The Literary Imagination from Erasmus Darwin to H.G. Wells

Science, Evolution, and Ecology

Fiction & Literature, Literary Theory & Criticism
Cover of the book The Literary Imagination from Erasmus Darwin to H.G. Wells by Michael R. Page, Taylor and Francis
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Michael R. Page ISBN: 9781317025269
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Publication: March 9, 2016
Imprint: Routledge Language: English
Author: Michael R. Page
ISBN: 9781317025269
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Publication: March 9, 2016
Imprint: Routledge
Language: English

At the close of the eighteenth century, Erasmus Darwin declared that he would 'enlist the imagination under the banner of science,' beginning, Michael Page argues, a literary narrative on questions of evolution, ecology, and technological progress that would extend from the Romantic through the Victorian periods. Examining the interchange between emerging scientific ideas-specifically evolution and ecology-new technologies, and literature in nineteenth-century Britain, Page shows how British writers from Darwin to H.G. Wells confronted the burgeoning expansion of scientific knowledge that was radically redefining human understanding and experience of the natural world, of human species, and of the self. The wide range of authors covered in Page's ambitious study permits him to explore an impressive array of topics that include the role of the Romantic era in the molding of scientific and cultural perspectives; the engagement of William Wordsworth and Percy Shelley with questions raised by contemporary science; Mary Shelley's conflicted views on the unfolding prospects of modernity; and how Victorian writers like Charles Kingsley, Samuel Butler, and W.H. Hudson responded to the implications of evolutionary theory. Page concludes with the scientific romances of H.G. Wells, to demonstrate how evolutionary fantasies reached the pinnacle of synthesis between evolutionary science and the imagination at the close of the century.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

At the close of the eighteenth century, Erasmus Darwin declared that he would 'enlist the imagination under the banner of science,' beginning, Michael Page argues, a literary narrative on questions of evolution, ecology, and technological progress that would extend from the Romantic through the Victorian periods. Examining the interchange between emerging scientific ideas-specifically evolution and ecology-new technologies, and literature in nineteenth-century Britain, Page shows how British writers from Darwin to H.G. Wells confronted the burgeoning expansion of scientific knowledge that was radically redefining human understanding and experience of the natural world, of human species, and of the self. The wide range of authors covered in Page's ambitious study permits him to explore an impressive array of topics that include the role of the Romantic era in the molding of scientific and cultural perspectives; the engagement of William Wordsworth and Percy Shelley with questions raised by contemporary science; Mary Shelley's conflicted views on the unfolding prospects of modernity; and how Victorian writers like Charles Kingsley, Samuel Butler, and W.H. Hudson responded to the implications of evolutionary theory. Page concludes with the scientific romances of H.G. Wells, to demonstrate how evolutionary fantasies reached the pinnacle of synthesis between evolutionary science and the imagination at the close of the century.

More books from Taylor and Francis

Cover of the book Remembering Cosmopolitan Egypt by Michael R. Page
Cover of the book The Personality of a Child Molester by Michael R. Page
Cover of the book The Foreman on the Assembly Line by Michael R. Page
Cover of the book Global Restructuring, Labour and the Challenges for Transnational Solidarity by Michael R. Page
Cover of the book Julia Augusti by Michael R. Page
Cover of the book Biodiversity, Conservation and Environmental Management in the Great Lakes Basin by Michael R. Page
Cover of the book Routledge Handbook of Families in Asia by Michael R. Page
Cover of the book Thermal Comfort in Hot Dry Climates by Michael R. Page
Cover of the book Culture, Heritage and Representation by Michael R. Page
Cover of the book The Siege and the Fall of Constantinople in 1453 by Michael R. Page
Cover of the book Economics of Forestry by Michael R. Page
Cover of the book Perceptanalysis by Michael R. Page
Cover of the book Acoustic Guitar Styles by Michael R. Page
Cover of the book Talking Points: Discussion Activities in the Primary Classroom by Michael R. Page
Cover of the book Conflict After the Cold War by Michael R. Page
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy