Call for Book Chapters for an edited volume: Interdisciplinary Studies on German Philology - Utopia and Dystopia in German Literature, Film, and Television
Call for Book Chapters for an edited volume: Interdisciplinary Studies on German Philology - Utopia and Dystopia in German Literature, Film, and Television
In modernist thinking, utopias are considered as representations of imaginary paradisiacal places which include idealized visions of a perfect society with its excellent political system. They can be defined as attempts to create a better society with its alternative power relations. They usually refer to non-existing places and societies. The most important feature of utopias is that they aim to replace the reality with a better option although the reality is the actual inspiration of utopian impulses. However, they do not offer a specific target to be achieved. Dystopias on the other hand are often described as anti-utopias or negative utopias that emerge as a reaction to the perfection of utopias in different forms of totalitarian society models. As opposite designs to utopias, dystopias focus on building a negative view of the world, which appears through various ways of control such as unfreedom, violence, punishment exercised by hegemonic powers over their subjects. Therefore, dystopias take a critical approach to utopias and try to demonstrate that the ideal perfect society models can only be constructed by having absolute control over individuals and nature. The fundamental motivation of the existence of utopias is always based on perfection and those who are not perfect are never accepted by the society. They must be either assimilated to the majority or eliminated completely. For this reason, utopias and dystopias are based on control and power and they are always in a paradoxical relationship.
With this CfP we address all colleagues who devote their research to various literary, cultural, and linguistic manifestations of literary utopia and dystopia in German literature. We particularly encourage proposals relating to reception and impact of this genre and individual works, but proposals on any other aspect of the contrastive utopian studies are also welcome. We encourage submissions in German and English that engage with the following topics:
- Alternative societies in literary utopias and anti-utopias or dystopias
- Places in literary utopias and anti-utopias or dystopias
- Representations of Utopian/Dystopian Communities
- Humans and transhumanism in literary utopias and anti-utopias or dystopias
- Future projections in literary utopias and anti-utopias or dystopias
- Language and communication in literary utopias and anti-utopias or dystopias
- Utopia/Dystopia in mass media
- Utopia/Dystopia in comics and graphic novels
- Utopia/Dystopia and totalitarianism
- Utopia/Dystopia as fantasy
- Utopias and dystopias in other literatures with a view to German literature, movies, or television
Publication: Selected papers will be published in an open access book.
Publication Series: Interdisciplinary Studies on German Philology
Book Title: Utopia and Dystopia in German Literature, Film, and Television
Publisher: Istanbul University Press
Indexing: This book will be indexed in Web of Science – Book Citation Index.
Submitting your paper: Please send your paper proposals (max. 1 DIN-A-Size, Times New Roman 12, 2000 characters including spaces) and a 100-word author biography till January 15, 2023 to the editors of the volume listed below:
Assoc. Prof. Irem Atasoy, Istanbul University, Department of German Language and Literature
irem.atasoy@istanbul.edu.tr
Assoc. Prof. Habib Tekin, Marmara University, Department of German Language and Literature
habib.tekin@marmara.edu.tr
Irem Atasoy
