Contemporary American Fiction in the Embrace of the Digital Age

This collection explores the relationship between American fiction and technological innovations of the 21st century,such as the Internet,social media,smart objects,artificial intelligence,nanotechnologies,genetic engineering,and transhumanism. It examines how these innovations redefine the way we live and interact with each other,and how fiction is transformed by them. The collection also considers the impact of these technologies on language and literature,the role of fiction in critiquing the new media,and the challenges posed by virtual worlds to the primacy of literary fiction.

Format: Hardback
Length: 224 pages
Publication date: 31 December 2021
Publisher: Sussex Academic Press

The relationship between American fiction and the remarkable innovations that characterized the early years of the twenty-first century, including the Internet, social media, smart objects and environments, artificial intelligence, nanotechnologies, genetic engineering, and other biotechnologies, transhumanism, is the focus of this collection. These technological advancements have fundamentally transformed the way we live, interact with one another, and understand the human being in our increasingly intimate relationship with machines. Gone are the days when humans cared for or repaired machines; now, they are enhanced or replaced.

The impact of these technological advancements on artistic and cultural practices is a subject of intense scrutiny. Are these developments altering the language and literature of our time? How is fiction being transformed by the rapid pace of technological progress, and what representations of progress can it oppose? Can fiction offer a critical perspective on the new media and the disruptions they precipitate? How does literature respond to the demands of a technical time driven by efficiency, where the present is subservient to the future? Do virtual worlds challenge the primacy of literary fiction as a mode of escape from everyday life?

In this context, scholars engage in a comprehensive investigation of American fiction, encompassing the works of Russell Banks, Don DeLillo, David Foster Wallace, Jonathan Lethem, Tao Lin, Richard Powers, Kenneth Goldsmith, Jennifer Egan, and Jonathan Franzen. Additionally, they explore the Cyberpunk genre and the Neuronovel, which offer valuable insights into the interplay between technology, fiction, and the human experience.

The collection aims to shed light on the complex and multifaceted relationship between American fiction and the technological innovations of the twenty-first century. By examining the ways in which these innovations shape the narratives, characters, and themes of American fiction, the collection seeks to provide a deeper understanding of the ways in which technology is shaping our collective imagination and our understanding of the human condition.

Weight: 452g
Dimension: 157 x 234 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781789760835