Bloomsbury Once and Future Antiquities in Science Fiction and Fantasy (Bloomsbury Studies in Classical Reception)

In 15 all-new essays, this volume explores how science fiction and fantasy draw on materials from ancient Greece and Rome, displacing them from their original settingsin time and space, in points of origins and genreand encouraging readers to consider similar displacements in the modern world. Modern examples from a wide range of media and genresincluding Philip Pullmans His Dark Materials and the novels of Helen Oyeyemi, the Rocky Horror Picture Show and Hayao Miyazakis Spirited Away, and the role-playing games Dungeons and Dragons and Warhammer 40Kare brought alongside episodes from ancient myth, important moments from history, and more. All together, these multifaceted studies add to our understanding of how science fiction and fantasy form important areas of classical reception, not only transmitting but also transmuting images of antiquity. The volume concludes with an inspiring personal reflection from the New York Times-bestselling author of speculative fiction, Catherynne M. Valente, offering her perspective on the limitless potential of the classical world to resonate with experience today.