Ayesha Rascoe talks with Jon Raymond about his novel, “Denial,” which takes place in a future shaped by climate change.
AYESHA RASCOE, HOST:
When you do a quick Google search to see how climate change is expected to affect the Earth in, let’s say, 30 years, the results are bleak. A new novel, “Denial,” offers a vision of a possible near future amid higher temperatures and constant drought, one in which humanity just carries on. Everyone is driving electric vehicles, many have quit eating meat, and fossil fuel company CEOs are prosecuted for their harm to the Earth. And in this future, a middle-aged journalist is in Mexico tracking a CEO who escaped authorities to enjoy his life on the lam. “Denial” is written by Jon Raymond, who joins us now. Welcome.
JON RAYMOND: Thanks so much.
RASCOE: So why did you decide to write about climate change?
RAYMOND: Well, I mean, it is the – one of the major issues facing humanity at the moment and in our lifetime. It’s hard to avoid it. As we see the evidence of climate change hitting our cities and our country, it’s just impossible to avoid it.
RASCOE: The thing about “Denial” is it’s not exactly this dystopian future. It’s not like “Mad Max,” right?
RAYMOND: Precisely.
RASCOE: And it’s not like “Star Trek” where everything’s been solved. It’s somewhere in between. Like, did you feel like thi …