Mirrors of the past : versions of history in science fiction and fantasy

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dc.contributor.advisorCartwright, Johnen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorGevers, Nicholas Daviden_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2014-12-30T06:38:05Z
dc.date.available2014-12-30T06:38:05Z
dc.date.issued1997en_ZA
dc.description.abstractThe primary argument of this Thesis is that Science Fiction (SF) is a form of Historical Fiction, one which speculatively appropriates elements of the past in fulfilment of the ideological expectations of its genre readership. Chapter One presents this definition, reconciling it with some earlier definitions of SF and justifying it by means of a comparison between SF and the Historical Novel. Chapter One also identifies SF's three modes of historical appropriation (historical extension, imitation and modification) and the forms of fictive History these construct, including Future History and Alternate History; theories of history, and SF's own ideological changes over time, have helped shape the genre's varied borrowings from the past. Some works of Historical Fantasy share the characteristics of SF set out in Chapter One. The remaining Chapters analyse the textual products of SF's imitation and modification of history, i.e. Future and Alternate Histories. Chapter Two discusses various Future Histories completed or at least commenced before 1960, demonstrating their consistent optimism, their celebration of Science and of heroic individualism, and their tendency to resolve the cyclical pattern of history through an ideal linear simplification or 'theodicy'. Chapter Three shows the much greater ideological and technical diversity of Future Histories after 1960, their division into competing traditional (Libertarian), Posthistoric (pessimistic), and critical utopian categories, an indication of SF's increasing complexity and fragmentation.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationGevers, N. D. (1997). <i>Mirrors of the past : versions of history in science fiction and fantasy</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of English Language and Literature. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/10511en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationGevers, Nicholas David. <i>"Mirrors of the past : versions of history in science fiction and fantasy."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of English Language and Literature, 1997. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/10511en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationGevers, N. 1997. Mirrors of the past : versions of history in science fiction and fantasy. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Gevers, Nicholas David AB - The primary argument of this Thesis is that Science Fiction (SF) is a form of Historical Fiction, one which speculatively appropriates elements of the past in fulfilment of the ideological expectations of its genre readership. Chapter One presents this definition, reconciling it with some earlier definitions of SF and justifying it by means of a comparison between SF and the Historical Novel. Chapter One also identifies SF's three modes of historical appropriation (historical extension, imitation and modification) and the forms of fictive History these construct, including Future History and Alternate History; theories of history, and SF's own ideological changes over time, have helped shape the genre's varied borrowings from the past. Some works of Historical Fantasy share the characteristics of SF set out in Chapter One. The remaining Chapters analyse the textual products of SF's imitation and modification of history, i.e. Future and Alternate Histories. Chapter Two discusses various Future Histories completed or at least commenced before 1960, demonstrating their consistent optimism, their celebration of Science and of heroic individualism, and their tendency to resolve the cyclical pattern of history through an ideal linear simplification or 'theodicy'. Chapter Three shows the much greater ideological and technical diversity of Future Histories after 1960, their division into competing traditional (Libertarian), Posthistoric (pessimistic), and critical utopian categories, an indication of SF's increasing complexity and fragmentation. DA - 1997 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 1997 T1 - Mirrors of the past : versions of history in science fiction and fantasy TI - Mirrors of the past : versions of history in science fiction and fantasy UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/10511 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/10511
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationGevers ND. Mirrors of the past : versions of history in science fiction and fantasy. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of English Language and Literature, 1997 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/10511en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of English Language and Literatureen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Humanitiesen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherEnglish Language and Literatureen_ZA
dc.titleMirrors of the past : versions of history in science fiction and fantasyen_ZA
dc.typeDoctoral Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelDoctoral
dc.type.qualificationnamePhDen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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