Contributions
are sought for an edited collection titled Tales
After Tolkien: Medievalism and Genre in the Twenty-First Century. The
collection explores the ways popular genres engage with the history and
literature of the Middle Ages, and with the very idea of ‘the medieval.’ What
are the intersections of medievalism and genre in modern popular culture?
The
questions chapters might ask include, but are not limited to: how genre
conventions shape the use of medieval material and vice versa? In what ways do
contemporary social, cultural and political issues intersect with the medieval in
popular genres? How do authors approach the Middle Ages and medieval material? What
is the role of audience expectations and beliefs? Is historical authenticity
important, to whom does it matter, and how is it defined?
Chapters may
focus on any popular genre, but contributions exploring romance, horror,
mystery, science fiction and historical, westerns, cross-genre works or
comparing genres are especially welcome. They may focus on works in any medium,
e.g. fiction, film, television, graphic novels, and games, or consider multi-
or transmedia medievalisms. Chapters exploring
fan communities, audiences, and adaptations are also welcome. They should focus
on works first published in the twenty-first century, although series which
began before that date could also be considered, as could comparisons of recent
works with earlier publications.
Chapters
will be 6,000 to 7,000 words, including all footnotes, references etc, with
first drafts due 1st June 2014, and final versions on 1st
October 2014. The volume will be offered to Cambria Press, which has expressed
interest in seeing the manuscript proposal.
In the first
instance, an abstract of approximately 300 words along with a brief CV should
be sent to Helen.young@sydney.edu.au
by 8th January, 2014. Any queries may be directed to the same
address.
