After Postmodernism: The New American Fiction

American literature has moved away from postmodernist writing, but the nature of this turn and the defining qualities of American fiction after postmodernism remain unclear. This volume identifies four prominent trends: the recovery of the real, a rethinking of historical engagement, a preoccupation with materiality, and a turn to the planetary. Readings of works by leading figures support these arguments.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 150 pages
Publication date: 25 September 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Several of American literature's most prominent authors, as well as numerous astute critics and reviewers, contend that fiction from the past quarter-century has strayed from the tendencies of postmodernist writing. However, the nature of that turn and the defining characteristics of American fiction after postmodernism remain less than clear.

This volume identifies four prominent trends of the contemporary scene: the recovery of the real, a rethinking of historical engagement, a preoccupation with materiality, and a turn to the planetary. Readings of works by various leading figures, including Dave Eggers, Jonathan Franzen, A.M. Homes, Lance Olsen, Richard Powers, William T. Vollmann, and David Foster Wallace, support a variety of arguments about this recent revitalization of American literature.

The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of the journal Textual Practice.

Weight: 453g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367640118