Hidden Topographies: Traces of Urban Reality in Dystopian Fiction (Buchreihe Der Anglia / Anglia Book)

This book examines dystopian fiction’s recent paradigm shift towards urban dystopias. It links the dystopian tradition with the literary history of the novel, spatio-philosophical concepts against the backdrop of the __spatial turn__, and systems-theory. Five dystopian novels are discussed in great detail: China Miéville’s __Perdido Street Station__ (2000) and __The City & The City__ (2009), __City of Bohane__ (2011) by Kevin Barry, John Berger’s __Lilac and Flag__ (1992), and __Divided Kingdom__ (2005) by Rupert Thomson. The book includes chapters on the literary history of the dystopian tradition, the referential interplay of maps and literature, urban spaces in literature, borders and transgressions, and on systems-theory as a tool for charting dystopian fiction. The result is a detailed overview of how dystopian fiction constantly adapts to – and reflects on – the actual world.

This book examines dystopian fiction’s recent paradigm shift towards urban dystopias. It links the dystopian tradition with the literary history of the novel, spatio-philosophical concepts against the backdrop of the spatial turn, and systems-theory. Five dystopian novels are discussed in great detail: China Miéville’s Perdido Street Station (2000) and The City & The City (2009), City of Bohane (2011) by Kevin Barry, John Berger’s Lilac and Flag (1992), and Divided Kingdom (2005) by Rupert Thomson. The book includes chapters on the literary history of the dystopian tradition, the referential interplay of maps and literature, urban spaces in literature, borders and transgressions, and on systems-theory as a tool for charting dystopian fiction. The result is a detailed overview of how dystopian fiction constantly adapts to – and reflects on – the actual world.

The Anglia Book Series (ANGB) offers a selection of high quality work on all areas and aspects of English philology. It publishes book-length studies and essay collections on English language and linguistics, on English and American literature and culture from the Middle Ages to the present, on the new English literatures, as well as on general and comparative literary studies, including aspects of cultural and literary theory This book examines dystopian fiction’s recent paradigm shift towards urban dystopias. The result is a detailed overview of how dystopian fiction constantly adapts to – and reflects on – the actual world. The book is intended for all researchers who are interested in the dystopian tradition and in science fiction in general.