Outback and Out West: The Settler-Colonial Environmental Imaginary

Outback and Out West compares settler colonialism in the American West and Australian Outback, highlighting ecological consequences and the need for an ecocritical approach to reconciliation and reparations.

Format: Hardback
Length: 348 pages
Publication date: 01 October 2022
Publisher: University of Nebraska Press

Outback and Out West delve into the profound ecological implications of a settler-colonial imaginary by comparing the expressions of settler colonialism in the literature of the American West and Australian Outback. Tom Lynch meticulously traces the external dominance that shaped these regions, leading to similar settlement strategies such as pastoralism, homestead acts, afforestation initiatives, and bioregional efforts aimed at fostering a sense of belonging. By juxtaposing the texts of these two nations, Lynch highlights the need for a new canon that responds to the complex social, cultural, and ecological challenges posed by settlement in the West and Outback.

Outback and Out West shed light on the regional Anthropocene dimensions of settler colonialism, addressing urgent environmental concerns such as habitat loss, groundwater depletion, and mass extinctions. Lynch conducts a cross-national comparative analysis of spaces to explore the profound implications of our settlement heritage on history, art, and the environment. He firmly asserts that incorporating an ecocritical perspective into settler-colonial theory is crucial for reconciliation with dispossessed Indigenous populations and reparations for ecological damages as we strive to decolonize our engagement with and literature about these regions.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781496221971