What is it about?

Contribution to symposium about utopia and science fiction in film 500 years after the publication of T. More's Utopia. Unlike the majority of post-9/11 sf movies expressing anxiety and paranoia about humanity’s fate in a violent universe, in Cloud Atlas the post-apocalyptic trope suggests not so much a fear of terrorism, but a critique of political, economic and social greed against all living forms in the planet. The film also maintains a utopian horizon, much in the tradition of the critical dystopia.

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Why is it important?

Re-assessment of utopia in popular culture 500 years after publication of founding text by More. Utopian desire continues to be a timely topic for an understanding of our present.

Perspectives

An invitation to contribute to a symposium is always welcome. Brief analyses of a range of texts from diverse perspectives opens significant opportunities for further research.

Dr Debra Benita Shaw
University of East London

Brief analyses from a variety of perspectives and voices form a rich reflection on the theme of utopia.

Dr Raffaella Baccolini
Universita degli Studi di Bologna

Offering my reading of Antonia's Line as a utopian text.

Professor Tom Moylan Moylan
Ralahine Centre for Utopian Studies, University of Limerick

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This page is a summary of: Utopiaanniversary symposium, Science Fiction Film & Television, February 2016, Liverpool University Press,
DOI: 10.3828/sfftv.2016.4.
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