Uncertain ontologies in twenty-first-century storyworlds

This introduction identifies ontological uncertainty as a key concept for the study of contemporary fiction. From climate change to the COVID-19 pandemic, the present moment is defined by the destabilizing effects of uncertain and urgently threatening futures. The articles collected in this special issue explore literary narratives that stage different aspects of this destabilization. We suggest that contemporary fiction's emphasis on uncertainty differs from the ontological questions raised by postmodernist literature, because the "earnest ontologies" of twenty-first-century storyworlds do not primarily evoke detachment or self-referential playfulness; rather, they tend to take on direct real-world relevance.