Wire Diamonds (a novel) & Approaching the Apocalyptic: An exploration of apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic tropes in relation to Wire Diamonds

This practice-based thesis is formed of two interlocking pieces: Wire Diamonds, a novel, and a critical reflection which serves to excavate and investigate an important seam of influence on the novel’s conception; a ‘constellation’ of contemporary apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic fiction authored by women. It engages in close reading of two key novels from this ‘constellation’; Claire Vaye Watkins’ Gold Fame Citrus, and Sophie Mackintosh’s The Water Cure. It firstly offers a more detailed consideration of the etymology of the term ‘apocalyptic’ – explained by Trotta and Sadri as an ‘uncovering’ rather than ‘catastrophe’ – and considers how this can function as a speculative trigger for the reader. This bears especial relevance since the work produced by each of the authors that are a part of the loosely identified ‘constellation’ primarily reflect a contemporary fear of climate disaster. The critical portion of the thesis then addresses the relevance of an all-female cohort of writers, pointing to the mingling of certain themes and topics that are central to perspectives of disaster and societal collapse. These include vulnerability, complexity, and psychological interiority. The theoretical model that I have applied is wide-ranging and incorporates criticism relating to genre, environment, feminism, landscape and sociology. The reflective portion traces the way various apocalyptic tropes are approached in Wire Diamonds and considers the way in which the novel does not always conform completely to them. These themes include: abandoned places and lost things, bordered land, literary islands, destruction and wilderness, and a focus on coming-of-age-narratives. I conclude by suggesting that Wire Diamonds treats the apocalypse as something that can shift according to perspective, while also considering the fact that there is a degree of privilege that bestows mobility and facilitates the evasion of disaster. Finally, I offer a consideration of the relevance of the critical reflection not only to Wire Diamonds but also to my second novel-length project.