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VOL. 12, ISSUE 3 (2026)
The evolution of twenty-first-century postcolonial fiction
Authors
Abhishek Saurabh
Abstract
Twenty-first-century postcolonial fiction has
undergone a profound paradigm shift, expanding beyond the historical binary of
colonizer and colonized to negotiate the complex realities of late-stage global
capitalism, digital hegemony, climate crisis, and transnational migration.
While traditional postcolonial theory focused predominantly on the
deconstruction of European imperial archives and the immediate aftermath of
twentieth-century decolonization, twenty-first-century narratives respond to
subtle, structural forms of contemporary subjugation. This paper systematically
traces the evolutionary trajectories of contemporary postcolonial literature,
examining how modern writers reframe the legacy of empire within a globalized,
hyper-connected world. Utilizing a textual and interdisciplinary analytical
methodology, the study investigates key thematic dimensions: the transition from
territorial imperialism to neo-liberal globalization, the intersection of
diaspora and transnational identity, the gendered dynamics of colonial trauma,
the emergence of environmental postcolonialism and the nascent challenges posed
by digital colonialism and artificial intelligence. Furthermore, the paper
conducts a comparative analysis of key contemporary authors including
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Mohsin Hamid, Amitav Ghosh, Jhumpa Lahiri, and Ngũgĩ
wa Thiong'o demonstrating how their stylistic and formal innovations redefine
the spatial and temporal boundaries of postcolonial discourse. Ultimately, this
study demonstrates that twenty-first-century postcolonial fiction is defined
not merely by localized resistance, but by a holistic, decolonial commitment to
reimagining human and non-human relationality in an increasingly precarious
world.
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Pages:207-211
How to cite this article:
Abhishek Saurabh "The evolution of twenty-first-century postcolonial fiction". International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Research, Vol 12, Issue 3, 2026, Pages 207-211
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