Under the Literary Microscope: Science and Society in the Contemporary Novel (AnthropoScene: The SLSA Book Series)

“Science in fiction,” “geek novels,” “lab-lit”—whatever one calls them, a new generation of science novels has opened a space in which the reading public can experience and think about the powers of science to illuminate nature as well as to generate and mitigate social change and risks. __Under the Literary Microscope__ examines the implications of the discourse taking place in and around this creative space. Exploring works by authors as disparate as Barbara Kingsolver, Richard Powers, Ian McEwan, Ann Patchett, Margaret Atwood, and Michael Crichton, these essays address the economization of scientific institutions; ethics, risk, and gender disparity in scientific work; the reshaping of old stereotypes of scientists; science in an evolving sci-fi genre; and reader reception and potential contributions of the novels to public understandings of science. __Under the Literary Microscope__ illuminates the new ways in which fiction has been grappling with scientific issues—from climate change and pandemics to artificial intelligence and genomics—and makes a valuable addition to both contemporary literature and science studies courses. In addition to the editors, the contributors include Anna Auguscik, Jay Clayton, Carol Colatrella, Sonja Fücker, Raymond Haynes, Luz María Hernández Nieto, Emanuel Herold, Karin Hoepker, Anton Kirchhofer, Antje Kley, Natalie Roxburgh, Uwe Schimank, Sherryl Vint, and Peter Weingart. "Science in fiction," "geek novels," "lab-lit"--whatever one calls them, novels about science open a creative space in which the reading public can experience and think critically about the powers of science to illuminate and transform nature and to create and mitigate social risks. The essays in Under the Literary Microscope examine the sociological and literary implications of the discourse taking place in and around this space, focusing on the interactions between processes of knowledge formation and the socioeconomic and political spheres. The past few decades have seen a proliferation of novels about science in anglophone literature that move beyond the stereotypes that dominated portrayals of science throughout most of the twentieth century. Exploring the work of novelists such as Barbara Kingsolver, Richard Powers, Ian McEwan, Ann Patchett, Allegra Goodman, and Karen Joy Fowler, the contributors to this volume discuss the most prevalent scientific and social themes in new fiction about science; how the novel's intrinsic formal features allow for the interweaving of the conflicting social and scientific discourses; and fiction's responses to contemporary issues in science and technology, such as artificial intelligence, genomics, and climate change. Perfectly structured for use in classes on science in literature, Under the Literary Microscope sheds light on and opens new avenues of inquiry into the intersections of science and society, science communication, and science education. In addition to the editors, the contributors include Anna Auguscik, Jay Clayton, Carol Colatrella, Sonja Fcker, Raymond Haynes, Luz Mara Hernndez Nieto, Emanuel Herold, Karin Hoepker, Anton Kirchhofer, Antje Kley, Natalie Roxburgh, Uwe Schimank, Sherryl Vint, and Peter Weingart.

"Science in fiction," "geek novels," "lab-lit"-whatever onecalls them, a new generation of science novels has opened a spacein which the reading public can experience and think about thepowers of science to illuminate nature as well as to generate andmitigate social change and risks. Under the LiteraryMicroscope examines the implications of the discourse takingplace in and around this creative space.

Exploring works by authors as disparate as Barbara Kingsolver,Richard Powers, Ian McEwan, Ann Patchett, Margaret Atwood, andMichael Crichton, these essays address the economization ofscientific institutions; ethics, risk, and gender disparity inscientific work; the reshaping of old stereotypes of scientists;science in an evolving sci-fi genre; and reader reception andpotential contributions of the novels to public understandings ofscience.

Under the Literary Microscope illuminates the new waysin which fiction has been grappling with scientific issues-fromclimate change and pandemics to artificial intelligence andgenomics-and makes a valuable addition to both contemporaryliterature and science studies courses.

In addition to the editors, the contributors include AnnaAuguscik, Jay Clayton, Carol Colatrella, Sonja Fücker, RaymondHaynes, Luz María Hernández Nieto, Emanuel Herold, Karin Hoepker,Anton Kirchhofer, Antje Kley, Natalie Roxburgh, Uwe Schimank,Sherryl Vint, and Peter Weingart.

COVER Front Copyright Page Table of Contents Acknowledgments Introduction Chapter 1: Science and Society in Recent Fiction Chapter 2: From Individual to Collective Knowledge Production A Brief Nonfi ction History Chapter 3: Between Mad and Mundane Mixed Stereotypical and Realistic Portrayals of Science in Contemporary Fiction Media Chapter 4: Scientists at Risk Chapter 5: Speculative Fiction and the Signifi cance of Plausibility Dystopian Science in the Critical Responseto Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake Chapter 6: When the Scientist Is a Woman Novels and Feminist Science Studies Chapter 7: Economization of Science Insights from Science Novels Chapter 8: The Science Fiction of Technological Modernity Images of Science in Recent Science Fiction Chapter 9: Unruly Creatures, Obstinate Things Bio-Objects and Scientific Knowledge Production in Contemporary Science Fiction Chapter 10: A Fictional Risk Narrative and Its Potential for Social Resonance Reception of Barbara Kingsolver’s Flight Behavior in Reviews and Reading Groups Index "A collection of essays examining literary discussions of the role of science, focusing on the interactions between processes of knowledge formation and the socioeconomic and political spheres" -- Provided by publisher