Reinventing the global future: Rouge impératrice by Léonora Miano between Afrofuturism and ecotopia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17159/tl.v62i1.20641Keywords:
Afrofuturism, climate crisis, colonialism, decolonization, utopiaAbstract
This article highlights the ability of afrofuturism to imagine alternative futures in response to contemporary challenges by examining Rouge impératrice (2019) by Léonora Miano. Set in 2124 in a unified Africa entering its golden age, this novel explores an equitable and ecological future in response to the collapse of Europe. Through a critique of historical and current power structures, Rouge impératrice deconstructs the Anthropocene imaginary, emphasizing ecological inequalities and the devastating effects of colonialism and capitalism. The work proposes an animist and decolonial relationship with nature, offering innovative solutions to the climate crisis. By reconfiguring migratory dynamics and deconstructing the victim narrative often associated with migrants, Miano places Africa as a central actor in a project of renewal, while outlining a utopian model based on self-sufficiency and symbiosis with the environment. This novel enriches afrofuturism by providing a radical reflection on the relationship between humanity, nature, and power, while reimagining a possible future in which Africa reshapes global relations.
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