‘Meaning machines’: a psychosocial cartography of bodies in post-apocalyptic fiction
Loading...
Date
2014-09-10
Authors
Strong, Jeremy R.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
This Creative MA thesis studies works of post-apocalyptic fiction in order to a) understand how fiction is both created in and can be understood by examining different psychosocial contexts and to b) demonstrate that the recent predominant patterns emergent in the sub-genre demonstrate that the primary psychosocial concern currently driving the form is a concern over the human body. That is, essentially the project demonstrates that the human body is now the site of apocalypse in much contemporary narrative. The project also engages with Nöel Carroll’s “The Nature Of Horror” (1987), an essay that explores the philosophy that a specific form of fear operates in the horror genre, something Carroll terms “art-horror” – and then draws direct parallels between post-apocalyptic writing and horror in order to present an argument that a similar affective response functions in Post-apocalyptic narrative. The novella puts into practice the concept of Thought Theory and genre specific affective response.
Description
Keywords
post-apocalyptic, fiction, novella, apocalypse, affect, psychosocial, philosophy, creative writing, science fiction, sf, horror, fantasy, Atwood, McCarthy, The Road, Oryx and Crake