Near Future Dystopias *In-Person* *NEW*

Kazuo Ishiguro's 2021 novel Klara and the Sun and Celeste Ng's 2022 novel Our Missing Hearts both draw on the extensive literary tradition of dystopia, defined as "an imagined world or society in which people lead wretched, dehumanized, fearful lives" (Merriam-Webster). However, that society is simultaneously propagandized as utopian or ideal. This class will engage in a close analysis of these two recent contributions to the genre, exploring how they deviate from and enrich the conventions of dystopian literature. Students should read Part One (pp. 1-45) of Klara and the Sun before the first-class meeting. Required texts: Kazuo Ishiguro, Klara and the Sun, paperback ISBN 9780593311295; Celeste Ng, Our Missing Hearts, paperback ISBN 9780593492666. Instructor: Mary Dockray-Miller