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Author
Summary
"Dystopia: A Natural History" is the first monograph devoted to the concept of dystopia. Taking the term to encompass both a literary tradition of satirical works, mostly on totalitarianism, as well as real despotisms and societies in a state of disastrous collapse, this volume redefines the central concepts and the chronology of the genre and offers a paradigm-shifting understanding of the subject. Part One assesses the theory and prehistory of 'dystopia.'...
Summary
"This volume is a resource for students of all levels who are interested in learning more about apocalyptic and dystopian narratives and the complex ways that they reflect the cultural conflicts, fears, and anxieties of the societies in which they were created and serve to offer critiques and responses to those same phenomena"--
Author
Series
Twayne's masterwork studies volume no. 39
Summary
Provides in-depth analysis of the literary work Brave New World, as well as its importance and critical reception. Includes a chronology of the life and works of the author.
Summary
"Since the publication of Thomas More's genre-defining work Utopia in 1516, the field of utopian literature has evolved into an ever-expanding domain. This Companion presents an extensive historical survey of the development of utopianism, from the publication of Utopia to today's dark and despairing tendency towards dystopian pessimism, epitomised by works such as George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four and Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale. Chapters...
Summary
"This collection of new essays presents some of the most recent scholarship on a genre whose popularity has surged dramatically since the 1990s. Contributors explore such novels as The Lord of the Flies, The Heart Goes Last, The Giver and The Strain Trilogy as social critique, revealing how they appeal to the same impulse as utopian fiction"--