Satan, Dracula, Sauron, Lord Foul, Darth Vader. The motif of the Satanic Dark Lord is ever-present in science fiction and fantasy, a malign intelligence seeking to thwart the Chosen One.
In the literature of the 1980s and 90s, the Dark Lord is always defeated. However, post-millennium, there are signs that he has finally begun to get the upper hand, as we witness his change from anti-hero to hero.
In this enthralling study, prize-winning author A J Dalton considers how our understanding and characterisation of Satan has developed over time. From early depictions of Satan as a brutal dragon in the Bible, to the playfully seductive friend in the works of Chaucer and Marlowe, to the sympathetic and sensitive vampire of the modern-day, to the alien and unknowable artificial intelligence of tomorrow.
This book provides a starting point for researchers, writers and fans of science fiction and fantasy interested in the development of one of the biggest tropes in speculative fiction.
Tabella dei contenuti
1. Introduction
2. The literary origins of Satan
2.1 The Dark Lord and the white knight
2.2 The princess-bride and the demon-queen
2.3 The familiar and the false friend
3. The science of Satan
3.1 The scientist and the monster
3.2 The vampire and his reflection
3.3 –The alien invasion and the enslaved population
3.4 The A.I. and the child
4. The fantasy of Satan
4.1 Serious ‘high fantasy’ and more sociable ‘epic fantasy’
4.2 Rose-tinted ‘steampunk’ and gritty ‘urban fantasy’
4.3 The forbidden romance of ‘dark fantasy’ and the brooding discontent of ‘metaphysical fantasy’
4.4 The bleak optimism of ‘dystopian YA’ and the grinding despair of ‘grimdark fantasy’
5. The Satanic and post-Christian end-game?
6. The author’s Satanic end-note
7. Bibliography
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