Nursery Realms: Children in the Worlds of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror

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Child characters are surprisingly common in horror, fantasy, and science fiction literature and films. Children represent innocence and virtue and symbolize the classic question of fantastic literature: What is the future of the human race, and how will science and society improve or impair that future? This collection of essays explores the roles of children in the literature and film of the fantastic. The works vary in critical approach from textual analyses to psychological, historical, and gender- and ethnicity-based interpretations and draw their subject matter from contemporary and classic literary and film pieces.

"The Triumph of Teen Prop: Terminator II and the End of History" is a playful discussion of teen propaganda movies and social issues. "E.T. as Fairy Tale" examines how Stephen Spielberg's combination of science fiction, fantasy, and fairy tale elements blends logic and childhood magic. Howard M. Lenhoff connects mythical creatures with biology in "A Real-World Source for the 'Little People': A Comparison of Fairies to Individuals with Williams Syndrome." The literary selection ranges from Alida Allison's study of childhood in Isaac Bashevis Singer's writings to Bud Foote's interpretation of childhood roles in the characters of selected Stephen King works. Other essays consider Henry James's "The Turn of the Screw," Anne Rice's "The Witching Hour," and the childhood classic "Peter Pan."

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Acerca del autor (1999)

George E. Slusser was born in San Francisco, California on July 14, 1939. He received a bachelor's degree from UC Berkeley, a Diplôme d'Études Françaises from the Université of Poitiers, and a Ph.D. in comparative literature from Harvard University. He was curator emeritus of the University of California, Riverside's Eaton Collection and professor emeritus of comparative literature, joined the UCR Library in 1979 and, beginning in 1991, held a joint position as professor of comparative literature until his retirement in 2005. During his lifetime, he wrote or edited nearly 40 books including Robert A. Heinlein: Stranger in His Own Land, The Farthest Shores of Ursula K. LeGuin, The Bradbury Chronicles, Harlan Ellison: Unrepentant Harlequin, The Space Odysseys of Arthur C. Clarke, and The Delany Intersection: Samuel R. Delany Considered as a Writer of Semi-Precious Words. He also co-authored several books with his wife, Danièle Châtelain-Slusser, including Three Science Fiction Novellas: From Prehistory to the End of Mankind and a study of Balzac's The Centenarian. In 1986, he received the Pilgrim Award for lifetime achievement in the field of science fiction scholarship. He died on November 4, 2014 at the age of 75.

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