Biofictions: Literary and Visual Imagination in the Age of Biotechnology

Biofictions introduces three novel concepts: 'biofiction, 'bioimagination, and 'biodiscourse to talk about intersections of literary and visual texts and biotechnology. It proposes a new interdisciplinary area of research that correlates processes of genetics and literature, based on two critical approaches. The study includes well-known contemporary texts, such as David Foster Wallaces Infinite Jest, that are recontextualized as biofiction, and it offers a rereading of important but neglected novels such as Thomas Dischs Camp Concentration (1967). It also analyzes new visual texts such as the TV series Altered Carbon and Ghost in the Shell films.

Format: Hardback
Length: 120 pages
Publication date: 23 September 2021
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Biofictions, a groundbreaking work, introduces three novel concepts: 'biofiction,' 'bioimagination,' and 'biodiscourse,' to explore the intricate intersections of literary and visual texts and biotechnology. This book proposes a novel interdisciplinary area of research that establishes a correlation between processes of genetics and literature, drawing upon two critical approaches. The first approach compares the genetic codes, human language, formal (binary) language, and posthuman communication, highlighting the role of meaning and imagination in these forms of communication. The second approach defines 'biofictions' as a critical scientific-artistic concept and a corpus of texts that engage with ideas and developments in molecular biology.

A syncretic connection between biotechnology and literature becomes particularly evident in the realm of open science and the literary artistic genre of biopunk, which is examined in depth across various chapters. The study encompasses a wide range of well-known contemporary texts, such as David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest, which are reinterpreted as biofictions. It also offers a rereading of important but neglected novels like Thomas Disch's Camp Concentration (1967), providing fresh perspectives on these works. Furthermore, the book analyzes new visual texts, including the TV series Altered Carbon and Ghost in the Shell films, contributing to the understanding of the evolving relationship between biotechnology and literature.

Based on these diverse examples and innovative critical concepts, the book makes a compelling argument that the process of envisioning potential alterations for the genetic code or intended traits for an organism constitutes a discursive practice that gives rise. This practice ultimately leads to the creation of bionarratives, which are organic and literary in nature.

Chapter 1 of this remarkable book is freely available as a downloadable Open Access PDF under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license. This allows readers from all walks of life to access and engage with the insights and discussions presented within the pages of Biofictions, fostering a deeper understanding of the complex interplay between biotechnology and literature.

Weight: 274g
Dimension: 223 x 141 x 15 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367676759