Driven by such diverse advances as the Human Genome Project and the explosion of the World Wide Web, and also by the threat of human-inspired disasters such as global warming, the field of science and literature studies is currently undergoing an unprecedented expansion. The relations between science and literature have been and continue to be central to understanding Hispanic civilization and culture. In spite of this, "Science, Literature, and Film in the Spanish-Speaking World" is the first and only book to treat this new and dynamic field from an Hispanic perspective. This unique volume opens the door to an entirely new focus in the study of Hispanic literature and culture.

This book is an interdisciplinary approach to Latin American literatures and ecology. The research spans Latin America, including Brazil, from its beginnings in 1492 up to the present time. Rivera-Barnes and Hoeg analyze the relationship between literature and the environment in both literary and testimonial texts, scrutinizing the ecological implications and the relationship between man and nature, or nature and culture. Some of the questions involved in this approach are: How does a text represent the physical world? What moral questions are raised relative to man's interaction with nature? How does a text bring the reader's awareness to a specific ecosystem? This approach will prove that environmental degradation is a tangible and measurable reality and this book will contribute to the on-going dialogue between the arts and the sciences.

Driven by such diverse advances as the Human Genome Project and the explosion of the World Wide Web, and also by the threat of human-inspired disasters such as global warming, the field of science and literature studies is currently undergoing an unprecedented expansion. The relations between science and literature have been and continue to be central to understanding Hispanic civilization and culture. In spite of this, Science, Literature, and Film in the Spanish-Speaking World is the first and only book to treat this new and dynamic field from an Hispanic perspective. This unique volume opens the door to an entirely new focus in the study of Hispanic literature and culture.