Synopses & Reviews
Scott Bukatman's
Terminal Identityandmdash;referring to both the site of the termination of the conventional andquot;subjectandquot; and the birth of a new subjectivity constructed at the computer terminal or television screen--puts to rest any lingering doubts of the significance of science fiction in contemporary cultural studies. Demonstrating a comprehensive knowledge, both of the history of science fiction narrative from its earliest origins, and of cultural theory and philosophy, Bukatman redefines the nature of human identity in the Information Age.
Drawing on a wide range of contemporary theories of the postmodernandmdash;including Fredric Jameson, Donna Haraway, and Jean Baudrillardandmdash;Bukatman begins with the proposition that Western culture is suffering a crisis brought on by advanced electronic technologies. Then in a series of chapters richly supported by analyses of literary texts, visual arts, film, video, television, comics, computer games, and graphics, Bukatman takes the reader on an odyssey that traces the postmodern subject from its current crisis, through its close encounters with technology, and finally to new self-recognition. This new andquot;virtual subject,andquot; as Bukatman defines it, situates the human and the technological as coexistent, codependent, and mutally defining.
Synthesizing the most provocative theories of postmodern culture with a truly encyclopedic treatment of the relevant media, this volume sets a new standard in the study of science fictionandmdash;a category that itself may be redefined in light of this work. Bukatman not only offers the most detailed map to date of the intellectual terrain of postmodern technology studiesandmdash;he arrives at new frontiers, providing a propitious launching point for further inquiries into the relationship of electronic technology and culture.
Review
andquot;A major addition to the critical study of science fiction. . . . [Bukatman's] analyses of the tropes and metaphors found in recent SF illuminate key areas of concern for postmodernism generally.andquot;andmdash;Larry McCaffery, editor of Storming the Reality Studio: A Casebook of Cyberpunk and Postmodern Fiction
Review
andquot;This book should appeal to . . . anyone in the humanities disciplines working within the discourses of postmodernism. The scholarship is absolutely superior.andquot;andmdash;Vivian Sobchack, author of Screening Space: The American Science Fiction Film
Review
andquot;Scott Bukatman is a smart man who has been thinking hard and paying a lot of attention. People should listen to him.andquot;andmdash;Bruce Sterling, author of The Hacker Crackdown:Law and Disorder on the Electronic Frontier
Synopsis
"Scott Bukatman is a smart man who has been thinking hard and paying a lot of attention. People should listen to him."--Bruce Sterling, author of "The Hacker Crackdown: Law and Disorder on the Electronic Frontier"
"A major addition to the critical study of science fiction. . . . [Bukatman's] analyses of the tropes and metaphors found in recent SF illuminate key areas of concern for postmodernism generally."--Larry McCaffery, editor of "Storming the Reality Studio: A Casebook of Cyberpunk and Postmodern Fiction"
"This book should appeal to . . . anyone in the humanities disciplines working within the discourses of postmodernism. The scholarship is absolutely superior."--Vivian Sobchack, author of "Screening Space: The American Science Fiction Film"
Description
Filmography: p. [373]-374. Includes bibliographical references (p. [375]-393) and index.
About the Author
"A major addition to the critical study of science fiction. . . . [Bukatman's] analyses of the tropes and metaphors found in recent SF illuminate key areas of concern for postmodernism generally."—Larry McCaffery, editor of Storming the Reality Studio: A Casebook of Cyberpunk and Postmodern Fiction"Scott Bukatman is a smart man who has been thinking hard and paying a lot of attention. People should listen to him."—Bruce Sterling, author of The Hacker Crackdown:Law and Disorder on the Electronic Frontier"This book should appeal to . . . anyone in the humanities disciplines working within the discourses of postmodernism. The scholarship is absolutely superior."—Vivian Sobchack, author of Screening Space: The American Science Fiction Film