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OverviewThis book proposes that Ballard’s novels extrapolate the formation of a posthuman subjectivity that is centred around an affirmative understanding of what a human body can do. This new subjectivity transforms constraints and prescribed desires into creative openings in a hyper-mediated control society that conditions docile bodies through technology and consumerism. Set in surrealist predicaments in postwar affluent Western societies, Ballard’s novels remind us of the fragile veneer of order in the familiar every day. In these moments of crisis, complacent characters are compelled to undergo a process of defamiliarisation and transformation of their understanding of the self and the body. The ability to form new relationships with the unfamiliar is imperative to survival in a hostile environment. Ballard delineates both the possibilities and obstacles of forming these relationships. In particular, the author attributes the failure to do so to the irreconcilable contradictions of late capitalism. Full Product DetailsAuthor: Carolyn LauPublisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd Imprint: Routledge Weight: 0.453kg ISBN: 9781032188140ISBN 10: 1032188146 Pages: 204 Publication Date: 28 July 2023 Audience: College/higher education , Tertiary & Higher Education Format: Hardback Publisher's Status: Active Availability: In Print This item will be ordered in for you from one of our suppliers. Upon receipt, we will promptly dispatch it out to you. For in store availability, please contact us. Table of ContentsReviewsPosthuman Subjectivity in the Novels of J.G. Ballard is a welcome and long overdue addition to the body of criticism on J.G. Ballard. This book finally foregrounds Ballard as a writer concerned with posthumanism and transvaluation. The book intersects posthuman theory, surrealism and transvaluation theories to offer nuanced and original perspectives on the way Ballard's fiction disrupts a normative control and desensitisation achieved through technology, while pointing the ways in which technology can promote inclusive social relation. A must read for any academic and student working on Ballard. - Dr Elsa Bouet, Lecturer, Edinburgh Napier University, UK. """Posthuman Subjectivity in the Novels of J.G. Ballard is a welcome and long overdue addition to the body of criticism on J.G. Ballard. This book finally foregrounds Ballard as a writer concerned with posthumanism and transvaluation. The book intersects posthuman theory, surrealism and transvaluation theories to offer nuanced and original perspectives on the way Ballard’s fiction disrupts a normative control and desensitisation achieved through technology, while pointing the ways in which technology can promote inclusive social relation. A must read for any academic and student working on Ballard."" - Dr Elsa Bouet, Lecturer, Edinburgh Napier University, UK." Author InformationCarolyn Lau is Lecturer of English Literature at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. She teaches and researches in the areas of global speculative fiction, contemporary literature, graphic narratives, and future storytelling. Tab Content 6Author Website:Countries AvailableAll regions |