English Magic And Imperial Madness

Author : Peter D. Mathews
Publisher : McFarland
Page : 179 pages
File Size : 41,8 Mb
Release : 2021-11-09
Category : Literary Criticism
ISBN : 9781476644943

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English Magic and Imperial Madness by Peter D. Mathews Pdf

Regency England was a pivotal time of political uncertainty, with a changing monarchy, the Napoleonic Wars, and a population explosion in London. In Susanna Clarke's fantasy novel Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, the era is also witness to the unexpected return of magic. Locating the consequences of this eruption of magical unreason within the context of England's imperial history, this study examines Merlin and his legacy, the roles of magicians throughout history, the mythology of disenchantment, the racism at work in the character of Stephen Black, the meaning behind the fantasy of magic's return, and the Englishness of English magic itself. Looking at the larger historical context of magic and its links to colonialism, the book offers both a fuller understanding of the ethical visions underlying Clarke's groundbreaking novel of madness intertwined with magic, while challenging readers to rethink connections among national identity, rationality, and power.

Author : Kristine Larsen
Publisher : McFarland
Page : 291 pages
File Size : 46,7 Mb
Release : 2023-02-02
Category : Literary Criticism
ISBN : 9781476648170

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Science, Technology and Magic in The Witcher by Kristine Larsen Pdf

As Andrzej Sapkowski was fleshing out his character Geralt of Rivia for a writing contest, he did not set out to write a science textbook--or even a work of science fiction. However, the world that Sapkowski created in his series The Witcher resulted in a valuable reflection of real-world developments in science and technology. As the Witcher books have been published across decades, the sorcery in the series acts as an extension of the modern science it grows alongside. This book explores the fascinating entanglement of science and magic that lies at the heart of Sapkowski's novel series and its widely popular video game and television adaptations. This is the first English-language book-length treatment of magic and science in the Witcher universe. These are examined through the lenses of politics, religion, history and mythology. Sapkowski's richly detailed universe investigates the sociology of science and ponders some of the most pressing modern technological issues, such as genetic engineering, climate change, weapons of mass destruction, sexism, speciesism and environmentalism. Chapters explore the unsettling realization that the greatest monsters are frequently human, and their heinous acts often involve the unwitting hand of science.

Author : Megan H. Suttie
Publisher : McFarland
Page : 207 pages
File Size : 45,7 Mb
Release : 2023-01-26
Category : Literary Criticism
ISBN : 9781476680590

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Schools of Magic by Megan H. Suttie Pdf

What happens when the classroom and the fantastic meet? When lessons cover spells and potions alongside science and language arts? Through fantastic school stories--fiction involving the intersection of fantasy and school--the cycle of lessons, homework, exams, and graduation becomes new again, inviting us to consider what schools are teaching, who can be a student, and how knowledge is developed. Introducing a new framework for analyzing texts in the fantastic school story subgenre, this book examines texts including the Harry Potter series, Lev Grossman's Magicians trilogy, Terry Pratchett's Discworld, and Patrick Rothfuss's Kingkiller Chronicle, along with works by Jane Yolen, Nnedi Okorafor, and Tracy Deonn. This holistic framework combines the methods of fantasy literature scholarship, the focus of school story analyses, and an awareness of hidden lessons taught alongside official subjects, allowing for nuanced examinations of topics such as standardized testing, apprenticeships, and access to education.

Author : Matthew Oliver
Publisher : McFarland
Page : 285 pages
File Size : 50,8 Mb
Release : 2022-06-10
Category : Literary Criticism
ISBN : 9781476687131

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Magic Words, Magic Worlds by Matthew Oliver Pdf

While all fiction uses words to construct models of the world for readers, nowhere is this more obvious than in fantasy fiction. Epic fantasy novels create elaborate secondary worlds entirely out of language, yet the writing style used to construct those worlds has rarely been studied in depth. This book builds the foundations for a study of style in epic fantasy. Close readings of selected novels by such writers as Steven Erikson, Ursula Le Guin, N. K. Jemisin and Brandon Sanderson offer insights into the significant implications of fantasy's use of syntax, perspective, paratexts, frame narratives and more. Re-examining critical assumptions about the reading experience of epic fantasy, this work explores the genre's reputation for flowery, archaic language and its ability to create a sense of wonder. Ultimately, it argues that epic fantasy shapes the way people think, examining how literary representation and style influence perception.

Author : Sandra J. Lindow
Publisher : McFarland
Page : 249 pages
File Size : 44,5 Mb
Release : 2023-02-08
Category : Literary Criticism
ISBN : 9781476648880

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Nnedi Okorafor by Sandra J. Lindow Pdf

This work is the first book-length scholarly treatment of Nnedi Okorafor's critically acclaimed fiction. Written for an audience that includes serious fans as well as scholars, it is an introduction to Okorafor's work and major influences. The scope of the text is ambitious, featuring detailed analyses of her novels, short story collection, memoir, comics and graphic novel. Particular emphasis is given to Okorafor's most enduring themes, which include healthy young adult development and decision making, the interweaving of fantasy and science fiction, flight as a unifying force and the use of innovative biotechnology in ecological utopian communities. Influences examined include feminism, Afrofuturist and Africanfuturist movements and African mythology. Chapters also detail Okorafor's examinations of colonialism and corporate neocolonialism in Africa and Africa's potential to become a major world power.

Author : Paul A. Thomas
Publisher : McFarland
Page : 272 pages
File Size : 45,8 Mb
Release : 2023-07-20
Category : Performing Arts
ISBN : 9781476678580

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Analyzing Adventure Time by Paul A. Thomas Pdf

In 2010, Cartoon Network debuted a new animated series called Adventure Time, and within just a few short years the show became both a pop culture phenomenon and a critical darling. But despite all the admiration, not many works of scholarship have assessed the show through a critical lens. This anthology is an attempt to fill this scholarly oversight and spark a wider conversation about the show's deeper themes. Across 15 scholarly essays, this book's contributors study Adventure Time from a variety of angles, proving just how insightful the series really is. From a consideration of BMO's queer identity to a psychoanalytic reading of Lemongrab and an examination of how anime has impacted the show, the topics explored in this anthology are diverse and unique and are likely to appeal to scholars and fans alike.

Author : Dominic J. Nardi,N. Trevor Brierly
Publisher : McFarland
Page : 285 pages
File Size : 46,9 Mb
Release : 2022-08-01
Category : Literary Criticism
ISBN : 9781476646725

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Discovering Dune by Dominic J. Nardi,N. Trevor Brierly Pdf

Frank Herbert's Dune is one of the most well-known science fiction novels of all time, and it is often revered alongside time-honored classics like The Lord of the Rings. Unlike Tolkien's work, the Dune series has received remarkably little academic attention. This collection includes fourteen new essays from various academic disciplines--including philosophy, political science, disability studies, Islamic theology, environmental studies, and Byzantine history--that examine all six of Herbert's Dune books. As a compendium, it asserts that a multidisciplinary approach to the texts can lead to fresh discoveries. Also included in this collection are an introduction by Tim O'Reilly, who authored one of the first critical appraisals of Herbert's writings in 1981, and a comprehensive bibliography of essential primary and secondary sources.

Author : William Gillard,James Reitter,Robert Stauffer
Publisher : McFarland
Page : 254 pages
File Size : 53,5 Mb
Release : 2021-10-21
Category : Literary Criticism
ISBN : 9781476683331

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Speculative Modernism by William Gillard,James Reitter,Robert Stauffer Pdf

Speculative modernists--that is, British and American writers of science fiction, fantasy and horror during the late 19th and early 20th centuries--successfully grappled with the same forces that would drive their better-known literary counterparts to existential despair. Building on the ideas of the 19th-century Gothic and utopian movements, these speculative writers anticipated literary Modernism and blazed alternative literary trails in science, religion, ecology and sociology. Such authors as H.G. Wells and H.P. Lovecraft gained widespread recognition--budding from them, other speculative authors published fascinating tales of individuals trapped in dystopias, of anti-society attitudes, post-apocalyptic worlds and the rapidly expanding knowledge of the limitless universe. This book documents the Gothic and utopian roots of speculative fiction and explores how these authors played a crucial role in shaping the culture of the new century with their darker, more evolved themes.

Author : Hosam A. Ibrahim Elzembely,Emad El-Din Aysha
Publisher : McFarland
Page : 397 pages
File Size : 52,7 Mb
Release : 2022-03-21
Category : Literary Criticism
ISBN : 9781476685236

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Arab and Muslim Science Fiction by Hosam A. Ibrahim Elzembely,Emad El-Din Aysha Pdf

How is science fiction from the Arab and Muslim world different than mainstream science fiction from the West? What distinctive and original contributions can it make? Why is it so often neglected in critical considerations of the genre? While other books have explored these questions, all have been from foreign academic voices. Instead, this book examines the nature, genesis, and history of Arabic and Muslim science fiction, as well as the challenges faced by its authors, in the authors' own words. These authors share their stories and struggles with censors, recalcitrant publishers, critics, the book market, and the literary establishment. Their uphill efforts, with critical contributions from academics, translators, and literary activists, will enlighten the sci-fi enthusiast and fill a gap in the history of science fiction. Topics covered range from culture shock to conflicts between tradition and modernity, proactive roles for female heroines, blind imitation of storytelling techniques, and language games.

Author : Susan M. Bernardo
Publisher : McFarland
Page : 190 pages
File Size : 52,7 Mb
Release : 2022-05-06
Category : Performing Arts
ISBN : 9781476667713

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The Self and Community in Star Trek: Voyager by Susan M. Bernardo Pdf

After they are pulled 70,000 light-years away from Alpha Quadrant, the captain and crew of Star Trek: Voyager must travel homeward while exploring new challenges to their relationships, views of others, and themselves. As the first extended, critical study dedicated to Star Trek: Voyager, this book examines how the series uses the physical distance from the crew's home quadrant and the effect this has on the dynamics among community formation, self-creation and a sense of place. Chapters cover topics such as time travel, leadership models, interspecies relationships, the impact of trauma, models of self-creation and individuality, environmental influences on groups and individuals, memory, nostalgia, and how spiritual experiences affect people. The holographic Doctor and the former Borg, Seven of Nine, stand out as complex and boundary-stretching figures.

Author : Miles Leeson,Frances White
Publisher : Springer Nature
Page : 204 pages
File Size : 42,9 Mb
Release : 2023-07-25
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9783031272165

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Iris Murdoch and the Literary Imagination by Miles Leeson,Frances White Pdf

This volume is the third volume in Palgrave' Macmillan's new Iris Murdoch Today scholarly series. Iris Murdoch and the Literary Imagination is the first major collection of literary essays since her centenary in 2019. It brings together leading Murdoch scholars from across the world who expand the boundaries of recent criticism offering work not only on the novels, but on her unpublished poetry and archival materials. This collection discusses her interest in, and use of, Japanese literature; her relationship with, and reader-response to her, in Australia; Murdoch in the post #metoo era; her lifelong interest in the supernatural, same-sex relationships and friendships; as well as the use and abuse of biographical material. The collection widens the field of Murdoch studies and marks a new waypoint in the development of her critical reception.

Author : Susanna Clarke
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Page : 1098 pages
File Size : 55,6 Mb
Release : 2010-06-05
Category : Fiction
ISBN : 9781608195350

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Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke Pdf

In the Hugo-award winning, epic New York Times Bestseller and basis for the BBC miniseries, two men change England's history when they bring magic back into the world. In the midst of the Napoleonic Wars in 1806, most people believe magic to have long since disappeared from England - until the reclusive Mr. Norrell reveals his powers and becomes an overnight celebrity. Another practicing magician then emerges: the young and daring Jonathan Strange. He becomes Norrell's pupil, and the two join forces in the war against France. But Strange is increasingly drawn to the wild, most perilous forms of magic, and he soon risks sacrificing his partnership with Norrell and everything else he holds dear. Susanna Clarke's brilliant first novel is an utterly compelling epic tale of nineteenth-century England and the two magicians who, first as teacher and pupil and then as rivals, emerge to change its history.

Author : John Ogilvie
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 850 pages
File Size : 54,8 Mb
Release : 1883
Category : Encyclopedias and dictionaries
ISBN : BML:37001103888116

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The Imperial Dictionary of the English Language by John Ogilvie Pdf

Author : John Ogilvie
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 834 pages
File Size : 42,8 Mb
Release : 1883
Category : Electronic
ISBN : OXFORD:600093394

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The Imperial dictionary, on the basis of Webster's English dictionary by John Ogilvie Pdf

Author : Queensland. Parliament. Library,Denis O'Donovan (C.M.G.)
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 462 pages
File Size : 53,5 Mb
Release : 1883
Category : Queensland
ISBN : OXFORD:590731392

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Analytical and Classified Catalogue of the Library of the Parliament of Queensland by Queensland. Parliament. Library,Denis O'Donovan (C.M.G.) Pdf