Demand the Impossible: Science Fiction and the Utopian Imagination

The portrayal of utopia in these books not only makes evident the shortcomings of the contemporary state of affairs, but function as "oppositional cultural practice" that challenges the hegemonic, patriarchal structures that underwrite material and power relations (50). Even though Moylan...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of the fantastic in the arts 2018, Vol.29 (3 (103)), p.484-486
Main Author: Putnam, EL
Format: Review
Language:English
Subjects:
Aesthetics
Delany, Samuel R
Feminism
Fiction
Hegemony
Huxley, Aldous (1894-1963)
Le Guin, Ursula K (1929-2018)
Literature
Moylan, Tom
Neoliberalism
Nonfiction
Philosophy
Piercy, Marge
Reviews
Russ, Joanna (1937-2011)
Science fiction & fantasy
Social change
Utopias
Visual artists
Writing
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Summary:The portrayal of utopia in these books not only makes evident the shortcomings of the contemporary state of affairs, but function as "oppositional cultural practice" that challenges the hegemonic, patriarchal structures that underwrite material and power relations (50). Even though Moylan emphasizes how the model of the critical utopia can be applied to selected sfworks produced during a particular era in US history, his insights regarding the use of art as a means for instigating social change have a far-reaching impact. [...]reading through this book produced in the midst of the Cold War, originally published when the brand of neoliberalism promoted by Thatcher and Reagan was initially gaining a foothold, it is impossible not to wonder: have things just gotten worse?
ISSN:0897-0521