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. |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 86
Page
... readers must learn the codes and vernacular of these imaginary worlds, while absorbing the 'lived-in futures' generated by the overlapping intertexts of many sf writers. Reading by Starlight includes close readings of cyberpunk and ...
... readers must learn the codes and vernacular of these imaginary worlds, while absorbing the 'lived-in futures' generated by the overlapping intertexts of many sf writers. Reading by Starlight includes close readings of cyberpunk and ...
Page i
... readers must learn the codes and vernacular of these imaginary worlds , while absorbing the ' lived - in futures ' generated by the overlapping intertexts of many sf writers . Reading by Starlight includes close readings of cyberpunk ...
... readers must learn the codes and vernacular of these imaginary worlds , while absorbing the ' lived - in futures ' generated by the overlapping intertexts of many sf writers . Reading by Starlight includes close readings of cyberpunk ...
Page xii
... reading protocols articulated about and foregrounding aspects of the objective world ( as science tries to do ) , through the engaging invention of stories about imagined subjects – that is , aware , feeling , thinking persons ( typical ...
... reading protocols articulated about and foregrounding aspects of the objective world ( as science tries to do ) , through the engaging invention of stories about imagined subjects – that is , aware , feeling , thinking persons ( typical ...
Page xiii
... reading and evaluating or situating examples of pre - defined and valorised literature . This shift offers an ... reading of sf . What are its generic components ? How are they put together ? How concretised by readers ? How , in turn ...
... reading and evaluating or situating examples of pre - defined and valorised literature . This shift offers an ... reading of sf . What are its generic components ? How are they put together ? How concretised by readers ? How , in turn ...
Page xiv
... reader , it is scarcely feasible to approach sf theory and criticism without a certain familiarity with many sf texts ... reading , but only for those who share some preliminary familiarity with at least a sampling of its best - regarded ...
... reader , it is scarcely feasible to approach sf theory and criticism without a certain familiarity with many sf texts ... reading , but only for those who share some preliminary familiarity with at least a sampling of its best - regarded ...
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 |
Other editions - View all
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