Between Literature and Science: Poe, Lem, and Explorations in Aesthetics, Cognitive Science, and Literary Knowledge

203 Pages·2001·2.43 MB·English

by  Peter Swirski

liverpool.fm Page iii Tuesday, July 11, 2000 10:58 AM
 
 
Poe, Lem, and Explorations
in Aesthetics, Cognitive Science,
and Literary Knowledge
Peter Swirski
Liverpool University Press
liverpool.fm Page iv Tuesday, July 11, 2000 10:58 AM
©McGill-Queen’s University Press 
 --- (cloth)
 --- (paper)
Legal deposit second quarter 
Bibliothèque nationale du Québec
Printed in Canada on acid-free paper
Published simultaneously in the European Union
by Liverpool University Press
This book has been published with the help of a grant from the
Humanities and Social Sciences Federation of Canada, using funds
provided by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council
of Canada.
McGill-Queen’s University Press acknowledges the financial support of
the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry
Development Program () for its activities. We also acknowledge the
support of the Canada Council for the Arts for our publishing program.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A British Library CIP record is available
This book was typeset by Caractéra inc.
in / Minion.
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Between Literature and Science
Poe, Lem, and Explorations in Aesthetics,
Cognitive Science, and Literary Knowledge
In Between Literature and Science Peter Swirski examines the true intellectual
scope of Edgar Allan Poe and Stanislaw Lem. Using a genuinely interdisci-
plinary approach he shows that they propose far-reaching hypotheses in
aesthetics, epistemology, cognitive science, philosophy of science, literary
studies, and pragmatics as well as in cosmology, artificial intelligence, and
futurology. Swirski argues that previous studies of their science fiction
works, in neglecting these broader philosophical and scientific ambitions,
have misrepresented Poe and Lem’s artistic achievements.
Through close analysis of Eureka and The Purloined Letter, Swirski evalu-
ates Poe’s epistemological theses in the light of contemporary philosophy of
science and presents literary interpretation as a cooperative game played by
the author and reader, thereby illuminating how we read fiction. The analysis
of Poe’s little-studied Eureka provides the basis for his discussion of Lem’s
critique of scientific reductionism and futurological forecasts. Drawing on
his own interviews with Lem as well as analysis of his works, Swirski con-
siders the author’s scenarios involving computers capable of creative acts and
discusses their socio-cultural implications. His analysis leads to bold argu-
ments about the nature of literature and its relation to a broad range of other
disciplines.
  is a lecturer in the Department of English at the University
of Toronto.
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 
 
Poe, Lem, and Explorations
in Aesthetics, Cognitive Science,
and Literary Knowledge
Peter Swirski
McGill-Queen’s University Press
Montreal & Kingston · London · Ithaca
93412_90.fm Page iv Tuesday, July 11, 2000 11:03 AM
©McGill-Queen’s University Press 
 --- (cloth)
 --- (paper)
Legal deposit second quarter 
Bibliothèque nationale du Québec
Printed in Canada on acid-free paper
This book has been published with the help of a grant from
the Humanities and Social Sciences Federation of Canada,
using funds provided by the Social Sciences and Humanities
Research Council of Canada.
McGill-Queen’s University Press acknowledges the financial
support of the Government of Canada through the Book
Publishing Industry Development Program () for its
activities. We also acknowledge the support of the Canada
Council for the Arts for our publishing program.
Canadian Cataloguing in Publication Data
Swirski, Peter, –
Between literature and science: Poe and Lem
Includes bibliographical references and index.
 --- (bound). –
 --- (pbk.)
. Poe, Edgar Allan, –  – Criticism and
interpretation. . Lem, Stanislaw, – – Criticism and
interpretations. . Literature and science. . Title.
.  ’. --
Typeset in Minion /
by Caractéra inc., Quebec City
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This book is dedicated to
Gregory, Irini, Ginette, Paisley, Sarah, Peter,
Chris, Craig, Jeff, Jon, Phyllis, Philip, Jerry,
Brad, Raine, Greig, and others
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Contents
Introduction ix
 The Pragmatic Side of Aesthetics 
 Towards a New Epistemology 
 An Essay in Cosmology 
 There Is Science in My Philosophy 
 The Future History of Biterature 
 Of Machines and Men 
Conclusion: No Discipline Is an Island 
Notes 
Bibliography 
Index 
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