Genres of Doubt: Science Fiction, Fantasy and the Victorian Crisis of Faith

by Elizabeth M. Sanders

Overview

Nineteenth-century Britain gave birth to the fantasy novel and the science fiction novel--two of today's most popular genres. During the same period, the traditional Christian beliefs that had underpinned British society for centuries faced new challenges as geological discoveries, the writings of Charles Darwin and exposure to other cultures gave rise to a Victorian "crisis of faith."

These two shifts--one literary, one cultural--were deeply intertwined. The novel, a literary form that was developed as a vehicle for realism, when infused with unreal elements offered a space to ponder questions about the supernatural, the difference between belief and knowledge, and humanity's place in the world. The author explores how questions of meaning, identity and faith inspired the speculative fiction of today's novels, films, television shows and comics.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781476665627
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers
Publication date:	05/22/2017
Pages:	188
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Elizabeth M. Sanders holds a Ph.D. in literature from the University of Iowa. She is a lifelong reader of fantasy and science fiction and lives in Ferguson, Missouri.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Preface
Introduction: The Secular and the Supernatural in Victorian Life and Fiction
1. The Problem with Creation: Narrating the Break with God
Frankenstein: The Lonely Fall
The Island of Dr. Moreau: The Animal and the Machine
2. Doubting Magic: Christian Fantasy During the Crisis
Phantastes: Doubt in the Hero
The ­Water-Babies: Doubt in the Reader
The Princess and the Goblin: Doubt in the Friend
Flatland: Doubt in the World
3. “Powers of their own”: Evil and Compromise in ­Late-Victorian Urban Fantasies
Humanity, Evil and Religion at the End of the Century
Intrusion and Compromise
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: “A profound duplicity”
Dracula: “Up-to-date with a vengeance”
4. Supernatural Longing: The Beginnings of Modern Fantasy
Lewis Carroll: Growing Out of Enchantment
William Morris: A Sealed Enchantment
Epilogue: ­Twenty-First-Century Enchantments
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index