Slow Violence in the Extractive Fictions Strange as This Weather Has Been

Extractive fictions, a type of literary work characterized by the theme of fuel extraction, emerged in the West in the mid-to-late twentieth century, revealing the ecological and social impact of the extraction of coal and other energy resources in the capitalist economic system through artistic and dystopian writing. This paper analyzes the portrayal Appalachian mining regions in the extractive fictions Strange as This Weather Has Been by American author Ann Pancake through the perspective of slow violence. The mountaintop removal coal mining depicted in the novel exemplifies slow violence, whose impact on the ecological environment, human health, and community culture is more severe and enduring than conventional forms of violence. The existence of slow violence is attributed to the long-term and intentional concealing of mining practices by capitalist companies. Meanwhile, the sufferers of slow violence are the nature and the people in the marginalized mountainous areas, whose plight can hardly arouse the concern of the public. Resistance is the only way for these communities to get rid of the slow violence and ensure environmental justice.