Narrating Utopia: Ideology, Gender, Form in Utopian Literature (Liverpool University Press - Liverpool Science Fiction Texts & Studies)

Utopian societies exhibit a variety of ways of organizing the financial, political and emotional relationships between people. For all this diversity, however, one thing that exhibits far less variation is the story, the framing narrative that accounts for how the narrator reaches the more perfect society and obtains the opportunity to witness its distinctive excellences. __Narrating Utopia__ is about that story, the curious hybrid of the traveler’s tale and the classical dialogue that emerges in the Renaissance, but whose outlines remain clearly apparent even in some of the most recent utopian writing."... a well-written and worthy addition to the filed of utopian studies."—__SFRA Review__ The Utopian Alternatives Writers Imagine Are Affected By Numerous Variables, Such As The Historical Circumstances In Which They Write, Their Gender And Class Background, Not To Mention Psychological Factors. These Variables In Turn Give Rise To A Bewildering Assortment Of Imagined Social Structures. Yet For All This Diversity, One Thing That Exhibits Far Less Variation Is The Story, The Framing Narrative That Accounts For How The Narrator Or Central Character Reaches The More Perfect Society And Obtains The Opportunity To Witness Its Distinctive Excellences. Narrating Utopia Is About That Story. It Is About The Curious Hybrid Of The Traveller's Tale And The Classical Dialogue That Emerges In The Renaissance, But Whose Outlines Remain Clearly Apparent Even In Some Of The Most Recent Utopian Writing. In This Study Chris Ferns Investigates The Ideological Implications Of That Story, Its Relation To The Nature Of Utopian Desire, And The Problems It Continues To Create Even For Writers Who Try To Free Themselves From Its Limitations.--book Jacket. The Utopian Dream Of Order: More And His Successors -- Bellamy And Wells: The Dream Of Order In The Modern World -- Dystopia: The Dream As Nightmare -- Libertarian Alternatives: Morris, News From Nowhere; Bogdanov, Red Star; Huxley; Island -- A World Of One's Own: Separatist Utopias -- Dreams Of Freedom: Piercy, Le Guin, And The Future Of Utopia. Chris Ferns. Includes Bibliographical References (p [356]-364) And Index. Utopian societies exhibit a variety of ways of organizing the financial, political and emotional relationships between people. For all this diversity, however, one thing that exhibits far less variation is the story, the framing narrative that accounts for how the narrator reaches the more perfect society and obtains the opportunity to witness its distinctive excellences. Narrating Utopia is about that story, the curious hybrid of the traveler’s tale and the classical dialogue that emerges in the Renaissance, but whose outlines remain clearly apparent even in some of the most recent utopian writing. "... a well-written and worthy addition to the filed of utopian studies."— SFRA Review The utopian alternatives writers imagine vary considerably, although the framing narrative that accounts for how the central character reaches the more perfect society is less varied. This text focuses on that narrative