CORPORATE POWER, ECOLOGY, AND GLOBALIZATION IN BACIGALUPI’S BIOPUNK FUTURES

Abstract

The connection of biopunk themes and aesthetics with globalization processes is examined in Paolo Bacigalupi's The Windup Girl and The Water Knife in this paper. Biopunk is a subgenre of science fiction that includes stories that take place in a dystopian future where ecological breakdown and biotechnology interact with social unrest. Through a comparison of these two significant works, this study looks at how the authors use biopunk elements to critique how globalization affects cultural identities, socioeconomic institutions, and environmental sustainability. Using the notion of ecocriticism, this paper investigates how Bacigalupi crafts dystopian futures that reflect and extrapolate contemporary global dynamics, such as the exploitation of disadvantaged populations, the privatization of nature, and the consequences of unchecked corporate power. By analyzing the intricate world-building and plots of The Windup Girl and The Water Knife, this thesis aims to clarify the complex interactions between technology, society, and the environment in an increasingly globalized world.