The third way: A novel & “From protector to part of the problem: The evolution of the Father figure in novels of ecological catastrophe”

Raymond, Gary 2024. The third way: A novel & “From protector to part of the problem: The evolution of the Father figure in novels of ecological catastrophe”. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University. Item availability restricted.

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Abstract

This thesis begins with a novel of 67,859 words, The Third Way, a dystopian science fiction story that reads as a cli-fi novel that takes as a central theme the evolution of the family unit in times after a world-altering environmental catastrophe. Tonally, The Third Way could be considered a noir thriller, using elements of detective fiction and chase narrative to explore the themes of familial relationships and posthuman philosophy. The story is a complex narrative that brings together several character arcs, underpinned by several tropes of the noir genre. It follows the off-the-books investigation of former New Washington law-enforcement partners Harlan Bodie and Norrie Dent as they search for the truth to the rumours of the fabled City in the South, a place that has survived the catastrophic temperature rises and megastorms of the new age against all the odds. The second part of this thesis is the critical component of 20,271 words, that follows and examines with some close reading, the evolution of the father figure in novels of ecological catastrophe. The thesis first explores the birth of the father figure in science fiction and speculative fiction, taking in brief readings of Mary Shelley, H.G. Wells and John Wyndham, before arriving at its first benchmark text, John Christopher’s The Death of Grass (1957). From there, the essay looks at the effects of second wave feminism, thinking around posthuman philosophy, and the relationship between the fiction in this field and real-world developments. It rests with contemporary novels, having looked at the father figure in three chapters, with father figure as protector, as God, and as part of the problem.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Date Type:	Completion
Status:	Unpublished
Schools:	Schools > English, Communication and Philosophy
Subjects:	P Language and Literature > PR English literature
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	10 February 2025
Last Modified:	11 Feb 2025 11:50
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/175362

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