Reading by Starlight: Postmodern Science FictionReading by Starlight explores the characteristics in the writing, marketing and reception of science fiction which distinguish it as a genre. Damien Broderick explores the postmodern self-referentiality of the sci-fi narrative, its intricate coded language and discursive `encyclopaedia'. He shows how, for perfect understanding, sci-fi readers must learn the codes of these imaginary worlds and vocabularies, all the time picking up references to texts by other writers. Reading by Starlight includes close readings of paradigmatic cyberpunk texts and writings by SF novelists and theorists including Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, Brian Aldiss, Patrick Parrinder, Kim Stanley Robinson, John Varley, Roger Zelazny, William Gibson, Fredric Jameson and Samuel R. Delaney. |
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Page vii
Postmodern Science Fiction Damien Broderick. Acknowledgements Introduction CONTENTS Part I Modern science fiction 1 NEW WORLD , NEW TEXTS The lineage of sf Definitions A mythology of tomorrow Running the universe The catlike mrem At play ...
Postmodern Science Fiction Damien Broderick. Acknowledgements Introduction CONTENTS Part I Modern science fiction 1 NEW WORLD , NEW TEXTS The lineage of sf Definitions A mythology of tomorrow Running the universe The catlike mrem At play ...
Page xvi
... Modern science fiction ' in the 1930s and 1940s – is explored in detail from a variety of alternative starting - points . Chapter 1 examines sf's literary lineage , definitions of sf in terms of themes , scientific and mock - scientific ...
... Modern science fiction ' in the 1930s and 1940s – is explored in detail from a variety of alternative starting - points . Chapter 1 examines sf's literary lineage , definitions of sf in terms of themes , scientific and mock - scientific ...
Page
... Modern sf that his manifesto is worth citing at some length. Like the stories it prefaced, it was 'representative of the moods and forces at work in the development of the new literature of the Technological Era': It is essential in the ...
... Modern sf that his manifesto is worth citing at some length. Like the stories it prefaced, it was 'representative of the moods and forces at work in the development of the new literature of the Technological Era': It is essential in the ...
Page 1
Postmodern Science Fiction Damien Broderick. Part I MODERN SCIENCE FICTION Modern science fiction.
Postmodern Science Fiction Damien Broderick. Part I MODERN SCIENCE FICTION Modern science fiction.
Page 3
... galumphing robots , thundering spaceships , ray - gun battles , cosy holocausts . In the first part of this book I restrict my attention largely to what has come to be called ' Modern science fiction ' , which 3 NEW WORLD, NEW TEXTS.
... galumphing robots , thundering spaceships , ray - gun battles , cosy holocausts . In the first part of this book I restrict my attention largely to what has come to be called ' Modern science fiction ' , which 3 NEW WORLD, NEW TEXTS.
Contents
3 | |
GENERIC ENGINEERING | 21 |
GENRE OR MODE? | 38 |
THE USES OF OTHERNESS | 49 |
READING THE EPISTEME | 64 |
DREAMS OF REASON AND UNREASON | 75 |
THE STARS MY DISSERTATION | 89 |
MAKING UP WORLDS | 103 |
SF AS A MODULAR CALCULUS | 128 |
THE MULTIPLICITY OF WORLDS OF OTHERS | 137 |
THE AUTUMNAL CITY | 153 |
Notes | 159 |
Bibliography | 180 |
xi | 193 |
74 | 195 |
ALLOGRAPHY AND ALLEGORY | 117 |
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Common terms and phrases
Aldiss alien allegory attempts attention become called Chapter character cited close codes cognitive common constituted constructed course critical culture death definition Delany Delany's detail developed discourse discussion dream early effect episteme especially example experience fantasy figure force future genre given human ibid icons images imagination important interesting Intersection invention Jameson John kind language late later least less limits linguistic literary literature Lobey Marxism means mega-text metaphor mode move myth narrative never notes novel object offers once perhaps play position possible postmodern precisely question reader reading reality recent reference relation remains science fiction scientific seems semiotic sense sf's signifiers social space specific Stars story Strange structure tell textual theory things thinking tropes true turn universe volume writing