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Science in Wonderland Melanie Keene (Graduate Tutor and Research Fellow, Homerton College, Cambridge)

Science in Wonderland By Melanie Keene (Graduate Tutor and Research Fellow, Homerton College, Cambridge)

Science in Wonderland by Melanie Keene (Graduate Tutor and Research Fellow, Homerton College, Cambridge)


€12.99
Condition - Very Good
Only 3 left

Summary

Victorian Britain was full of excitement and debate about the new scientific ideas. In Science in Wonderland, Melanie Keene shows how Victorian writers used the medium of the fairy tale to bring chemistry, entomology, palaeontology, and evolution to young audiences.

Science in Wonderland Summary

Science in Wonderland: The scientific fairy tales of Victorian Britain by Melanie Keene (Graduate Tutor and Research Fellow, Homerton College, Cambridge)

In Victorian Britain an array of writers captured the excitement of new scientific discoveries, and enticed young readers and listeners into learning their secrets, by converting introductory explanations into quirky, charming, and imaginative fairy-tales; forces could be fairies, dinosaurs could be dragons, and looking closely at a drop of water revealed a soup of monsters. Science in Wonderland explores how these stories were presented and read. Melanie Keene introduces and analyses a range of Victorian scientific fairy-tales, from nursery classics such as The Water-Babies to the little-known Wonderland of Evolution, or the story of insect lecturer Fairy Know-a-Bit. In exploring the ways in which authors and translators - from Hans Christian Andersen and Edith Nesbit to the pseudonymous 'A.L.O.E.' and 'Acheta Domestica' - reconciled the differing demands of factual accuracy and fantastical narratives, Keene asks why the fairies and their tales were chosen as an appropriate new form for capturing and presenting scientific and technological knowledge to young audiences. Such stories, she argues, were an important way in which authors and audiences criticised, communicated, and celebrated contemporary scientific ideas, practices, and objects.

Science in Wonderland Reviews

Anyone interested in the ample curiosities of Victorian culture qill find much stimulation here. * Nicolas Popper, The Times Literary Supplement *
The volume is clearly well researched, and Keene brings together a multitude of sources. Recommended. * S. Bernardo, CHOICE *
well-researched * Chemistry & Industry *
delightful first book.. warm and lively prose * The Lancet, Richard Barnett *
a truly thought-provoking book * Cotswold Life *
intriguing book * Engineering and Technology, Dominic Lenton *
The illustrations are rather brilliant * Independent, Lucy Scholes *
Keene's material is fascinating * Financial Times, Suzi Feay *
light-footed and intriguing study... What Keene has assembled is beautifully odd * Scotland on Sunday, Stuart Kelly *
Certainly an interesting topic * Popular Science, Brian Clegg *
The truth here is that the book is a remarkable piece of historical research that might interest several audiences beyond the specialized area of history of science and chemistry. * Agusti Nieto-Galan, AMBIX *
this book is a beautifully researched and thrilling treasure trove of texts and images. * Adelene Buckland, Archives of Natural History *
Science in Wonderland presents a highly informative and engaging read. Given the wealth of information it provides, it will be useful to scholars and enthusiasts with an interest in the nineteenth century, children's culture and popular science. * Nada Kujundic, IRSCL: International Research Society for Children's Literature *
A fascinating merging of science, history, and literature ... an accessible introduction to a fascinating aspect of Victorian children's culture. * Jennifer Harrison, IRSCL: International Research Society for Children's Literature *

About Melanie Keene (Graduate Tutor and Research Fellow, Homerton College, Cambridge)

Melanie Keene is a historian of science for children, based at Homerton College, Cambridge. She has published several academic and popular articles on scientific books and objects from the eighteenth to the twentieth centuries, on topics from candles, pebbles, or cups of tea, to board games, toy sets, and model dinosaurs.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Nothing But Facts? ; 1. Once Upon a Time ; 2. Real Fairy Folk ; 3. Domestic Fairylands ; 4. Wonderlands of Evolution ; 5. Through Magic Glasses ; 6. Technological Marvels ; Conclusion: Stranger Than Fiction ; Notes ; References ; Index

Additional information

GOR007518873
9780199662654
0199662657
Science in Wonderland: The scientific fairy tales of Victorian Britain by Melanie Keene (Graduate Tutor and Research Fellow, Homerton College, Cambridge)
Used - Very Good
Hardback
Oxford University Press
20150326
256
N/A
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
This is a used book - there is no escaping the fact it has been read by someone else and it will show signs of wear and previous use. Overall we expect it to be in very good condition, but if you are not entirely satisfied please get in touch with us

Customer Reviews - Science in Wonderland