Richard Boyechko (he/him)

Richard Boyechko is a doctoral candidate in Comparative Literature currently writing his dissertation tentatively entitled "Locoverse: Biopolitics, Environmental Justice, and Planetary Limits in Le Transperceneige (1982) and Its Transnational Echoes." He argues that these works of contemporary science fiction attempt to present a holistic ecological worldview that many philosophers and biologists suggest is a crucial step toward tackling the ongoing crises of anthropogenic climate change and the sixth mass extinction of nonhuman species. In pursuing this work, Richard is primarily interested in how we can ensure not only a habitable planet for our descendants but also continued existence and thriving of the myriad other living beings with whom we share this our only home. During the recent Fulbright Research Fellowship (2021-22) at Taiwan's Academia Sinica he investigated a related issue of garbage and waste accumulation as reflected in contemporary Taiwanese fiction, a project that he continues pursuing while living in Taipei.