Creatural Fictions: Human-Animal Relationships in Twentieth- and Twenty-First-Century Literature
Ed. David Herman
Palgrave
Examining how ideas about species, sexuality, and gender link to 20th- and 21st-century literary texts, this wideranging collection of essays explores the complicated yet evocative relationship between animals and humans within a literary context. Contributors discuss writers like Franz Kafka, J. R. Ackerley, and Yann Martel, author of Life of Pi.
“In this rich and theoretically robust volume of essays, animals emerge as constitutive not only of human identity but of modern and postmodern fiction. Putting into practice a creaturely approach to literary studies, Creatural Fictions illustrates the myriad ways in which the shared bodily being of humans and animals is foundational for all rhetorical, political, and ethical acts. Moving freely between the canon and the periphery and attending to questions of form, genre, sexuality, and gender, the fluctuations of species are brought to bear on every aspect of literary endeavour. Here is an expansive exploration of critical practice after the ‘animal turn’ that will reshape the disciplines we so narcissistically call the ‘humanities.'” – Anat Pick, Senior Lecturer of Film Studies, Queen Mary, University of London, UK
“This cutting-edge anthology brings together an impressive group of established and emerging scholars to showcase the central themes and issues that motivate literary animal studies. Discussing authors from Kafka to Coetzee and Martel to Mda, the authors provide insightful readings of essential texts that will be of interest to students and scholars alike. This volume will help readers appreciate the numerous ways in which literature serves both to inform and challenge contemporary work in critical animal studies.” – Matthew Calarco, Associate Professor of Philosophy, California State University, Fullerton, USA
List of Contributors: Roman Bartosch, University of Cologne, Germany; Damiano Benvegnù, University of Virginia, USA; Marianne DeKoven, Rutgers University, USA; Josephine Donovan, University of Maine, USA; Andrew Kalaidjian, University of California, Santa Barbara, USA; Shun Yin Kiang, Northeastern University, USA; Jopi Nyman, University of Eastern Finland; Rajesh K. Reddy, University of Georgia, USA; Craig Smith, Grande Prairie Regional College, Canada; Nandini Thiyagarajan, McMaster University, Canada; Hilary Thompson, Bowdoin College, USA;. Christy Tidwell, South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, USA.