In Chronoschisms Ursula Heise explores the way developments in communication and information technology have led to the emergence of a new culture of time in Western societies. Drawing on theories of postmodernism and narratology, she shows how postmodern narratives break up the concept of plot into a spectrum of contradictory story lines that allow new conceptions of history and posthistory to emerge. This wide-ranging study offers new readings of postmodernist theory and fresh insight into the often vexing relationship between literature and science.

Zusammenfassung
An analysis of way developments in technology have transformed our understanding of time and affected the structure of the novel. This wide-ranging study offers readings of postmodernist theory the relationship between literature and science.

Inhalt

Introduction; Part I. Chronoschisms: 1. From soft clocks to hardware: narrative and the postmodern experience of time; Part II. Time Forks and Time Loops: 2. Number, chance and narrative: Julio Cortázar's Rayuela; 3. 'Repetitions, contradictions and omissions': Robbe-Grillet's Topologie d'une cité fantôme; 4. Print time: text and duration in Beckett's How It Is; Part III. Posthistories: 5. t: time's assembly in Gravity's Rainbow; 6. Effect predicts cause: Brooke-Rose's Out; Epilogue: Schismatrix; Bibliography.