Speculative Modernism

William Gillard teaches creative writing and literature at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh and is the author of six books. He lives in Appleton, Wisconsin. James Reitter is an associate professor of English and film studies at Dominican University New York. He publishes poetry in magazines and journals. Robert Stauffer specializes in medieval and Renaissance literature at Dominican University New York. He has published science-fiction short stories and several articles on baseball.

“A fascinating study. The authors examine a wide range of works, put them together in interesting ways, and ultimately make a contribution to how we think about the modernist era and these ‘speculative modernist’ texts.”—Michael R. Page, author, The Literary Imagination from Erasmus Darwin to H.G. Wells

• Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsPrefaceIntroduction1. UtocalypseAll Will Be Well: The Utopian Roots of Speculative ModernismThe Screw Turns: Bleak Reality Murders Optimism­Anti-Utopians: The Individual Versus SocietyConclusion2. Shadows at the TurnGothic Origins of Speculative ModernismGothic Extensions: Doppelgängers to VampiresGhosts and the UnexplainedConclusion3. This Island Earth: Nature vs. Speculative ModernistsScience Will Bend Nature to Serve Humanity: The Utopian PerspectiveThere Are Things We Can Never Know: The Purple Cloud and the Limits of ScienceBeyond This Place and Time: The Natural World Will Outlast UsWeaponizing Nature: Understanding the Non-Human World in Order to Destroy ItConclusion4. Worlds BeyondWhat Do We Really Have to Offer?They Want What We Want“We’re Down; We’re Beat”: Humanity’s DefeatConclusion5. MachinocracyA Species in Distress: Machines Will Save HumanitySand in the Gears: Machines Can’t Save UsBuilding the Perfect Gun: Machines Will Kill Us AllConclusion6. Divine SecretsThe Benevolent Universe: Spiritual Rewards for the Speculative ModernistCruel Reality: Monsters Lurking Beyond the VeilThe Neutral Universe: Our Truth Lies Within OurselvesConclusion7. We Are Fortunately FlawedSherlock Holmes: Ego and ­Ultra-RationalismTarzan: Natural Law and the Laws of ManBuck Rogers: Future PerfectKing Kull: Governing by AxeConan the Cimmerian: Blood on SteelJirel of Joiry: Darkness and LightConclusionEpilogueThe Editorial TastemakersThe Book Publishers Who Made the Old New AgainConan as ChronicleChapter NotesWorks CitedIndex