Terrorism and Temporality in the Works of Thomas Pynchon and Don DeLillo

"Terrorism and Temporality in the Works of Thomas Pynchon and Don DeLillo starts from a simple premise: that the events of the 11th of September 2001 must have had a major effect on two New York residents, and two of the seminal authors of American letters, Pynchon and DeLillo. By examining implicit and explicit allusion to these events in their work, it becomes apparent that both consider 9/11 a crucial event, and that it has profoundly impacted their work. From this important point, the volume focuses on the major change identifiable in both authors'' work; a change in the perception, and conception, of time. This is not, however, a simple change after 2001. It allows, at the same time, a re-examination of both authors work, and the acknowledgment of time as a crucial concept to both authors throughout their careers. Engaging with several theories of time, and their reiteration and examination in both authors' work, this volume contributes both to the understanding of literary time, and to the work of Pynchon and DeLillo"--Provided by publisher Title Copyright Dedication Contents List of Figures Acknowledgments Note on the Text Introduction Pynchon and DeLillo What is terrorism? 1 Mao II: Prefigurations of Terrorist Time Introduction The City: New York City Time, terror, and art Death and time Death and the novel Jean-Claude and Bill New York to Beirut: Bill Gray’s journey toward death Conclusion 2 The Futurity of September 10 Introduction Dromology and anachronism Prochronism in Cosmopolis A counter-narrative? Parachronism in Cosmopolis Conclusion 3 Beckett’s Proust and Falling Man Introduction Proust: Time, habit, memory Time Proust: Schopenhauer and Bergson Habit Memory Time, habit, memory: Surviving the World Trade Center collapse Habit as memory: Alzheimer’s disease Habit as memory: Poker Habitual compulsion Eternal return in Falling Man Conclusion 4 Intimate Time: The Limits of Temporality in Point Omega Introduction Changing time Film time Modernist time Conclusion 5 Δt: Precursors to Pynchon’s Reconsideration of Temporality in Gravity’s Rainbow Introduction The V-2 and time .t: Ballistic time 6 The Duration of Thomas Pynchon’s Hell Introduction September 11 in Against the Day The duration of Thomas Pynchon’s hell Dual and dueling temporalities Time travel Bilocation RENFREW Counter-worlds: A counter-Earth or something more confronting? Mathematics Infinity and eternity Conclusion 7 Pynchon’s Futurist Manifesto Introduction Andrea Tancredi, anarchist Futurist Simultaneity and dynamism: Futurism and Bergson Conclusion 8 Inherent Vice and the Chronotope Introduction Temporal oddities “[T]he permanent smog he liked to think of as his memory”9 The internet Doper’s memory Conclusion Bibliography Index Annotation "Terrorism and Temporality in the Works of Thomas Pynchon and Don DeLillo" starts from a simple premise: that the events of the 11th of September 2001 must have had a major effect on two New York residents, and two of the seminal authors of American letters, Pynchon and DeLillo. By examining implicit and explicit allusion to these events in their work, it becomes apparent that both consider 9/11 a crucial event, and that it has profoundly impacted their work. From this important point, the volume focuses on the major change identifiable in both authors' work; a change in the perception, and conception, of time. This is not, however, a simple change after 2001. It allows, at the same time, a re-examination of both authors work, and the acknowledgment of time as a crucial concept to both authors throughout their careers. Engaging with several theories of time, and their reiteration and examination in both authors' work, this volume contributes both to the understanding of literary time, and to the work of Pynchon and DeLillo Mao II : pre-figurations of terrorist time -- The futurity of the 10th of September -- Beckett's Proust and Falling man -- Intimate time : the limits of temporality in Point Omega -- Pre-cursors to Pynchon's reconsideration of temporality in Gravity's rainbow -- The duration of Thomas Pynchon's Hell -- Pynchon's futurist manifesto -- Inherent vice and the chronotope