Dystopian Fiction East and West: Universe of Terror and TrialGottlieb juxtaposes the Western dystopian genre with Eastern and Central European versions, introducing a selection of works from Russia, Poland, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia. She demonstrates that authors who write about and under totalitarian dictatorship find the worst of all possible worlds not in a hypothetical future but in the historical reality of the writer's present or recent past. Against such a background the writer assumes the role of witness, protesting against a nightmare world that is but should not be. She introduces the works of Victor Serge, Vassily Grossmam, Alexander Zinoviev, Tibor Dery, Arthur Koestler, Vaclav Havel, and Istvan Klima, as well as a host of others, all well-known in their own countries, presenting them within a framework established through an original and comprehensive exploration of the patterns underlying the more familiar Western works of dystopian fiction. |
Contents
part one dystopia west | 23 |
NineteenthCentury Precursors of the Dystopian Vision | 43 |
Zamiatins We Huxleys Brave | 56 |
Bradburys Fahrenheit 451 | 88 |
Serges Conquered City | 132 |
Platonovs The Foundation Pit | 152 |
Grossmans Life and Fate | 182 |
The Trial as Theatre Klimas The Castle | 221 |
The Downward Spiral Konwickis | 233 |
Dystopian Vision with | 249 |
Conclusion | 267 |
Notes | 287 |
305 | |
319 | |
Other editions - View all
Dystopian Fiction East and West: Universe of Terror and Trial Erika Gottlieb No preview available - 2001 |
Dystopian Fiction East and West: Universe of Terror and Trial Erika Gottlieb No preview available - 2001 |
Common terms and phrases
accept allowed appear arrested asked become Begins believe Brave New World called central Central Europe character Communism Communist course created criticism death describes dictatorship dream dystopian fiction dystopic effect enemy entire execution expression face fact fate fear feels followed forced freedom friends future give guilty human Huxley ideal individual justice literature live look machine masses means Moscow murder narrator nature nightmare novel once original Orwell Orwell’s Party past play political position present protagonist psychological question reader reality realize reason refers regime represents responsible reveals revolutionary role Rubashov ruling Russian satire scene sense simply socialism Socialist society Soviet spirit Stalin structure suggests terror totalitarian tragedy tragic trial turn Union utopian victim wants Western writer written young Zamiatin’s