Author(s): Dr. Ajay B. Chhuchhar

Abstract: Hauntology is a term coined by Jacques Derrida which refers to cultural elements of past haunting the present. Its association with dystopian fiction seems more organic. However, this paper argues that utopian and optimistic themes of solar-punk fiction often hint at a connection to the past. This paper attempts a hauntological reading of Bucky Chamber’s A Psalm for the Wild-Built. It juxtaposes the theoretical term referring to a cultural concept into a work of fiction. It also analyses how such juxtaposition can be a fulfilling way of reading a solar-punk text.

Keywords: Solarpunk, Hauntology, Science fiction, Utopia, Post-apocalypse

Article Info: Received: 30 Jul 2025; Received in revised form: 31 Aug 2025; Accepted: 03 Sep 2025; Available online: 06 Sep 2025

DOI: 10.22161/ijels.105.3