A “funny” feeling : laughter and nostalgia in Alex Latimer’s The space race

dc.contributor.authorMoonsamy, Nedine
dc.date.accessioned2017-05-08T08:29:25Z
dc.date.available2017-05-08T08:29:25Z
dc.date.issued2016-12
dc.description.abstractAlex Latimer’s The Space Race deploys the fairly conventional science fiction narrative where humans travel to the moon in search of a new home and, set in a post-apartheid context, the progressive possibilities of this search are exciting to consider. Yet, I argue, this future-oriented opportunity is – somewhat unwittingly – squandered in favour of a more nostalgic focus. Latimer uses the trope of space exploration to revisit the broken dreams of the Afrikaner volk whose goal of finding a home in South Africa has finally been thwarted by the post-apartheid era thus leading to a covert plan to colonise the moon. Latimer, wants us to laugh at the longings of the volk but the humour misfires, instead producing an uncomfortable state of disavowal that ultimately restores the nostalgic dreams of the volk by turning it into a science fiction prophesy.en_ZA
dc.description.departmentEnglishen_ZA
dc.description.librarianam2017en_ZA
dc.description.urihttp://www.ru.ac.za/isea/publications/journals/englishinafricaen_ZA
dc.identifier.citationMoonsamy, N 2016, 'A “funny” feeling : laughter and nostalgia in Alex Latimer’s The space race', English in Africa, vol. 43, no. 3, pp. 77-94.en_ZA
dc.identifier.issn0376-8902
dc.identifier.issn10.4314/eia.v43i3.5
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/60255
dc.language.isoenen_ZA
dc.publisherRhodes University, Institute for the Study of English in Africaen_ZA
dc.rightsInstitute for the Study of English in Africa, Rhodes Universityen_ZA
dc.subjectAfrikaneren_ZA
dc.subjectNostalgiaen_ZA
dc.subjectSouth African literatureen_ZA
dc.subjectAfrican science fictionen_ZA
dc.subjectAlex Latimeren_ZA
dc.subjectWhitenessen_ZA
dc.titleA “funny” feeling : laughter and nostalgia in Alex Latimer’s The space raceen_ZA
dc.typeArticleen_ZA

Files

Original bundle

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Name:
Moonsamy_Funny_2016.pdf
Size:
392.79 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Article

License bundle

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.75 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description: