This edited collection explores how narratives about the future of the Arctic have been
produced historically up until the present day. The contemporary deterministic and monolithic
narrative is shown to be only one of several possible ways forward. This book problematizes the
dominant prediction that there will be increased shipping and resource extraction as the ice
melts and shows how this seemingly inevitable future has consequences for the action that can
be taken in the present. This collection looks to historical projections about the future of
the Arctic evaluating why some voices have been heard and championed while others remain
marginalised. It questions how these historical perspectives have shaped resource allocation
and governance structures to understand the forces behind change in the Arctic region.
Considering the history of individuals and institutions their political and economic networks
and their perceived power the essays in this collection offer new perspectives on how the
future of the Arctic has been produced and communicated.
