Religion in Science Fiction: The Evolution of an Idea and the Extinction of a Genre Contributor(s): Hrotic, Steven (Author) |
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ISBN: 1472533550 ISBN-13: 9781472533555 Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic OUR PRICE: $173.25 Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats Published: August 2014 |
Additional Information |
BISAC Categories: - Religion | Religion & Science - Literary Criticism |
Dewey: 201.7 |
LCCN: 2014003678 |
Series: Scientific Studies of Religion. Inquiry and Explanation |
Physical Information: 0.7" H x 6" W x 9.3" (1.05 lbs) 240 pages |
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
Publisher Description: Religion in Science Fiction investigates the history of the representations of religion in science fiction literature. Space travel, futuristic societies, and non-human cultures are traditional themes in science fiction. Speculating on the societal impacts of as-yet-undiscovered technologies is, after all, one of the distinguishing characteristics of science fiction literature. A more surprising theme may be a parallel exploration of religion: its institutional nature, social functions, and the tensions between religious and scientific worldviews. Steven Hrotic investigates the representations of religion in 19th century proto-science fiction, and genre science fiction from the 1920s through the end of the century. Taken together, he argues that these stories tell an overarching story-a 'metanarrative'-of an evolving respect for religion, paralleling a decline in the belief that science will lead us to an ideal (and religion-free) future. Science fiction's metanarrative represents more than simply a shift in popular perceptions of religion: it also serves as a model for cognitive anthropology, providing new insights into how groups and identities form in a globalized world, and into how crucial a role narratives may play. Ironically, this same perspective suggests that science fiction, as it was in the 20th century, may no longer exist. |