Poetry and Science Fiction : – Richard Brautigan’s poem “All Watched Over By Machines of Loving Grace” as an ecological dystopia

• In this paper I argue that Richard Brautigan’s poem “All Watched Over By Machines of Loving Grace” is an ecological dystopia in the science fiction genre. Brautigan’s poem creates a post-pastoral image of a cybernetic ecology monitored and controlled by machines. The poem’s internal structure and tone provide an ironic commentary to its theme of a utopian project, highlighting its internal conflicts and showing its impossibility. I argue, therefore, that the poem is a critique of the ecological utopias of the 60s and can be read accordingly.

Nyckelord

Brautigan

Cybernetic Ecology

Ecocriticism

Ecotopia

Science-Fiction

Humanities

Humaniora

Literature

litteraturvetenskap

Publikations- och innehållstyp

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art (ämneskategori)