Ecofiction as a Genre: Crossing Genre Boundaries in Michael Christie's Greenwood

Michael Christie’s Greenwood (2019) is analysed within the context of ecofiction and genre theory, arguing that the text not only utilizes ecofiction as a genre dealing with environmental themes but also presents a narrative practice that transforms the narrative and discursive boundaries of its genre. The study proposes that Greenwood reconstructs ecofiction along three key axes: nonlinear ecological temporality, placement of scientific discourse at the centre of fictional narrative, and representation of nature as a sacred realm of meaning. Cumulative understanding of time, constructed around metaphor of tree rings, questions anthropocentric narratives of progress, allowing for a rethinking of environmental processes within an intergenerational continuum. Besides, use of botanical and ecological terminology as an aesthetic and rhythmic element within the narrative demonstrates that scientific discourse transcends mere background knowledge and becomes a discourse that forms epistemological foundation of the narrative. On the other hand, portrayal of forests as “cathedrals” and visitors as “pilgrims” positions nature as a sacred space requiring respect and ethical responsibility, thus bringing ecological narrative closer to a semi-sacred and normative form of narrative. In this context, this study examines Greenwood as an example that embodies hybrid and relational nature of ecological narrative and demonstrates that genres are not fixed categories, instead, they are dynamic structures that constantly transform through interaction with different discourses. Consequently, the article reveals that Christie’s novel offers a powerful narrative model that prompts us to rethink not what ecological narrative tells but how it transforms into a genre.