Configurations special issue Out of the Past: Reconsidering Nineteenth-Century Literature, Science, and Technology

Call for essays for a Configurations special issue

Out of the Past: Reconsidering Nineteenth-Century Literature, Science, and Technology

Contributions are sought for a Special Issue of Configurations analyzing examples of nineteenth-century literary or visual texts about science and technology that are relevant to our current concerns.[i] The text can come from any literary or artistic genre and from any cultural tradition; it should have been produced in the long nineteenth century: the period between the French Revolution (1789) and the end of World War I (1917). Each essay should concentrate on considering the form and the content of one work and its socio-cultural, historical, and political contexts, although connections to related works may be briefly considered in arguing for the significance of the selected literary text or artwork.

Questions that could be addressed include the following:

Which nineteenth-century literary or visual works referencing scientific and technological topics are worth discussing as impactful for our current moment?
Which nineteenth-century texts, including those of visual culture, can inform our thinking about today’s scientific and technological issues: agriculture, climate change, biotechnology and biomedical research, military systems, energy, earth sciences, space science and technology, financial technology, information technology and social media, telecommunications, or water use?[ii] Topics related to animal studies, health, genetics, ecology, blue humanities, computing algorithms, AI, virtual reality, games, data visualization, underrepresentation in scientific or technical workforce, and other contemporary concerns are welcome.
What previously overlooked or underrecognized nineteenth-century literary or artistic texts about science and technology should be taught in today’s college humanities courses?
Which subversive or transgressive texts engaging scientific or technological topics may have been ignored in the nineteenth century but should now be reconsidered and discussed by students and scholars?

Timeline for Configurations issue 34.3 (final issue of 2026):

February 15, 2025—abstracts (250-500 words) due to both guest editors

October 15, 2025— authors’ manuscripts (5,000 to 10,000 word essays) due to guest editors

Guest Editors:

Carol Colatrella carol.colatrella@lmc.gatech.edu and Hugh Crawford hugh.crawford@lmc.gatech.edu

Configurations: A Journal of Literature, Science, and Technology explores the relations of literature and the arts to the sciences and technology. Founded in 1993, the journal continues to set the stage for transdisciplinary research concerning the interplay between science, technology, and the arts. Configurations is the official publication of the Society for Literature, Science, and the Arts (SLSA). https://litsciarts.org/

[i]Contemporary concerns related to science and technology are explored in the following resources: Congressional Research Service, Science and Technology Issues for the 118th Congress. R47373. Updated October 15, 2024. https://crsreports.congress.gov; United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The 17 Goals. https://sdgs.un.org/goals

[ii] These topics are summarized in Congressional Research Service, Science and Technology Issues for the 118th Congress.