Introduction

Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter i
2. Contents v
3. Acknowledgments vii
4. Note on the Translations ix
5. Introduction 1
6. Part I. The Great Discourse on the Future
7. 1: Utopians and Utopian Thought 17
8. 2: Futurists and Futures Studies 33
9. 3: Utopian/Dystopian Writers and Utopian/Dystopian Fiction 46
10. 4: Science Fiction: The Nexus of Utopianism, Futurism, and Utopian Fiction 61
11. Part II. German Science Fiction in the Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries
12. 5: Some Preliminary Thoughts on German Science Fiction 77
13. 6: First Contact: Martians, Sentient Plants, and Swarm Intelligences 84
14. 7: The Shock of the New: Mega Cities, Machines, and Rockets 104
15. 8: Utopian Experiments: Island Idylls, Glass Beads, and Eugenic Nightmares 110
16. 9: To the Stars! Cosmic Supermen and Bauhaus in Space 122
17. 10: Visions of the End: Catastrophism and Moral Entropy 133
18. 11: Virtual Realities: Caught in the Matrix 149
19. 12: Alternative Histories: Into the Heart of Darkness 157
20. 13: Big Brother Is Watching Us: Who Is Watching Big Brother? 170
21. 14: Artificial Intelligences: The Rise of the Thinking Machines 178
22. 15: Eternal Life: At What Cost? 188
23. 16: Social Satires: Of Empty Slogans and Empty Hearts 193
24. 17: Critical Posthumanism: Twilight of the Species or a New Dawn? 207
25. 18: High Concept: Time, the Universe, and Everything 215
26. Conclusion 229
27. Appendix 1: Chronological List of German SF Novels—A Selection 237
28. Appendix 2: Chronological List of German SF Films—A Selection 239
29. Notes 241
30. Bibliography 275
31. Index 315