‘The Presence of Death’ appeared for the first time in 1922, a time when no-one was talking of climate change or climate fiction. The novel begins with a scientific discovery: an accident in the gravitational system is causing the earth to be drawn toward the sun. To begin with the people on the shores of Lake Geneva don’t want to believe it, preferring to bask in the warmth. Until it becomes clear there can be no escape from the heat. Then joy turns to fear as trees begin to wither, glaciers to melt and social order disintegrates. How should we read this novel today? And what can literature contribute to the climate debate?