Fictional stories have long held an uncanny power over hearts and minds, especially those of young people. In this book, Lyta Gold traces arguments both historical and contemporary that have labeled fiction as dark, immoral, frightening, or poisonous. Within each she asks: How “dangerous” is fiction, really? And what about it provokes waves of moral panic and even censorship? Gold argues that any panic about art is largely a disguised panic about power. There have been versions of these same fights over fiction for centuries. By exposing fiction as a social danger and a battleground of immediate public concern, we can see what each side really wants—the right to shape the future of a world deeply in flux and a distraction from more pressing material concerns about money, access, and the hard work of politics.
- Publisher: Soft Skull
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Publication date:
29/10/2024
- ISBN: 9781593767709
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Page extent:
352
- Format: Hardback
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Dimensions:
211 mm x 140 mm
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