CALL FOR PAPERS

for an edited volume

Title: The Literary Fantastic in the 21st Century

Editor: Prof. Dr. Ana Kechan (International Balkan University - Skopje, North Macedonia)

The literary fantastic has undergone significant evolution in the 21st century, navigating new landscapes of imagination, technology, and cultural shifts.

This edited volume aims to explore the diverse manifestations of the fantastic in contemporary literature and its intersections with other genres, media, and cultural phenomena.

We invite contributions that engage with, but are not limited to, the following topics:

Genre Boundaries and Hybridity: Exploring the blurred lines between fantasy, science fiction, magic realism, speculative fiction, the New Weird, and other genres in contemporary literature.

Identity Fluidity and Hybridity: Analyzing the distinctive ways in which identity is presented and treated in the works of fantastic literature.

Treatment of Ethical Categories: Presenting insights into how categories such as good and evil, justice, human/humane, truth, morality, etc. are treated in contemporary fantastic literature.

Global Perspectives: Analyzing how different cultures and regions incorporate elements of the fantastic into their literary traditions in the 21st century.

Digital Narratives and Virtual Realities: Investigating the impact of digital technologies on the creation and consumption of fantastic literature, including web fiction, interactive narratives, and virtual reality storytelling.

Eco-fantasy and Climate Fiction: Examining representations of ecological themes, environmental crises, and speculative futures in fantastic literature.

Literary Adaptations and Transmedia Storytelling: Assessing the adaptation of fantastic literature across various media platforms, including film, television, video games, and graphic novels.

We welcome contributions from scholars, researchers, and practitioners working in literary studies, cultural studies, media studies, comparative literature, and related fields. We also encourage submissions that adopt interdisciplinary approaches and engage with diverse theoretical frameworks.

Abstract Submission Guidelines:

Please submit an abstract of 300-500 words along with a brief biography of up to 200 words to a.kechan@ibu.edu.mk by June 20^th, 2024.

Notifications of acceptance will be sent out by July 10^th, 2024.

Full chapters (approximately 6,000-8,000 words) will be due by September 15^th, 2024.

For inquiries or further information, please contact Prof. Dr. Ana Kechan at a.kechan@ibu.edu.mk.