CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2011
| Author | Stancu, Eugen |
|---|---|
| Title | Engineering the Human Soul: Science Fiction in Communist Romania 1955-1989 |
| Summary | In this dissertation I investigate the place of science fiction within Romanian communist literature and its social role during communism. My analysis comprises several layers. First the political, social and ideological transformations of the Roanian communist state represent the necessary background against which science fiction is analyzed. Second, science fiction is placed in the literary dynamic of the Romanian communist period. How science fiction emerged in Romania, what were the institutional structures, who were the persons involved, and how the development of the genre is related with the development of literature in general, mainly as a consequence of the political transformations, are some of the questions that were addressed in this thesis. Moreover, as they are an essential link between the writers and the readers, the system of publications from financing, circulation, print run, and distribution, through censorship, was also tackled. Third, an analysis of the science fiction literary discourse - yet without applying aesthetic criteria - is an important aspect in assessing the social functions of science fiction. The narrative elements and structures so much blamed by mainstream literary critics for their lack of literary merit are nevertheless valuable since they may uncover the type of message delivered by the genre to its readers. Fourth, the science fiction community is also investigated. A literary genre for children and youth without a significant tradition in Romania before communism, science fiction developed following the Soviet model especially as an active pedagogical and propagandistic instrument meant to build the new communist man. However, during communism it evolved from a didactic medium meant to disseminate scientific knowledge among its readers into a ‘catalyst’ for ‘alternative and rather free’ spaces of socialization. Magazines, fanzines, novels, and almanacs constitute the primary sources for the investigation. Moreover, works on literary criticism, social and political articles published in the newspapers and in the literary journals, memoirs, and historical works are extensively drawn upon for background information. Last but not least, perhaps the most important place in the economy of the sources is granted to oral history investigation. Existing scholarship has neglected this topic. Literary critics considers science fiction as having a meagre aesthetic value and do not deserve attention while historians have not considered placing the genre it its historical context relevant for the history of communism. Yet, as I demonstrate in my thesis, the analysis of science fiction, both its literature and community, offers important insights into the intellectual, political and social history of this period contributing also to the analysis of youth culture during communism. |
| Supervisor | Siefert Marsha |
| Department | History PhD |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2011/hphste01.pdf |
Visit the CEU Library.
© 2007-2021, Central European University