Nichols 1 ashley nichols professor ralph berry aml4121 5 december 20. Steve tomasula, author of years best sf 10, on librarything. Stephen farrell printed in the colors of flesh and blood, vas. An opera in flatland 2002 by steve tomasula with book design by stephen farrellpublished by barrytownstation hill pressis an innovative science fiction novel that considers the theme of modern genetics after the narrator, square, contemplates a vasectomy to keep his wife, circle, from experiencing any further miscarriages. A constantly surprising, vas combines a variety of voices, from journalism and libretto to poem and comic book. An opera in flatland 2002 by steve tomasula includes numerous quotations in variations of type fonts which make this novel an example. Steve tomasula s fictions of science as science fiction. An opera in flatland anthony enns dalhousie university, canada 7. Life is like a book, you never know how it will end in vas. Tomasulas imagination, his satiric edge, his wildly comic sense of things, combined with farrells inventive page layout make reading this opera in flatland an unforgettable experience. Incorporating narrative forms of all kindsfrom comic books, travelogues, journalism or code, to hong kong action. An opera in flatland by steve tomasula librarything.
An opera in flatland and lance olsens head in flames wojciech drag in the frame and the mirror. Literary archaeologies in the book of portraiture flore chevaillier central state university, usa 6. An opera in flatland university of chicago press, an acclaimed novel of the biotech revolution. They often chose the source material together, though farrell is mainly responsible for the visual look of the pages, while tomasula wrote the story segments.
You approach it as a child at night chasing a firefly into the woods. In vas, tomasula weaves fertility concerns into a priapic future while using a very sophisticated visual layout that renders his prose as poetry. Squares indecision regarding all of this forms the plot of vas, a beautifully vibrant collaboration between writer steve tomasula and artist stephen farrell. Tomasula s toc, an interactive cdrom, is equally ambitious, incorporating motion graphics into a meditation on thermodynamics, myth and temporality. Steve tomasula is an american novelist, critic, short story, and essay author known for crossgenre narratives that explore conceptions of the self, especially as shaped by language and technology. An opera in flatland 2002 by steve tomasula, which uses the twodimensional world to critique contemporary society popular culture edit physicists and science popularizers carl sagan and stephen hawking have both commented on and postulated about the effects of flatland. Languages of fear in steve tomasulas vas, an opera in. Steve tomasula is professor if english at the university of notre dame. Tomasula s written and visual representation of the opera serves as a culmination of the themes he has explored throughout vas.
A good example of a text that incorporates experimentation with textual physicality is steve tomasula s vas. The book of portraiture university of alabama pressfc2. It seems to me that what tomasula has in mind is that the characters in. A newmedia novel university of alabama pressfc2 and app for ipad. Virtuosic in its execution, and sublime in its discernment, the book of portraiture is an able continuation of tomasula s ongoing project to redraw the. Vas study guide a guide to the wonderful world of vas an. Collapsing nonfiction into fiction, womens reproductive concerns into mens, history into present, work into playthis novel takes juxtaposition and digression to new heights. Notre dames english department offers graduate and undergraduate degrees with a focus on literatures cultural and interpretive contexts, creative. An opera in flatland as a leap forward for the genre we call novel.
Steve tomasula is an american novelist, critic, short story, and essay author known for. An opera in flatland is the story of squares decision to undergo an operation that will leave him sterile for the good of his wife, circle, for the good of their daughter, oval, and for the good of society, including the unborn descendants he will never have. This book, the first of its kind, provides this framework, showing readers the richness and relevance of the worlds tomasula constructs. An opera in flatland, an imagetext developed with graphic artist and typographer stephen farrell, considers the.
An opera in flatland is the first fulllength novel by steve tomasula and stephen farrell. A breathtaking inquiry into the artifacts of the human imagination, vas. An opera in flatland, an imagetext developed with graphic artist and typographer stephen farrell, considers the role of eugenics, its history, and its impact on the body and biotechnology in a novel that serves as a visual digression of how such topics as genetics, reproduction, and body modification are culturally represented through text and image. Reflections on intersemiotic experiments in steve tomasula s vas. An opera in flatland 2004, where the shape of the book physically matches its contents on bodily modification, which calls for a different mode of reading, one that is embodied. A newmedia novel fc2university of alabama press, and also as an multimedia app for ipad. Flatland is a great book, but abbots flatland has very little to do with vas. A newmedia novel fc2university of alabama press also published as an ipad app. An opera in flatland and the book of portraiture, as well as toc.
The characters do not behave in any way as if they live in a two dimensional world. A novel paperback 4 jan 2005 by steve tomasula author. An opera in flatland with design by stephen farrell is an adaptation of edwin abbotts 1884 novel flatland. An opera in flatland this is a collaboration between the novelist steve tomasula and stephen farrell, who teaches visual communication at the school of the art institute, chicago, where i teach. Vas an opera in flatland by steve tomasula, 9780226807409, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Steve tomasula s work is redefining the form of the novel, reinventing the practice of reading, and wrestling with the most urgent questions raised by massive transformations of media and biotechnologies. This book is a collaboration between author steve tomasula and graphic artist stephen farrell.
We march in truth of the opera are juxtaposed and interconnected in a manner that suggests an exploration of the themes of the human and the posthuman. Steve tomasula s fictions of science as science fiction pawel frelik maria curiesklodowska university, lublin, poland 8. Another example lies in michael martones nonfictions. An opera in flatland by steve tomasula innovative fiction. An opera in flatland is sensuous, ferocious, and original. It seems to me that what tomasula has in mind is that the characters in vas live in flatland because we live in flatland. Steve tomasula department of english university of. An opera in flatland a hybrid imagetext noveldemonstrates how differing ways of imagining the body. An opera in flatland is the story of squares decision to undergo an operation that will. The university of chicago press, chicago, 2004, english.
Steve tomasula s vas, or what if novels were books. A newmedia novel, which received the mary shelly award for excellence in fiction, and the elit best book of the year award. Once again, steve tomasula has fabricated an incisive and sly commentary on arts way of being in the world, and the manner in which it intersects, and conflicts, with our perceptions. An opera in flatland a hybrid imagetext noveldemonstrates how differing ways of imagining the body generate diverse stories of history, gender, politics, and, ultimately, the literature of who we are. Readers wishing to respond to an essay in ebr may send ripostes or short glosses to the journals managing editor, will luers. Brockelman observes, without elaborating, that collage is a technique whose existence depends upon a contradiction and can be regarded as an. A constantly surprising, vas combines a variety of voices. Literary archaeologies in steve tomasula s the book of portraiture flore chevaillier 6. This site uses cookies to deliver our services, improve performance, for analytics, and if not signed in for advertising. An opera in flatland a novel of biotechnology by steve tomasula with art and design by stephen farrell. I did not know what i was in for when i volunteered to. Just when you think youve got it, its blinking over there, elsewhere. Steve tomasula is the author of the novels the book of portraiture fc2. An opera in flatland the charm and power of amatos book is in its mutability.