No Earth from Nowhere: Jules Verne’s Critique of Terraforming

Abstract

ABSTRACT Nineteenth-century France was characterised by theoretical and fictional speculations about planet management, climate change, and anthropogenic power. In this context, Verne's novels strike us as more contemporary than ever. The purpose of his Sans dessus dessous (1889) is a scalar critique that highlights the catastrophic potential of engineering Earth: When terraforming is premised upon extraplanetary sight, it becomes an objectifying instance of ‘anthropoforming’ that mechanically forms Earth in the image of mankind. Reading Sans dessus dessous today evaluates the historical specificity of terraforming while illuminating how ecological crises become the opportune moment for privatising the engineering of Earth.