The Cambridge Companion to Literature and the Posthuman, Includes Lisa Yaszek’s and My Chapter on Science Fiction, Available 22 Dec 2016

Bruce Clarke and Manuela Rossini’s The Cambridge Companion to Literature and the Posthuman, which includes  a chapter on posthumanism in science fiction co-wrote by Lisa Yaszek and me, will be published on 22 December 2016. All of its fifteen chapters are really terrific and insightful surveys written by influential scholars in the field for researchers and students who are seeking a better grasp of the posthuman in its literary contexts. Also, the incredible cover art is Lynn Randolph’s “Nocturnal Clouds.” Randolph, of course, is a long-time collaborator with Donna Haraway having contributed art for her books including Simians, Cyborgs, and Women, which includes “A Cyborg Manifesto,” and Modest_Witness (Randolph writes about her work inspired by and with Haraway here). A description of the collection and its contents are included below, and its available for purchase from Cambridge University Press here, Amazon.com here, Target.com here, and Barnes & Noble here.

The Cambridge Companion to Literature and the Posthuman is the first work of its kind to gather diverse critical treatments of the posthuman and posthumanism together in a single volume. Fifteen scholars from six different countries address the historical and aesthetic dimensions of posthuman figures alongside posthumanism as a new paradigm in the critical humanities. The three parts and their chapters trace the history of the posthuman in literature and other media, including film and video games, and identify major political, philosophical, and techno-scientific issues raised in the literary and cinematic narratives of the posthuman and posthumanist discourses. The volume surveys the key works, primary modes, and critical theories engaged by depictions of the posthuman and discussions about posthumanism.

• Presents important scholarly trends in posthumanism and the posthuman on a range of diverse topics to both students and professional readers
• Provides a dedicated guide to representations of and speculations on a posthuman world with a synoptic view of the field enabling readers to see a detailed overview
• Distinguishes and combines research on the posthuman as a fictional or speculative literary image and posthumanism as a critical discourse

Contents

Preface: literature, posthumanism, and the posthuman Bruce Clarke and Manuela Rossini
Part I. Literary Periods:
1. Medieval Karl Tobias Steel
2. Early modern Kevin LaGrandeur
3. Romantic Ron Broglio
4. Modern Jeff Wallace
5. Postmodern Stefan Herbrechter
Part II. Posthuman Literary Modes:
6. Science fiction Lisa Yaszek and Jason W. Ellis
7. Autobiography Kari Weil
8. Comics and graphic novels Lisa Diedrich
9. Film Anneke Smelik
10. E-literature Ivan Callus and Mario Aquilina
Part III. Posthuman Themes:
11. The nonhuman Bruce Clarke
12. Bodies Manuela Rossini
13. Objects Ridvan Askin
14. Technologies R. L. Rutsky
15. Futures Claire Colebrook.

 

Editors
Bruce Clarke, Texas Tech University
Bruce Clarke is Chair of the Department of English and the Paul Whitfield Horn Professor of Literature and Science at Texas Tech University. His widely published research areas focuses on nineteenth- and twentieth-century literature and science, with special interests in systems theory, narrative theory, and ecology. Since 2011 he has been the Advisor for the European Society for Literature, Science, and the Arts (SLSA-EU).

Manuela Rossini, Universität Basel, Switzerland
Manuela Rossini works in the Vice Rectorate for Research at the University of Basel, Switzerland, where she is also an associated researcher in the Department of English. She is the current President and Executive Director of the European Society for Literature, Science, and the Arts (SLSA-EU). Her research focuses on critical posthumanism, animal studies, feminist materialism, cultural studies of science, and inter- and transdisciplinary methodology.

Contributors

Bruce Clarke, Manuela Rossini, Karl Tobias Steel, Kevin LaGrandeur, Ron Broglio, Jeff Wallace, Stefan Herbrechter, Lisa Yaszek, Jason W. Ellis, Kari Weil, Lisa Diedrich, Anneke Smelik, Ivan Callus, Mario Aquilina, Ridvan Askin, R. L. Rutsky, Claire Colebrook