Ecological uncanny and fallout of repression: exploring the metaphor of ecocatastrophe in <i>The Light Pirate</i>

Purpose This article examines The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton through a dual theoretical lens: Freud’s (1919/2003) concept of the uncanny and Thiltges’s (2024) concept of the nuclear disaster as a metaphor for impending ecocatastrophe. Design/methodology/approach Employing qualitative textual analysis, the research explores how the novel portrays ecological collapse not only as a material crisis but as a psychological disturbance rooted in the return of repressed natural forces. Themes of displacement, nature’s quiet revenge and persistent threats are examined to illustrate how environmental degradation mirrors the psychological disorientation of the uncanny and the irreversible devastation of nuclear fallout. Findings The findings reveal that the novel presents ecological disaster as both existential and structural rupture, displacing individuals, dissolving social systems and unsettling notions of home and identity. By foregrounding the emotional and spatial impacts of climate collapse, the novel underscores the fragile boundary between humanity and nature. Research limitations/implications The research emphasizes the urgent need to address environmental degradation and contribute to the broader understanding of human–nature relationships in literature. It underscores the value of fiction in raising awareness about pressing environmental issues and promoting sustainable actions. Originality/value Freud’s (1919) concept of the uncanny has been traditionally applied to the human psyche. However, this research combines it with Thiltges’s (2014) concept of nuclear disaster as a metaphor for impending ecocatastrophe to reinterpret the uncanny as the return of repressed ecological consequences, particularly nature’s suppressed anger toward centuries of human destruction.