Naturen och det kusliga

Nedslag i samtida svensk skönlitteratur

Abstract

Nature and the Uncanny: Some Examples from Contemporary Swedish Literature

The relationship between humanity and the environment has become increasingly problematic in contemporary society. The news constantly confronts us with a variety of ecological crises which transform our everyday surroundings into unfamiliar places. However, the majority of society ignores the extent of the problem. By combining ideas related to the concept of the uncanny with an eco-critical perspective, this article explores how literature in a time of ecological crisis deals with the concept of nature: How is nature defined? What kind of relationship between the human and the other is depicted? What places are portrayed? Examples are drawn from two contemporary Swedish authors, Lars Jakobson and John Ajvide Lindqvist.