Dangerous creations : the inventor novel in fin-de-siècle France / Ana Oancea.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Oancea, Ana, author.

Series:

University of Toronto romance series (Unnumbered)

University of Toronto romance series

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

French fiction--19th century--History and criticism.

French fiction.

Inventors in literature.

Inventions in literature.

French fiction--History and criticism.

Physical Description:

viii, 288 pages : illustrations (black and white) ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Toronto ; Buffalo ; London : University of Toronto Press, [2025]

Summary:

"Dangerous Creations presents a master narrative of the inventor in fin-de-siècle French literature by analyzing the works of Jules Verne, Albert Robida, Émile Zola, and Villiers de l'Isle-Adam. Their writings challenge the role of science in shaping French national identity and aim to transform contemporary understandings of science and technology. The book reveals how Verne, Robida, Zola, and de l'Isle-Adam reimagine the figure of the inventor, reshaping the literary standards of their time. Universally male in these narratives, the inventor serves as a flawed exemplar of national heroism during the Age of Empire--a period marked by significant external threats and internal strife - while also embodying unrestrained creativity. Ultimately, the inventor novel reflects broader French anxieties surrounding scientific progress, empire, and gender. Ana Oancea explores the transmedia and transnational legacy of the fin-de-siècle inventor novel through vignettes that highlight similarly-themed narratives in contemporary popular culture. These sections engage with films, television series, graphic narratives, and video games that reinterpret key aspects of the inventor narrative, shedding light on its power structures, racial and gender politics, and colonial aspirations."-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

The Triumph of Official Science in Jules Verne's Voyages extraordinaires

The Rise and Fall of Inventors' Private Science

Inventors' Hypertechnological World in Albert Robida's Le vingtième siècle

Inventing the Future of Naturalism in Émile Zola's Travail

The Language of Artificial Life in Villiers de l'Isle-Adam's L'Ève future.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Other Format:

Online version: Oancea, Ana. Dangerous creations.

ISBN:

9781487546229

148754622X

OCLC:

1473947015

Publisher Number:

CIPO000236093