Gears and God

"Given the ongoing political disaster being wrought in the United States by the currently dominant alliance of white racism, Christian fundamentalism, and military-industrial cronyism, Williams’s meticulous analysis of the technocratic exploration narrative’s contradictory mix of high-tech violence and pre-Enlightenment cosmology is both timely and bracing. It is highly recommended for scholars of early science fiction, as well as for those wondering about the historical breeding ground for the US’s contemporary cultural and political morass."

—Science Fiction Studies



“Scholars of literature and religion, religion in the long nineteenth century, posthumanism, and science and technology studies will be well rewarded in reading Gears and Gods.”

—Religious Studies Review



"Gears and God is a clearly written, persuasive book which brings fresh insights to bear on the rich literature of dime novels, science fiction, and technocratic exploration narratives at the turn of the twentieth century."

—Gregory M. Pfitzer, author of History Repeating Itself: The Republican Phenomenon in Children's Historical Literatureand the Christian Right and Popular History and the Literary Marketplace, 1840–1920

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“Williams’ book includes extensive notes, bibliography, and index, more than sufficient for the reader who desires a thorough grounding in what the reader will undoubtedly conclude is a vibrant form of American literature whose neglect is, putting it mildly, undeserved. Williams has certainly succeeded in blurring the distinction between serious and recreational literature in Gears and God.”

—American Literary Realism



“Scholars of many different fields—including children’s literature, nineteenth-century American literature, early sf, and others—will find Gears and God to be a valuable book. Moreover, many of the issues first raised by these novels over a century ago, such as imperialism or the mistaken belief that scientific advancement always signifies social progress, are still very much with us today. This study serves as a valuable reminder of the complexity and cultural significance that can exist in forgotten and overlooked works of literature.”

—Extrapolation

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