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 xi
... perhaps several such modalities sharing a family resemblance ) between artistic attention to the subject and scientific attention to the object . Can such extravagant ambition pay off ? In some measure , certainly ; and by intriguing ...
... perhaps several such modalities sharing a family resemblance ) between artistic attention to the subject and scientific attention to the object . Can such extravagant ambition pay off ? In some measure , certainly ; and by intriguing ...
Page xiv
... perhaps less pardonable . It is this : I believe that at a time of paradox and crisis in both literary and scientific theory and criticism - when meta - theory continually challenges and erodes canonised methods and their traditional ...
... perhaps less pardonable . It is this : I believe that at a time of paradox and crisis in both literary and scientific theory and criticism - when meta - theory continually challenges and erodes canonised methods and their traditional ...
Page 3
... perhaps ' specular feminism ' and , in sardonic homage to right - wing sf at its most florid , ' speculative fascism ' . A mass media version is the odious ' sci fi ' , a journalistic term3 taken over with bleak wit by some ...
... perhaps ' specular feminism ' and , in sardonic homage to right - wing sf at its most florid , ' speculative fascism ' . A mass media version is the odious ' sci fi ' , a journalistic term3 taken over with bleak wit by some ...
Page 4
... perhaps the quest for the First SF Novel , like the first flower of spring , is chimerical . But the period where we should expect to look for such a blossoming is during the Industrial Revolution , and perhaps just after the Napoleonic ...
... perhaps the quest for the First SF Novel , like the first flower of spring , is chimerical . But the period where we should expect to look for such a blossoming is during the Industrial Revolution , and perhaps just after the Napoleonic ...
Page 9
... perhaps self - punishing appraisal of science fiction correctly deems most sf to be stimuli tailored to the evocation of soothing daydreams , a species of craft writing directed to the satisfaction of lower middle - class and working ...
... perhaps self - punishing appraisal of science fiction correctly deems most sf to be stimuli tailored to the evocation of soothing daydreams , a species of craft writing directed to the satisfaction of lower middle - class and working ...
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