ENGL 4765

The Twenty-First Century Novel

Course Description

Course information provided by the 2024-2025 Catalog. Courses of Study 2024-2025 is scheduled to publish mid-June.

What innovations in form, style, genre, and subject matter have characterized the novel in the 21st century? What is the status of the novel in the wake of postmodernism, postcolonialism, poststructuralism, post-humanism, and the other "posts" of literary theory? Are we witnessing a blurring of theory and fiction? This course will explore a number of key developments and trends in the 21st century novel, such as the rise of genre fiction (fantasy, science fiction, the Western, the "rock novel"), speculative fiction, new historical realisms, comic/graphic novels, philosophical fiction, among others trends. Our writers may include Zadie Smith, Kazuo Ishiguro, J.M. Coetzee, Percival Everett, Colson Whitehead, Toni Morrison, Ali Smith, Sally Rooney, Tom McCarthy, David Mitchell, and Jennifer Egan.

Last 4 Terms Offered 2025SP, 2023SP

Distribution Category (ALC-AS) (CA-AG, LA-AG)

When Offered Fall or Spring.

Satisfies Requirement This course counts toward the Literatures of the Americas and post-1800 requirements for English majors.

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