Title: Utopian imagination and eighteenth-century fiction
First published: 1996
Description: Utopian fiction was a particularly rich and important genre in the eighteenth century. It was during this period that a relatively new phenomenon appeared: the merging of utopian writing per se with other fictional genres, such as the increasingly dominant novel. However, while early modern and nineteenth- and twentieth-century utopias have been the focus of much attention, the eighteenth century has largely been neglected.

Utopian Imagination and Eighteenth-Century Fiction combines these two major areas of interest, interpreting some of the most fascinating and innovative fictions of the period and locating them in a continuing tradition of utopian writing which stretches back through the Renaissance to the Ancient World.

Beginning with a survey of the recurrent topics in utopian writing - power structures in the state, money, food, sex, the role of women, birth, education and death - the book brings together canonical eighteenth-century texts containing powerful utopian elements, such as Robinson Crusoe, Gulliver's Travels and Rasselas, and less familiar works, to examine the reworking of these topics in a new context.

The unfamiliar texts, including Gaudentio di Lucca, are described in detail to give students an idea of relevant material across a broad area. A section is devoted specifically to women writers, an area which has become a focus of attention. The mixture of texts provides a useful cross-reference for students tackling the subject from various perspectives and the comprehensive bibliography provides a valuable tool for those with general or specific interests.

. Utopian Imagination and Eighteenth Century Fiction will be of interest to students of Eighteenth-Century Literature and Culture, Travel Writing, Utopian Literature and Women's Studies at all levels.
Subjects: English Fantasy fiction, English fiction, Fantasy fiction, English, History and criticism, Imagination, Utopias in literature, English fiction, history and criticism, 18th century, Fantasy fiction, history and criticism, English Utopian fiction, Roman anglais, Histoire et critique, LITERARY CRITICISM, European, English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh
Time periods: 18th century
LC classification: PR858.U7 R44 1996