sheet
- D A global famine caused by crop failure
Correct answer: A deadly heatwave in India
The novel begins with a harrowing description of a 'wet-bulb' heatwave in Uttar Pradesh that kills millions. This trauma drives the creation of the Ministry and radical environmental movements.
Barbara Kingsolver’s 2012 novel 'Flight Behavior' uses the biological anomaly of which insect to explore climate change?
- A Monarch butterflies
- B Honeybees
- C Painted Lady butterflies
- D Locusts
Correct answer: Monarch butterflies
The novel depicts a displaced colony of Monarch butterflies settling in the Appalachians instead of Mexico. It uses this ecological shift to bridge the gap between scientific data and the lived experience of a rural community.
Which 2016 non-fiction book by Amitav Ghosh argues that modern literature and culture have largely failed to engage with the true scale of climate change?
- A The Hungry Tide
- B Gun Island
- C The Great Derangement
- D The Nutmeg's Curse: Parables for a Planet in Crisis
Correct answer: The Great Derangement
Ghosh argues that the tropes of the realistic novel are ill-suited for the scale and unpredictability of climate change. He calls for a shift in literary consciousness to confront the ecological crisis.
Richard Powers' Pulitzer Prize-winning novel 'The Overstory' focuses on the interconnectedness of humans and which biological entities?
- A Fungi
- B Trees
- C Coral reefs
- D Migratory birds
Correct answer: Trees
The novel follows nine characters whose lives are shaped by trees and environmental activism. It emphasizes the 'wood wide web' and the ancient, slow-moving intelligence of forests.
In 'The Water Knife' by Paolo Bacigalupi, the plot revolves around a near-future conflict over water rights in which region?
- A The Nile Delta
- B The American Southwest
- C The Australian Outback
- D The Tibetan Plateau
Correct answer: The American Southwest
Set in a drought-stricken future, the novel depicts 'water wars' between cities like Las Vegas and Phoenix. It explores the commodification of essential resources in a collapsing climate.
Which of the following is a common trope in Cli-Fi literature that distinguishes it from traditional Sci-Fi?
- A Intergalactic travel
- B First contact with aliens
- C Rooted in real climate science
- D Medieval-style fantasy and magic
Correct answer: Rooted in real climate science
Cli-Fi is typically grounded in the reality of the Anthropocene, using current scientific projections as the basis for its world-building. It focuses on the ethical and social consequences of environmental degradation.
Octavia Butler’s 'Parable of the Sower' is often retroactively classified as Cli-Fi. What is the primary setting of this 1993 novel?
- A A high-tech underwater city
- B A drought-ravaged California
- C A colony on Mars
- D A lush, pre-industrial jungle
Correct answer: A drought-ravaged California
The novel depicts a near-future society destroyed by climate change and economic inequality. The protagonist, Lauren Olamina, founds a new belief system called Earthseed to survive the chaos.
In the Cli-Fi novel 'The Wall' by John Lanchester, what does the titular wall protect the citizens of Britain from?
- A An alien invasion
- B A zombie plague
- C Rising seas and climate refugees
- D A deadly airborne chemical toxin
Correct answer: Rising seas and climate refugees
The Wall is a coastal barrier surrounding the UK after a catastrophic climate event known as 'The Change', built to keep out climate refugees called 'the Others'. The novel explores themes of nationalism, isolationism, and intergenerational guilt.
J.G. Ballard’s 1962 novel 'The Drowned World' is seen as a precursor to Cli-Fi. What caused the global flooding in his narrative?
- A Solar radiation melting ice caps
- B Nuclear war
- C An alien weapon
- D A dramatic shift in the Earth's orbit
Correct answer: Solar radiation melting ice caps
Ballard's novel describes a London submerged in tropical lagoons due to solar storms melting the ice caps. It focuses on the psychological regression of humans as the environment returns to a Triassic state.
What is the central setting of Amitav Ghosh's novel 'The Hungry Tide'?
- A The Amazon Rainforest
- B The Sundarbans Delta
- C The Arctic Circle
- D The Great Barrier Reef
Correct answer: The Sundarbans Delta
The Sundarbans, a vast mangrove forest on the border of India and Bangladesh, is a landscape defined by shifting tides and climate vulnerability. The novel explores the conflict between conservation and human survival.
In Cli-Fi, the 'Anthropocene' is a frequently discussed concept. What does it refer to?
- A A period of massive volcanic activity
- B An epoch defined by major human impact on Earth
- C The study of ancient human fossils
- D A wholly fictional planet in speculative literature
Correct answer: An epoch defined by major human impact on Earth
The Anthropocene highlights that human activity has become a dominant geological force. Cli-Fi writers use this concept to examine the moral and existential weight of humanity's role in the planetary crisis.
Claire Vaye Watkins’ 'Gold Fame Citrus' is set in a future California that has been transformed into what kind of landscape?
- A An endless sea
- B A frozen tundra
- C A vast, shifting desert
- D A sprawling urban jungle
Correct answer: A vast, shifting desert
The novel depicts a California decimated by permanent drought and a massive, growing dune sea called the Amargosa. It explores the myths and desperation of those who remain in the 'scorched' territory.
Which 2020 novel by Diane Cook, shortlisted for the Booker Prize, follows a mother and daughter trying to survive in a 'Wilderness State'?
- A The New Wilderness
- B Migrations
- C Greenwood
- D Weather
Correct answer: The New Wilderness
The novel depicts a future where the world is so polluted that humans must live in a controlled wilderness to survive. It examines the primal instincts and the breakdown of familial bonds under environmental stress.
How does the 'Solarpunk' subgenre differ from traditional post-apocalyptic Cli-Fi?
- A It focuses on nuclear winter instead of global warming.
- B It is more pessimistic about the survival of humanity.
- C It envisions an optimistic, green-tech-powered future.
- D It avoids the topic of climate change altogether.
Correct answer: It envisions an optimistic, green-tech-powered future.
Solarpunk is a reaction to the 'grimdark' nature of many climate narratives. It focuses on community, DIY ethics, and aesthetic beauty in a world that has successfully adapted to ecological challenges.
Jenny Offill’s novel 'Weather' is noted for its unique style. How does it represent the anxiety of climate change?
- A Through a dense, academic scientific report
- B Through fragmented, stream-of-consciousness daily observations
- C Through a fast-paced thriller about a spy at a global climate summit
- D Through the eyes of a sentient glacier
Correct answer: Through fragmented, stream-of-consciousness daily observations
Offill uses a fragmented narrative to capture the 'background noise' of climate dread. It shows how the global crisis intrudes upon the mundane worries of a librarian in New York.
Which of these themes is central to Maja Lunde’s 'The History of Bees'?
- A The discovery of a new planet
- B A war over oil in the Middle East
- C The rise of artificial intelligence in farming
- D Global food collapse from vanishing bees
Correct answer: Global food collapse from vanishing bees
Lunde's novel weaves together three timelines—past, present, and future—to show the consequences of bee extinction. It emphasizes the delicate balance of the natural world and its impact on human civilization.
In 'The Sea and Summer' (also known as 'Drowning Towers') by George Turner, the story depicts a future Melbourne divided by:
- A Language barriers
- B Religious sects
- C Extreme class division amid rising seas
- D A wall separating the north and the south
Correct answer: Extreme class division amid rising seas
This early Cli-Fi work (1987) coins the terms 'the Sweet' and 'the Swill' to describe its class divide, using rising sea levels as a backdrop for sharp social critique. It explores how economic inequality is exacerbated by environmental catastrophe.
Which Cli-Fi novel by Pitchaya Sudbanthad explores the history and future of Bangkok as it slowly sinks into the sea?
- A Bangkok Wakes to Rain
- B The Windup Girl
- C The Great Flood Chronicles
- D City of Mud and Rain
Correct answer: Bangkok Wakes to Rain
The novel is a kaleidoscopic narrative spanning centuries, showing Bangkok's relationship with water. It culminates in a future where the city is partially submerged, forcing its residents to adapt or flee.