New Publication by Dr. Shawn Malley

Dr. Shawn Malley of the Department of English has recently launched his latest book, Excavating the Future: Archaeology and Geopolitics in Contemporary North American Science Fiction Film and Television published by Liverpool University Press. This publication is the fruit of a SSHRC-funded research project that aimed to posit the figure of the archaeologist as a character that bridges representations of the past and representations of the future.

What conclusions can be drawn from a critical analysis of Stargate, of Manticore, of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, of Smallville and of Transformers 2?  Dr. Malley argues that science fiction both participates in and challenges the ongoing history of archaeology as an agent of Western imperialism. In essence, Dr. Malley encourages readers to consider, when watching their favourite science fiction television shows or movies, how futuristic representations of the past are, in fact, deeply embedded in real-world geopolitical activity.

By treating science fiction texts as documents of archaeological experience circulating within and between scientific and popular culture communities and media, Excavating the Future develops critical strategies for analyzing science fiction film and television series’ critical and adaptive responses to post 9/11 geopolitical concerns about the war on terror, homeland security, the invasion and reconstruction of Iraq, and the ongoing fight against ISIS.