IMAGINING THE APOCALYPSE.pdf

2017

Dystopian imaginings in literature, particularly literature of the 20 and 21 century, reflect both global as well as national predilections depending on the immediate social realities most imminent to their authors. This paper attempts to explore the subtle divide that exists in the way dystopian themes are articulated in four different texts in English written by the first world and third world writers. As all dystopian art aspires for some form of social propaganda, it will be interesting to explore how these writers strike the delicate balance between direct /indirect propaganda and art. Dystopian works selected for the study are: Cormac McCarthy’s The Road (2006), Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games (2008), Manjula Padmanabhan’s play Harvest (1997), Ngugi wa Thiongo’s latest novel Wizard of the Crow (2006).

2018

The aim of this thesis is to describe, analyze and explain major influences on the development of dystopian literature of the 21st century written in English. Those influences are described and illustrated on selected literary works, specifically on Oryx and Crake (2003) by Margaret Atwood, Never Let Me Go (2005) by Kazuo Ishiguro, The Hunger Games (2008) by Suzanne Collins, Matched (2010) by Ally Condie, and The Bone Season (2013) by Samantha Shannon. The theoretical part aims to explain the term dystopia, to define dystopia as a genre, and to describe its history. This part also deals with the influences on the development of dystopia, focused especially on the 20 century, and with the summaries of the books selected for the use in the practical part. The practical part focuses on the major influences on the development of dystopian literature of the 21 century written in English. Those are influences relating to methods of social control, scientific and technological advancements...

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE Dystopian Worlds beyond Storytelling. Representations of Dehumanized Societies in Literature, Media and Political Discourses: Multidisciplinary Perspectives Milano, 15-16 September 2022 In the last two decades, media and cultural production has been characterized by an increasing representation of dystopian worlds and alternative and “possible universes”, as narrative tools to describe fears and contradictions of human beings face to the uncertainty of the future as well as the reworkings of the past and the memory. The pandemic emergence has accentuated this particular creative process, not only in the direction of health and epidemiological topics, but – more in general – towards a reconfiguration of new imageries about catastrophes and other social, cultural and technological upheavals. As part of a wider project on the so-called “clash of narratives” and its media representation and political use and mobilization, carried out by Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore also through the project of an “Atlas of dystopian storytelling” (www.unicatt.it/atlantedistopiemediali), the International Conference aims to focus, from a strong multidisciplinary perspective - including media, political, literary, linguistic, sociological and cultural studies - on the various ways the theme of dystopia has become relevant and massive in contemporary popular culture, both in traditional and digital forms, highlighting how it has changed across different languages and formats, also in the direction of a strong transmediality (novels, comics, movies, TV series, videogames, digital and social platforms, political discourses and so on). Dystopic societies have always been present in literature, film and media studies, but there is no doubt that they heavily emerged in recent cultural production as the result of deep social and political transformations that occurred in Western and non-Western societies after the collapse of twentieth-century ideologies and traumatic events – such as the attack on the Twin Towers or the current pandemic crisis. Thus, new narratives have emerged, often representing neo-populist or conspiracy theories on one hand, and apocalyptic future or “parallel present” on the other. The scenario of popular culture products reflects and also forges contemporary fears and anxieties within a society characterized by the domain of the technique, migrations and nomadic processes, democratic and environmental crisis, health emergencies; all aspects that underline the fragility of our societies and reconfigure concepts of space (production and representation of places, both real and fictional) and time (the role of past, present and future in dystopic media narratives), providing a cartography of complex trajectories and hybridizations of media, genres, and discourses of dystopias in popular culture and social practices. Possible topics for proposals may include (but are not limited to): • Digital dystopias and dystopias within the digital eco-system; • Technological dystopias in past and present narratives; • Health emergencies and pandemic; • Environmental catastrophes as critical rethorics against current ecological and economic models and in favour of sustainable and green policies; • Relationship between human beings and technology and role and representation of AI; • Crisis of democratic societies and consequences for geopolitical balances in light of the emergence of conspiracy theories; • Conflicts and splits in contemporary societies and struggles for power; • Migrations and allegorical use of diversity and new forms of cohabitation; • Integration of dystopic dynamics and narrative pipe within conventional media products; • Ucronic stories, “what if” mechanisms and the reinvention of the past; • Geographical references in dystopic media products: places, imaginaries, architectures, symbols, but also markets, production hubs and industry locative elements that help specific types of dystopic stories; • Time as narrative mechanism to strenghten apocalyptic and disturbing disquiets; • Transmediality and adaptation of literature and media contents and the creation of “dystopic” media franchises; • Soundscapes and the description of dystopic worlds through digital and popular music. We invite abstract submissions for 20-minute papers. Abstracts should be between 150-200 words in length and should be accompanied by a brief biographical note of the speaker/s. The deadline for submissions is 1st June. Accepted papers will be confirmed by 20th June. The language of the conference will be English. Please send abstracts to [email protected].

This essay aims to explore the concept of dystopia from its etymological origins in order to analyse two of the most well-known stories of dystopian fiction: A Sound of Thunder by Ray Bradbury and Here Comes the Wub by Philip K. Dick.

2020

Recent years have witnessed a spike in the sales of dystopian fiction, especially in the category of post-apocalyptic literature. Moreover, dystopian fiction is no longer directed to adults only, for many post-apocalyptic works fall now under the category of young adult (YA) literature. The massive production and consumption of such works, which present a pessimistic and catastrophic vision of the world, reflect the fear that has invaded the world since the 1960s due to the effects of the Cold War. One major post-apocalyptic work that was produced in the last few years is Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games trilogy (published in 2008, 2009 and 2010) which presents a sinister view of the future, hence warning against the consequences that are to be expected should authoritarianism remain unchecked. The linguistic choices made by an author contribute to the construction of the message he/she is trying to convey. Hence, this paper aims to analyze the linguistic indicators of point of vie...

Routledge Companion to Literature and Class , 2021

A chapter on dystopian fiction and class relations, in Gloria McMillan (ed.) Routledge Companion to Literature and Class. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003008354

Proceedings of ICON LATERALS 2016, 2016

This study discusses how contemporary young adult literature portrays the condition of nature in dystopian setting of time. This article attempts to describe the representation of ecology and technology in three dystopian novels entitled The Hunger Games (Collins, 2008) and Divergent (Roth, 2011) by using Garrad's theory of ecocriticism and Basu's perspective on dystopian literature. The result of discussion confirms that the novels draw a formulaic portrayal of dystopia by taking postapocalyptic natural condition as the setting of time and place. Here, the damaged environment is the result of natural disaster or war, and the advanced technology takes control in every aspect of human's life. As part of a larger discussion of the close relationship among literature, nature, technology and youth culture, the analysis is intended to be a twofold analysis which not only illustrates the representation of ecology and technology in the novels, but also reveals the motive behind their production by directing the attention to the young adult as the protagonist characters who have a positive vibe in responding the challenge of dystopian society.

Harf-o-Sukhan, 2023

In the twenty-first century, dystopian literature has developed into a potent prism that helps understand social concerns and political intricacies. The evolution of the genre is examined in this study, which also considers the profound social criticism found in contemporary stories, as well as new and repeating themes. In the introduction, the historical background of dystopian literature is discussed, along with its significance for understanding and pondering the complex dynamics of the modern world. A comprehensive analysis of dystopian literature is part of the research technique, with an emphasis on qualitative analysis to look for reoccurring themes and shifting narrative patterns. This study highlights the subtle variations in dystopian representations across countries and ideologies by synthesizing ideas from various literary settings. The method emphasizes how multifaceted the research is and recognizes how literature and social reality can benefit from one another. When combined, the findings show how the genre may be utilized to both reflect and critique contemporary social issues. Dystopian fiction offers readers a reflective environment in which to grapple with the complexities of the contemporary human experience because of its powerful commentary on subjects like authoritarianism, environmental harm, and technological advancement. This study promotes critical debate of societal concerns, expands our knowledge of how dystopian literature affects discourse, and suggests potential avenues for further research.

In recent years new speculative, dystopian, and (post)apocalyptic narratives have characterised Japanese and Latin American cultural discourse in their multifaceted dialogue with Anglo-American production, as well as their socio-cultural impact on reality as multi/transmedia products that stimulate cultural, social, and political contexts, creating communities and affiliations and inspiring transversal movements, as well as new forms of counter-narratives and public engagement. These narratives are not only experiencing an unprecedented circulation, but have emerged from a restricted field to populate the most diverse artistic and media forms, often achieving a global resonance. In the narratives of the new millennium, the "cognitive estrangement" theorised by Darko Suvin as the formal aspect of science fiction, simultaneously allowing for the recognition of the subject represented while creating an effect of defamiliarisation, appears even more estranging because it immerses the audience in situations that are already taking place, recognised rather than recognisable. Science fiction is not (anymore) prophecy but "about now" . As an effect of this temporal contraction, these narratives leave the specific field of the genre to flow into the space of the "augmented realism" where the future here is not just something that may happen but a "shore" (Deotto, 2018), an only slightly more advanced vantage point to better frame a reality in the making. This "augmented reality", thus, acts as a lens on the present: not to predict but to make more visible what the technology of power has made invisible. If uncertainty has given way to expectation and to "a culture of the imminence of the disaster" (Virilio, 2007), the "when" it will happen invites us to envisage alternatives. Thus, the new dystopian narratives become also a form of "creative destructiveness" (Dole et al., 2015), a means to identify possible social transformations and imagine new forms of trans-national and trans-species alliances in the common vulnerability and precariousness. The purpose of this conference is to bring together contributions that can enhance the dialogue between Japanese, Latin American, and Anglo-American productions through mutual contaminations, in a multi/interdisciplinary, and transmedial approach, also in the light of alternative forms of social, cultural, and political resistance and resilience. We encourage scholars and researchers from various disciplines to submit proposals related (but not limited) to:

The apocalypse in fiction is often used to criticize political, social and cultural practices in the Arab world, and focuses mainly on the culture of fear and its negative political effects. I would like to show how apocalyptic fiction can produce elaborate shock effects that paradoxically question the ability of apocalyptic messianic thinking to cope with the political and moral chaos, and that provoke the reader to redefine his/her fear and re-invest his/her apocalyptic desire for punishment in a conscious impulse for change. I will be analyzing this topic through a critical reading of a novel written by an Algerian novelist a scant six years before the outbreak of the Arab spring demonstrations in most Arab countries. The prophetic dimension of the novel is stunning and calls attention to how literature is central to the human culture insofar as it has spawned continuous attempts at representing the unthinkable and the untold, paving thus the way to the great cataclysmic changes in the history of humanity.