Scraps Of The Untainted Sky: Science Fiction, Utopia, Dystopia

by Thomas Moylan

Dystopian narrative is a product of the social ferment of the twentieth century. A hundred years of war, famine, disease, state terror, genocide, ecocide, and the depletion of humanity through the buying and selling of everyday life provided fertile ground for this fictive underside of the utopian imagination. From the classical works by E. M. Forster, Yevgeny Zamyatin, Aldous Huxley, George Orwell, and Margaret Atwood, through the new maps of hell in postwar science fiction, and most recently in the dystopian turn of the 1980s and 1990s, this narrative machine has produced challenging cognitive maps of the given historical situation by way of imaginary societies which are even worse than those that lie outside their authors' and readers' doors.In Scraps of the Untainted Sky , Tom Moylan offers a thorough investigation of the history and aesthetics of dystopia. To situate his study, Moylan sets out the methodological paradigm that developed within the interdisciplinary fields of science fiction studies and utopian studies as they grow out of the oppositional political culture of the 1960 and 1970s (the context that produced the project of cultural studies itself). He then presents a thorough account of the textual structure and formal operations of the dystopian text. From there, he focuses on the new science-fictional dystopias that emerged in the context of the economic, political, and cultural convulsions of the 1980s and 1990s, and he examines in detail three of these new "critical dystopias:" Kim Stanley Robinson's The Gold Coast, Octavia Butler's The Parable of the Sower , and Marge Piercy's He, She, and It .With its detailed, documented, and yet accessible presentation, Scraps of the Untainted Sky will be of interest to established scholars as well as students and general readers who are seeking an in-depth introduction to this important area of cultural production.

Genres: Science Fiction, Utopia

406 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2000

Reviews

[Feral Academic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dated (pub in 2000), but still relevant political commentary. Particularly good about reconstructing critical conversations around the topics he discusses; bet he's a good grad advisor.

[Barbora · Rating 5 out of 5]

This critical study was of a major help to me during my own research in the field of science fiction, utopia, and dystopia. Thomas Moylan is without doubt one of the most influential authors and critics of science fiction.

[Levi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inexhaustibly interesting points on dystopias/utopias and the insights they can offer to the contemporary social/political climates of their time. The essays in this book is fantastic when read together with the works they are written about. A valuable companion piece to for 1984, The Handmaid's Tale, Parable of The Sower and generally everything concering dystopic writing.

[Steen Ledet · Rating 3 out of 5]

An astonishing breadth of knowledge is displayed but not too many new insights. Will probably work great as a textbook.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Masterful. Exemplary in its field.

[Nina Åkerhielm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for assignment.

I think I would've appreciated this book much more under different circumstances.

[Adam Herron · Rating 5 out of 5]

For my Film Studies course last year, we chose specific areas to investigate. My project was based around dystopian futures (eg. 1984, V For Vendetta, Blade Runner), so when finding reading material, this book seemed the best choice from Amazon's fairly limited selection (though the subject area is specialised). As stated in another review, it is organised into three sections - 'Science Fiction and Utopia', 'Dystopia' and 'Dystopian Manoeuvres'. It tracks each genre's development, alongside cultural zeitgeists of the period and notable works from the genres.

This book's strength lies in its exploration of theory. Several helpful areas included Darko Suvin's novum (the scientifically plausible innovations used in science-fiction narratives), the didactic vs dialectic debate, and the importance of the conventions of the imagined universe. Moylan takes great care to sufficiently educate the reader on each theory, so even new readers may access deeper understanding.

The writer's use of advanced vocabulary evidences a thorough examination of the subject, with specialist terms regularly used. Contrary to proving obnoxious, I found this writing style was needed to match the complex content. Although one or two words could have benefitted from being simplified, I enjoyed expanding my own vocabulary whilst reading.

I would recommend this book to anyone studying, or interested in, the three subject areas. It is definitely the opposite of a light read, at 408 pages small font (although this includes a large range of sources, and some suggested material). But for those who seek an academic understanding, 'Scraps' would be a good source.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here's a great introduction to contemporary utopian and dystopian fiction. The book is split into three sections: "Science Fiction and Utopia," "Dystopia," and "Dystopian Maneuvers." In the first two sections, Moylan gives the critical and historical context for these books, and in the third, short chapters on Kim Stanley Robinson, Octavia Butler, and Marge Piercy. This book is helping me clarify my thinking about what fictional utopian and dystopian texts do in the world. This is an unabashedly academic book, but if you've read a fair amount of the utopian/dystopian canon, Moylan's arguments will make sense.

[Rebeckah11 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read as part of my degree, when you never have a chance to enjoy your reading. I'd like to revisit this book one day when I am not thinking in a single direction for my dissertation and thus have scope to enjoy it's theories for what they are.