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7. Futures of the American Novel

  • Sebastian Domsch

Abstract

This essay looks at some recent trends in American novel writing that can be expected to exert further influence in the near future. After debating the importance of 9/11 as a watershed for the new contemporary, it looks at the heritage of postmodernism and its “post-postmodern” discontents. Another important factor for the future of the novel is the larger question of the development of publishing and its core medium, the book. In terms of content, it is probably most interesting to look at the way that American literature engages the troubled notion of “post-ethnicity,” a way that is characterized not least by a more thorough interconnection with world literature. Finally, the phenomenal success of several sub-genres within the so-called young adult novel is calling into question generic delineations in respect to different audiences as well as the boundaries between audience and writers.

Abstract

This essay looks at some recent trends in American novel writing that can be expected to exert further influence in the near future. After debating the importance of 9/11 as a watershed for the new contemporary, it looks at the heritage of postmodernism and its “post-postmodern” discontents. Another important factor for the future of the novel is the larger question of the development of publishing and its core medium, the book. In terms of content, it is probably most interesting to look at the way that American literature engages the troubled notion of “post-ethnicity,” a way that is characterized not least by a more thorough interconnection with world literature. Finally, the phenomenal success of several sub-genres within the so-called young adult novel is calling into question generic delineations in respect to different audiences as well as the boundaries between audience and writers.

Heruntergeladen am 25.1.2026 von https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110422429-009/html
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