Utopian Pasts and Futures in the Contemporary American Novel

Utopian Pasts and Futures in the Contemporary American Novel explores the emergence of speculative historism in U.S. literature,integrating critical method,genre,form,and literary theory to understand its political role in the 21st century.

Format: Hardback
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 31 December 2023
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press

The relationship between historical and speculative fiction is explored in this groundbreaking work, which offers a new form of literary-genre fiction that captures the seismic shifts of the early twenty-first century. Through in-depth critical readings of key writers such as Ken Kalfus, Joyce Carol Oates, and Colson Whitehead, among others, the book theorizes a reading practice that is deeply connected to the question of literature's political role in the twenty-first century. By establishing a new form of literary-genre fiction that registers the upheavals of the early twenty-first century and potential literary responses to them, Utopian Pasts and Futures in the Contemporary American Novel establishes itself as a vital contribution to the field.

The emergence of speculative historism, a literary mode that has gained prominence in U.S. literature over the past two decades, is the focus of this study. It delves into the formal constitution, narrative choices, and place within the wider literary market of this mode, which is considered essential for understanding American literature's struggle with the possibility of imagining hopeful futures. Through a form of utopian hermeneutics, the book explores the ways in which this mode engages with questions of power, identity, and the future, offering a fresh perspective on the complexities of the contemporary world.

In conclusion, Utopian Pasts and Futures in the Contemporary American Novel is a groundbreaking work that offers a new lens through which to understand the complexities of the early twenty-first century. By integrating questions of critical method, genre, form, and literary theory, it provides a rich and nuanced analysis of the emerging literary mode of speculative historism. This study is a must-read for anyone interested in the future of literature and the role it plays in shaping our understanding of the world.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781399519144