Mapping the Megatext in Global Science Fiction

Istvan Csicsery Ronay defines the science fictional (SF) megatext as a ‘shared subcultural thesaurus of the genre’ (plot devices, tropes, character types, etc.) drawn upon and contributed to by each new work. Voices and trends from SF and global futurisms beyond the dominant anglophone market have attracted wider attention only in recent decades, and this study’s eleven essays map parts of the megatext by acquainting English-speaking readers, students and scholars of SF with works from the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Indigenous Australia, the Caribbean, Eastern Europe, Scandinavia and Wales. Each essay contextualises one author within national and international SF traditions, with in-depth analysis of a chosen work. Who are these writers and why are they important? What innovative thematic material or formal elements do they offer? What unique cultural characteristics do they bring to the genre, and how do they dialogue with both the history of the genre and the contemporary SF scene?