Thesisish

[icepixie]

I'm twenty pages from being done with my reread of Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. I think I'm going to be writing my master's thesis on that (since grad school is pretty much a given at this point). I'm really interested in combining my dual loves of literature and history by studying the ways authors use history in their fiction--for what purposes they manipulate it, if they do, and what they may be trying to say about their own period by setting something in or referring to historical periods. I also want to work on sci-fi and fantasy (no, seriously, in my current state of late-night megalomania I'm envisioning writing many books of criticism, or at least essays, on Gaiman, Martin, Bradbury, Clarke...), and JS&MN is a perfect blend of the two.

I may babble about the book, and other works of historical fiction, in the months to come. Be prepared.

(Okay, so maybe I was meant to be an academic. I'm excited at the prospect of researching and writing a paper. Perhaps last year's "Papers, augh!" was the burnout talking?)

Comments

[rowdycamels.livejournal.com]

Yay for theseseseses!

[nickless.livejournal.com]

studying the ways authors use history in their fiction

Could you work sci-fi/fantasy into that, as well? As in, what are they trying to say/what can we learn about the author's own period by setting something in the future/alternative world, especially in the case of books written in the past (ie, Jules Verne)? Or is that not the angle you're interested in on the sci-fi/fantasy side of things?

And most importantly, how dizzy did that paragraph just make you? 'cause I'm not even sure I understood it... ;)

[aervir.livejournal.com]

This sounds like a fascinating topic, nd I'd be interested in hearing more about your thesis-to-be.

[asinpterodactyl.livejournal.com]

Have you ever read any alternate history? There's a lot of it shelved at Barnes & Noble. Some authors to try: Harry Turtledove, S.M. Stirling, Eric Flint.

[elflore.livejournal.com]

Definitely sounds like the right path for you. *g* I can't wait to read what you'd write about Gaiman, Clarke, etc.!

Martin, though...I'm curious which Martin you're thinking of?

[softstepshoes.livejournal.com]

Perfect.