The Future of the Book: Images of Reading in the American Utopian Novel

The Future of the Book: Images of Reading in the American Utopian Novel explores how turn-of-the-century utopian novelists envisioned the book in the ideal future, examining the utopian residential library, public library, author's role, and utopian newspaper. It also looks at printed books in the ideal future, considering graphic design, universal languages, and methods to assure censorship-free printing.

Format: Hardback
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 10 March 2022
Publisher: Oxford University Press

The Future of the Book: Images of Reading in the American Utopian Novel delves into the imaginative visions of turn-of-the-century utopian novelists regarding the future of the book. This comprehensive work explores various facets of book culture, shedding light on the utopian residential library, its contents, and its personal and social roles. In the envisioned utopia, every individual possesses books within their homes. Another chapter delves into the concept of the public library in utopia, highlighting the innovative solutions proposed by utopian novelists to address the challenges faced by real public libraries in late nineteenth-century America. In this utopian society, everyone possesses a comprehensive understanding of how to utilize the public library. Moving the focus from consumption to production, a third chapter examines the role of the author in utopia, exploring the question of whether an ideal world can produce great literature. While some utopian novelists believed that the answer was affirmative, the novels they envisioned in the future convey a more cautious conclusion. A parallel chapter delves into the utopian newspaper, envisioning alternative news media that foreshadowed the emergence of television and the internet. The final chapter takes a closer look at the future of printed books, exploring graphic design, universal languages, and methods to ensure that books are printed without censorship or editorial interference.

Weight: 444g
Dimension: 222 x 146 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780192856883