Exploring Posturbanism in Annalee Newitz's The Terraformers

Abstract: Annalee Newitz’s The Terraformers (2023) explores the endeavors of the Environmental Rescue Team (ERT), which consists of diverse humans, uplifted animals, engineered organisms, bots, drones, and AI, and how they strive to construct a sustainable planet, Sask-E, and cities amid Verdance – a Capitalocenic corporate power that shapes the dynamics between humans, nature, and life. Drawing on the concept of the Capitalocene and Donna Haraway’s theories of the Chthulucene, sympoiesis, making kin, and staying with the trouble, this article discusses the significance of multispecies actors and intelligences in urban-making, while also emphasizing the necessity of acknowledging the complexities and uncertainties of this process. Further inspired by the insights of recent urban scholarship, such as smart and AI urbanisms, the article discusses the essential role of technology, engineering, AI, and machine in building democratic cities. By examining the efforts and collaborations between these multifaceted characters, the novel challenges market-driven anthropocentric notions of urbanism and envisions a future where multispecies communities use technology and great care to build equitable and viable posturban landscapes.