@article{ART003059550},
author={song eun ju},
title={The Greenhouse at the End of the World - A Geostory in the Anthropocene Centered on Plants as Agents -},
journal={Journal of Humanities},
issn={1598-8457},
year={2024},
number={92},
pages={053-087},
doi={10.31310/HUM.092.03}
TY - JOUR
AU - song eun ju
TI - The Greenhouse at the End of the World - A Geostory in the Anthropocene Centered on Plants as Agents -
JO - Journal of Humanities
PY - 2024
VL - null
IS - 92
PB - Institute for Humanities
SP - 053
EP - 087
SN - 1598-8457
AB - Plants have traditionally been perceived as passive and inert entities, viewed either as resources for human use or as integral components of the environment. However, the recent “Nonhuman turn” within the Anthropocene paradigm urges a reevaluation of the agency of non-human entities. This shift calls for a rewriting of ‘geostories’, instead of an anthropocentric History, with the active participation of non-humans. Therefore, there has been a surge in human-plant studies from a posthuman perspective.
This paper examines Kim Choyop’s science fiction, The Greenhouse at the End of the Earth, as an illustrative instance of geostories. The narrative describes a catastrophic disaster of extreme dust, caused by a failed geoengineering attempt to reverse climate change. On the brink of extinction, a pivotal role is played by the artificial plant Mosbana, engineered by the cyborg scientist Rachel. It saves the planet by mitigating the dust concentration. However, it defies easy classification within the artificial versus natural dichotomy; it possesses its own agency, although shaped by human creation but not entirely under human control.
The plant’s capacity to recognize and adapt to environmental changes, undergoing transformations that influence both itself and its surroundings, resonates with contemporary research on plant intelligence, which requires a post-anthropocentric redefinition of intelligence. In the novel, Mosbana also prompts a reconsideration of intelligence that extends beyond anthropocentric perspectives.
The planet’s salvation is attributed to the symbiotic relationship between Mosbana and its human creators, highlighting the potential for common world-making between humans and non-humans. It is illustrated in Anna Tsing’s Mushrooms at the End of the World, who suggests “multispecies world-making.” The tale of Mosbana and the humans involved in its creation and dissemination serves as a compelling example of alternative geostories.
This narrative challenges anthropocentrism by envisioning a shared and co-constructed reality between humans and non-humans.
KW - Posthumanism;The Greenhouse at the End of the Earth;Mushrooms at the End of the World;Human-Plant Studies;The Anthropocene;Multispecies World-Making
DO - 10.31310/HUM.092.03
ER -
song eun ju. (2024). The Greenhouse at the End of the World - A Geostory in the Anthropocene Centered on Plants as Agents -. Journal of Humanities, 92, 053-087.
song eun ju. 2024, "The Greenhouse at the End of the World - A Geostory in the Anthropocene Centered on Plants as Agents -", Journal of Humanities, no.92, pp.053-087. Available from: doi:10.31310/HUM.092.03
song eun ju "The Greenhouse at the End of the World - A Geostory in the Anthropocene Centered on Plants as Agents -" Journal of Humanities 92 pp.053-087 (2024) : 053.
song eun ju. The Greenhouse at the End of the World - A Geostory in the Anthropocene Centered on Plants as Agents -. 2024; 92 : 053-087. Available from: doi:10.31310/HUM.092.03
song eun ju. "The Greenhouse at the End of the World - A Geostory in the Anthropocene Centered on Plants as Agents -" Journal of Humanities no.92(2024) : 053-087.doi: 10.31310/HUM.092.03
song eun ju. The Greenhouse at the End of the World - A Geostory in the Anthropocene Centered on Plants as Agents -. Journal of Humanities, 92, 053-087. doi: 10.31310/HUM.092.03
song eun ju. The Greenhouse at the End of the World - A Geostory in the Anthropocene Centered on Plants as Agents -. Journal of Humanities. 2024; 92 053-087. doi: 10.31310/HUM.092.03
song eun ju. The Greenhouse at the End of the World - A Geostory in the Anthropocene Centered on Plants as Agents -. 2024; 92 : 053-087. Available from: doi:10.31310/HUM.092.03
song eun ju. "The Greenhouse at the End of the World - A Geostory in the Anthropocene Centered on Plants as Agents -" Journal of Humanities no.92(2024) : 053-087.doi: 10.31310/HUM.092.03
