Sonja Georgi Knihy

Historische Erfahrungen und Ereignisse werden auf unterschiedliche Weise vermittelt, angeeignet und umgedeutet. Dieser Band betrachtet quantitative wie qualitative Verfahrensweisen und Funktionalisierungen der Aneignung und Umdeutung historischer Erfahrungen und Ereignisse in verschiedenen Medien von der Vormoderne bis in die Gegenwart. Die einzelnen Beiträge fokussieren Prozesse und Ergebnisse produktiver Geschichtsrezeption. Dabei zeigen sie nicht allein, wie sich über solche Transformationen Sinn- und Weltdeutungsmuster diskutieren lassen, sondern ebenso, wie in diesen Transformationen die Vermittlung von literarischen Texten und kulturellen Texturen zustande kommt und auf die Erinnerungskultur und das Geschichtsbewusstsein der jeweiligen Gesellschaft einwirkt. Mit einem Vorwort von Moritz Baßler.

Exploring the relations of ethnicity and technology in the global age, 'Bodies and/as Technology' analyzes how cultural discourses about ethnic bodies and information technology are reflected in American science fiction literature and film. Reading the novels of Alejandro Morales ('The Brick People', 'The Rag Doll Plagues'), Larissa Lai ('When Fox is a Thousand', 'Salt Fish Girl') and Nalo Hopkinson ('Brown Girl in the Ring', 'Midnight Robber') as counter-discourses to the popular works 'Blade Runner' (Ridley Scott), 'Neuromancer' (William Gibson), and 'The Matrix' film trilogy (Andy and Larry Wachowski), this study applies postcolonial theory to science fiction and argues for a transnational perspective on theoretical, literary, and cinematic imageries of the intersections of globalization, information technology, and ethnicity.

Since its inception, science fiction has acted as an intellectual playground, addressing critical issues like scientific progress, population growth, nuclear power, environmental protection, and genetic engineering. These themes are projected onto various times and spaces to warn of dangers, propose solutions, or speculate about the future. In the summer term of 2009, students from the University of Göttingen and the University of Siegen engaged in two courses titled “Of Body Snatchers and Cyberpunks: American Science Fiction Film from the 1950s to the Present.” They convened for an undergraduate conference in Göttingen, presenting and discussing their research with Eric S. Rabkin, a professor and expert in the field. This collaboration resulted in a volume of twelve essays, selected and revised for publication from the conference presentations. The essays analyze key films such as Invasion of the Body Snatchers, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Soylent Green, The Matrix, and Minority Report, contextualizing them within the social, political, cultural, and ecological developments of their respective eras in U.S. society. The introductory essay outlines the theoretical and methodological frameworks that guided the course and conference planning. Additionally, the collection includes an autobiographical essay by Eric S. Rabkin, reflecting on his lifelong fascination with science fiction films.