Science & Literature in the 19th Century

Study the impact of science on nineteenth-century literature and the development of science fiction as a genre.

Overview

This course will study the impact of science on nineteenth-century literature and in particular the development of science fiction as a genre, with emphasis on the epoch-making works of H. G. Wells. We will examine the ways in which science posed a challenge to literature and called into question the very notion of artistic truth. But we will also consider the ways in which science served as a new form of inspiration for fiction writers, beginning with Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. One of the main subjects of the course will be the impact of Darwin and Darwinism. We will discuss the relation of science to the Victorian crisis of faith and also explore the interrelation of science and the British Empire. Writers studied will include Jules Verne, Robert Louis Stevenson, Edwin Abbott, and Arthur Conan Doyle.

Lectures are in the order in which they were given. The Invisible Man* and The Lost World lectures are missing. See “The Invisible Man and the Invisible Hand: H.G. Wells’s Critique of Capitalism” (added to the course for ease of navigation) for in depth analysis of The Invisible Man.

Lectures

Featured

Science and Literature of the 19th Century Introduction

Frankenstein

Paul Cantor analyzes and explains Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein in this lecture series on 19th century Literature and Science. Lectures

Tennyson's In Memoriam

Paul Cantor analyzes and explains Tennyson's In Memoriam in this lecture series from Science and Literature course. Lecture

Darwin's Origin of Species Lectures

Paul Cantor analyzes and explains Darwin’s Origin of Species in this lecture series. Lecture

Robert Browning Caliban upon Setebos

Paul Cantor analyzes and explains Robert Browning’s Caliban upon Setebos in this lecture series from Science and Literature course. Lecture

Edwin Abbott's Flatland

Paul Cantor analyzes and explains Edwin Abbott's Flatland in this lecture series from Science and Literature course. Lecture

Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

Paul Cantor analyzes and explains Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde in this lecture series from Science and Literature course. Lecture

Elizabeth Gaskell Wives & Daughters

Paul Cantor analyzes and explains Elizabeth Gaskell’s Wives & Daughters in this lecture series from Science and Literature course. Lecture

H.G. Wells's The Time Machine Lectures

Paul Cantor analyzes and explains H.G. Wells’s The Time Machine in this lecture series on 19th century Literature and Science. Lecture

H.G. Wells's Island of Dr. Moreau Lectures

Paul Cantor analyzes and explains H.G. Wells’s Island of Dr. Moreau in this lecture series on 19th century Literature and Science. Lecture

H.G. Wells's The War of the Worlds Lectures

Paul Cantor analyzes and explains H.G. Wells’s The War of the Worlds in this lecture series on 19th century Literature and Science. Lecture

Joseph Conrad The Secret Agent

Paul Cantor analyzes and explains Joseph Conrad’s The Secret Agent in this lecture series from Science and Literature course. Lecture

The Invisible Man and the Invisible Hand: H.G. Wells’s Critique of Capitalism

The Invisible Man provides a vehicle for exploring a larger set of economic and political problems that preoccupied him throughout his career. Essay

Science & Literature in the 19th Century

Overview

*Lectures are in the order in which they were given. The Invisible Man and The Lost World lectures are missing. See “The Invisible Man and the Invisible Hand: H.G. Wells’s Critique of Capitalism” (added to the course for ease of navigation) for in depth analysis of The Invisible Man.

Lectures

Lectures are in the order in which they were given. The Invisible Man* and The Lost World lectures are missing. See “The Invisible Man and the Invisible Hand: H.G. Wells’s Critique of Capitalism” (added to the course for ease of navigation) for in depth analysis of The Invisible Man.