Special Issue of Slayage Journal on climate catastrophes and disasters of the natural world in the Buffy+ 'verses

We invite submissions for a special issue of the multidisciplinary popular culture studies journal Slayage on climate catastrophes and disasters of the natural world in the Buffy+ 'verses.  Given how often apocalypses of various sorts play a prominent role in the narratives of science fiction and fantasy, the latter half of this topic would include both natural disasters and also artificially caused disasters in natural settings.  Of course, in consideration of the state of our real world today, submissions that reckon with human-caused climate change (real or imagined), mass pollution, epidemics, and the attendant causes, effects, prospective fixes, etc. would be particularly welcome, as would analyses of climate fiction that might overlap significantly with Buffy+ worlds.  However,  all submissions addressing climate catastrophes and disasters of the natural world as premise, setting, backstory, impetus, denouement, or threat in the Buffy+ 'verses will be considered.  Both complete papers and longer abstracts of 300-500 words with brief sample bibliographies and are welcome.  Please send submissions or proposals by or before February 28th, 2023 by email to <emergingepidemics@gmail.com> with the words SPECIAL ISSUE in the subject line for clarity.