Speculative Modernism: How Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Conceived the Twentieth Century

Speculative modernists of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including H.G. Wells and H.P. Lovecraft, explored existential despair and created alternative literary trails in science, religion, ecology, and sociology, building on Gothic and utopian movements. Their works depicted dystopias, anti-society attitudes, post-apocalyptic worlds, and the limitless universe, shaping the culture of the new century with their darker, more evolved themes.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 277 pages
Publication date: 30 April 2022
Publisher: McFarland & Co Inc

Speculative modernists, a group of British and American writers of science fiction, fantasy, and horror during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, faced similar forces that led their more famous literary counterparts to existential despair. Building on the ideas of the 19th-century Gothic and utopian movements, these speculative writers anticipated literary Modernism and forged alternative literary paths in science, religion, ecology, and sociology. Authors such as H.G. Wells and H.P. Lovecraft gained widespread recognition, and their works explored themes of individuals trapped in dystopias, anti-society attitudes, post-apocalyptic worlds, and the rapidly expanding knowledge of the limitless universe. This book delves into the Gothic and utopian roots of speculative fiction and examines how these authors played a crucial role in shaping the culture of the new century with their darker, more evolved themes.

Weight: 351g
Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781476683331