Toys in the Age of Wonder - Science Fiction, Society and the Symbolism of Play

By the middle 1800s, toys were appearing in forms that drew upon--and that inspired--advances in areas such as optics, biology, geography, transportation, and automation. In these decades, too, a new type of wonder tale was being brought to maturity by a Poe-inspired Jules Verne. The modern wonder tale's highly-charged vision expressed the hopes and the fears, and the delights and the traumas, engendered by "new worlds idealism"--that Western pursuit of both mechanical and geographical conquest. Exploring realms belonging to childhood, literature, science, and history, this innovative study weaves together the histories of wonder tales and children's toys, focusing specifically on their modern aspects and how they reflect and express the social attitudes of that time period beginning around 1859 and ending around 1957.

List of contents

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Preface

One-Excelsior!

Two-Marking the Modern Century

Three-The ­Sleep-Journey and the Navigator

Four-Tradition and Change in Symbolic Toys

Five-Deep Time and the Thinning Veil

Six-Early Automata in America

Seven-The Moon and the ­Anti-Hero Clock

Eight-The Maelstrom and New Worlds Fatalism

Nine-Fogg's Journey

Ten-Later Automata and Shrunken Globes

Eleven-The Magic City

Twelve-The Antigravity Clock and the Moon

Thirteen-The Middle Years and the Ripping Veil

Fourteen-Mockeries of Mass Production

Fifteen-The Tattered Veil

Sixteen-Lines of Motion and the Horizontal Rocket

Seventeen-Thirteen O'Clock

Chapter Notes

Bibliography

Index

About the author

Mark Rich has written multiple books on toys and toy history, along with numerous articles on science fiction literature. He lives in Cashton, Wisconsin.

Product details

• Authors: Mark Rich
• Publisher: Ingram Publishers Services
• Languages: English
• Age Recommendation: from age 18
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 23.09.2020
• EAN: 9780786443925
• ISBN: 978-0-7864-4392-5
• No. of pages: 344
• Dimensions: 178 mm x 254 mm x 18 mm
• Weight: 626 g
• Illustrations: Raster,schwarz-weiss
• Subjects: Social sciences, law, business > Sociology > Sociological theories; SOCIAL SCIENCE / Popular Culture, HISTORY / Social History, Social & cultural history, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Children's Studies, LITERARY CRITICISM / Science Fiction & Fantasy, Hobbies, quizzes & games, Social and cultural history, Age groups: children, Hobbies, quizzes and games, Children's & teenage literature studies, Children’s and teenage literature studies: general, ANTIQUES & COLLECTIBLES / Toys & Games