Critical Theory and Dystopia

Patricia McManus (Senior Lecturer in Media and Cultural History)

$180

Hardback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

Manchester University Press
21 June 2022

Series: Critical Theory and Contemporary Society

Bringing the resources of critical theory to bear on the genre of dystopian fiction, this volume demonstrates both the continuing potential of Theodor Adorno's work on literature, and the meaning of dystopia when considered in the light of Adorno's critique of modernity.

Critical theory and dystopia offers a uniquely rich study of dystopian fiction, drawing on the insights of critical theory. Asking what ideological work these dark imaginings perform, the book reconstructs the historical emergence, consolidation and transformation of the genre across the twentieth century and into our own, ranging from Yevgeny Zamayatin's We (1924) and Aldous Huxley's Brave New World (1932) to Anthony Burgess's A Clockwork Orange (1963) and Suzanne Collins's Hunger Games series (2000s and 2010s). In doing so, it reveals the political logics opened up or neutered by the successive moments of this dystopian history.

By: Patricia McManus (Senior Lecturer in Media and Cultural History)
Imprint: Manchester University Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm, Spine: 14mm
Weight: 485g
ISBN: 9781526139733
ISBN 10: 1526139731
Series: Critical Theory and Contemporary Society
Pages: 224
Publication Date: 21 June 2022
Audience: Professional and scholarly , General/trade , College/higher education , Undergraduate , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Introduction 1 Negative commitment at work 2 Orwell and the classic dystopia 3 Dystopia and the past 4 Michel Houellebecq and the end of dystopia? 5 American dystopia Index -- .

Patricia McManus is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Humanities at the University of Brighton

Reviews for Critical Theory and Dystopia

'McManus offers an excellent study of dystopia both historically and formally. With readings that span from E.M. Forster and George Orwell to Leni Zumas and Michel Houellebecq, the volume is an essential resource for both established and new scholars of the genre.' Raffaella Baccolini, University of Bologna, Forlì Campus ‘Patricia McManus brings a needed focus back to an investigation and assessment of the ideological function of dystopias as they have appeared throughout the 20th century. Her uncompromising critique balanced by her persistent hope for a better world informs her rigorous theoretical intervention and her astute close readings of writers from Orwell to Houellbecq.’ Tom Moylan, Professor Emeritus, Ralahine Centre for Utopian Studies, University of Limerick -- .