Postmodern American Fiction: A Norton Anthology

by Paula Geyh

The first anthology to do full justice to the vast range of postwar American innovations in the art of fiction. Beginning in the 1950s with the generation of Pynchon, Burroughs, and Paley up to David Foster Wallace and Kathy Acker, Postmodern American Fiction is the first anthology to richly represent the diversity of experimental fiction in postwar America. A deep and wide collection of short fiction, novel excerpts, cartoons, hypertexts, creative nonfiction, and theoretical writings by sixty-eight writers, Postmodern American Fiction conveys the wit, inventiveness, and edgy skepticism of fiction that grows out of and refracts five decades of profound political, technological, and cultural change in America. The editors' lucid Introduction explores the modernist roots and cultural contexts of postwar America that gave rise to postmodern fiction and offers a window into the complicated, turbulent connections between postmodern fiction and literary theory. Section introductions and brief author headnotes frame the selections. A final section, "A Casebook of Postmodern Theory"--with writings by Cixous, Brub, Eco, hooks, and others--provides valuable contexts for reading the works. Each copy includes a user password to the hypertext fiction selections at Norton's Web site.

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories, Anthologies, Literature, 20th Century, College, American

672 pages, Paperback

First published September 17, 1997

Reviews

[Meadowlark]

I lost this book. I have no idea where it is.

[Darryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say? This is a must-have book for anyone who wants ALL their lit theory bases covered. This collection culls short stories and excerpts from novels and culminates with a section on postmodernist theory itself. My favorites so far are the stories from Walter Abish, David Foster Wallace, Ishmael Reed, the immortal Grace Paley, Jay Cantor, Laurie Anderson) and some ultra-hip hypertext selections you can read at the Norton website. Highly ironic is the notion that in America (a country not known for its ironic sensibilities) postmodernism has found a home in America (really- it's been a recognizable feature since WW2 with writers like Vonnegut, Pynchon, Heller, Oates, Le Guin and Barth) while being rejected in Europe, where it was developed. Irony-Tragedy-Parody-Pastiche, it's all here for maximum human enjoyment. My only quibble is that Philip K. Dick's VALIS would've been a great addition to this volume, but I guess there's only so much you can put in one book. Here's hoping that will be rectified with Postmodern American Fiction: Volume 2!

[derek allard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like many anthologies there are going to be some misses, but the hits here are tremendous and deep and lingering. I suppose, too, you should have at least a postmoderny lean (or at least no postmoderny loathing). Many of these authors I’ve previously read and loved the work—Barthelme, Gass, Paley, Wallace—but why have none of you ever turned me on to Abish, Leyner, Daitch, and Kingston before? Your own fault, you say, and of course you’re right. So, my PSA: If you’re unfamiliar with these names, if you’ve never read their work, do yourself a favor and pick up this book. Don’t suffer the needless delays I did.

[Blaire · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book. So many voices in so many modes! So many authors to discover. A book that says: "Look! Look what fiction can do when you change the rules!" I learned many techniques I know I'll use.

It's fascinating, now that postmodernism has been around so long, to see how it began, to see its evolution, and to benefit from decades of thinking and theory about it. When there's a Norton Anthology, you know you're a long way from the avant garde. Still, I loved reading about the experiments in hypertext, the enthusiasm about the possibilities of "new" modes that are now thirty years old.

I respected all of the pieces for their skill and effects. I enjoyed the theory, also, and how much history is fused into the pages. I learned to conceive of postmodernism as largely reactionary, as being defined as "anti-modern." But it's so much more, as well: the throwing over of the idea of coherent identity, the collapse between high and low art, the use of pastiche, and on and on. And the book foregrounds, too, the problems with white, male postmodernism, how it claims the outsider perspective often without being truly informed by it.

Fantastic book!

[Conrad · Rating 4 out of 5]

There aren't too many anthologies out there as handy as this one. My only complaint is that it doesn't contain many complete works, so most of its exerpts are just that, and the whole thing is sort of a long advertisement for other books. That said, it does have David Foster Wallace's great story, LBJ, and lots more besides.

[Conor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finding a good anthology of newer material is hard, especially considering that most of us find them at used book stores (as they tend to be expensive and daunting). This one I got for cheap and was surprised by how good the content was, as were many of my friends who checked it out. I added a good 10 books to my to-read list from this. I recommended at least checking out the selection list.

[Bill Adelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

What's great about this collection is that it has just a little bit of everything from Umberto Eco to Lynne Tillman. There are also graphic novel excerpts, comic books...basically everything from almost every author that someones likely to bring up in conversation.

[H.L. Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm in the middle of this, but it seems to be a pretty solid anthology of postmodern fiction since the mid-1900s. I like the section headings - that's an interesting way of dividing the stories up. My prof, co-editor Fred G. Leebron, did a fine job!

[Kendra]

A very cool collection of excerpts from well known and lesser known American authors of postmodern fiction. I learned much about writing from examining the techniques used within these examples of short stories.

[io]

book club?

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished reading most of the texts in this anthology a few months after my Modern/Post-Modern senior seminar. We only used it lightly in the course.

[Jose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice introduction to the genre.

[Cherie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Used this great anthology in my Naropa years.

[Daniel Schulof · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent anthology.

[Steven Kolbe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first began reading this anthology (or perhaps I should say “attempted to read”) a little over a year ago. I thought it would be a good book to breeze through while teaching from home because of COVID. I was wrong. About the breezing, at least. While I was immediately met with authors I have loved and, for the most part, understood: Pynchon, Burroughs, Barthelme, I soon felt as if I were reading something in a foreign language. Robert Coover’s “The Phantom of the Movie Palace” and Mark Leyner’s “The Making of ‘Tooth Imprints on a Corn Dog’ ” were two places that had to take considerable breaks, reading other stories or novels, sometimes in actual foreign languages.

Read more here: https://stevenjkolbe.com/2021/07/10/p...

[Nahyan Ameen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great anthology that is really handy. It covers only American literature though and has nothing from the rest of the world. This anthology does seem slighted dated, the 90s now seems like another era, no longer the present one we are currently living in.

[Amanda Platter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent introduction to postmodernism.

[Allison Ricobene · Rating 1 out of 5]

eeeh

[Blair · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some really good stuff in here, some duds. But worth it overall. IF you're a fan of contemporary US fiction, that is.