A Cultural History of Gothic Science Fiction

Dr. David Floyd will offer a cultural history of the precursor to modern science fiction—British scientific romance—and its literary connections with the gothic genre. Scientific romance emerged at the end of a century marked by theretofore-unimaginable technological progress, the industrialization of the nation, and the apex of imperial endeavors, but also exhaustion, pessimism, and paranoia. With the turn of the century, the scientific romance rose in popularity, assuming conventions historically associated with the gothic, including explorations of unfettered science, the loss of identity, and mysterious, alien lands. As scientific romance fell out of fashion, these topics formed the basis of modern science fiction.