The Metaphor of the Monster offers fresh perspectives and a variety of disciplinary approaches to the ever-broadening field of monster studies. The eclectic group of contributors to this volume represents areas of study not generally considered under the purview of monster studies, including world literature, classical studies, philosophy, ecocriticism, animal ethics, and gender studies. Combining historical overviews with contemporary and global outlooks, this volume recontextualizes the monstrous entities that have always haunted the human imagination in the age of the Anthropocene. It also invites reflection on new forms of monstrosity in an era epitomized by an unprecedented deluge of (mis)information. Uniting researchers from varied academic backgrounds in a common effort to challenge the monstrous labels that have historically been imposed upon "the Other," this book endeavors above all to bring the monster out of the shadows and into the light of moral consideration.

This monograph represents the first comprehensive study of the multifaceted representations of the complex phenomenon of globalization in the diverse repertoire of the 2008 Nobel Laureate in Literature. This interdisciplinary investigation explores the initial euphoria related to the ambivalent concept of the 'global village' and how this evaporated dream can perhaps be reappropriated to create a better global society for both the human and Cosmic Other through the lens of Le Clezio's fiction. Chapter one offers a conceptual framework for understanding the Franco-Mauritian author's nuanced ideas concerning globalization. It also probes the original ambivalence of McLuhan's celebrated notion of a global village in addition to its euphoric reception. Chapter two explores the current state of the interconnected, interdependent modern world in which many disenfranchised and marginalized individuals are living a recurring nightmare. Chapter three examines Le Clezio's deconstruction of the simplistic ideology of consumerism that is indicative of contemporary consumer republics. This section also underscores the intricate systems of hegemonic domination, such as the media, created by the transnational corporations that dominate the global economic landscape to sustain their supremacy. Chapter four delves into Le Clezio's ecocentric humanism that extends to all other living creatures by debunking Manichean dualities that separate human beings from elemental matter and the rest of the universe. The final chapter examines recent texts, such as Raga, Ourania, and Histoire du pied et autres fantaisies, which encourage the reader to envision what a more just and egalitarian global village might encompass. These works dismiss neoliberal fantasies and consumerist ideology that have justified the systematic exploitation of everyone and everything in the name of progress, but they also urge the modern subject to be resilient in the face of tremendous adversity. Instead of accepting the imposition of a monolithic, socioeconomic model that is riddled with inequality and injustice and which serves the interests of the Happy Few, Le Clezio suggests that the first step is to resist integration into the global village by stoically confronting reality and having the necessary courage to propose another vision which counterpoints McLuhan's misguided one.

Contemporary French Environmental Thought in the Post-COVID-19 Era is focused on the fields of biosemiotics, linguistics, ecocriticism, and environmental ethics. Closely aligning with Sustainable Development Goal 13.1, Keith Moser's study aims to strengthen resilience to climate-related hazards by drawing on ecological theories developed by French philosophers in conversation with biosemiotic principles. Not only does the novel theoretical framework offered by biosemiotic interpretations of the universe and our place in it represent an indispensable conceptual tool for understanding the unprecedented medical challenges at the dawn of a new millennium, but it also beckons us to think harder about the environmental crisis that threatens the continued existence of all sentient beings who call the biosphere home. This book also highlights the richness, diversity, and utility of the ecological theories developed by the French philosophers Michel Serres, Edgar Morin, Jacques Derrida, Dominique Lestel, and Michel Onfray in addition to how they engage with biosemiotic principles. Taken together, the book probes the scientific, linguistic, philosophical, and ethical implications of biosemiotic theories in a post-pandemic world from an environmental and medical perspective.

This monograph represents the first comprehensive study of the multifaceted representations of the complex phenomenon of globalization in the diverse repertoire of the 2008 Nobel Laureate in Literature. This interdisciplinary investigation explores the initial euphoria related to the ambivalent concept of the 'global village' and how this evaporated dream can perhaps be reappropriated to create a better global society for both the human and Cosmic Other through the lens of Le Clezio's fiction. Chapter one offers a conceptual framework for understanding the Franco-Mauritian author's nuanced ideas concerning globalization. It also probes the original ambivalence of McLuhan's celebrated notion of a global village in addition to its euphoric reception. Chapter two explores the current state of the interconnected, interdependent modern world in which many disenfranchised and marginalized individuals are living a recurring nightmare. Chapter three examines Le Clezio's deconstruction of the simplistic ideology of consumerism that is indicative of contemporary consumer republics. This section also underscores the intricate systems of hegemonic domination, such as the media, created by the transnational corporations that dominate the global economic landscape to sustain their supremacy. Chapter four delves into Le Clezio's ecocentric humanism that extends to all other living creatures by debunking Manichean dualities that separate human beings from elemental matter and the rest of the universe. The final chapter examines recent texts, such as Raga, Ourania, and Histoire du pied et autres fantaisies, which encourage the reader to envision what a more just and egalitarian global village might encompass. These works dismiss neoliberal fantasies and consumerist ideology that have justified the systematic exploitation of everyone and everything in the name of progress, but they also urge the modern subject to be resilient in the face of tremendous adversity. Instead of accepting the imposition of a monolithic, socioeconomic model that is riddled with inequality and injustice and which serves the interests of the Happy Few, Le Clezio suggests that the first step is to resist integration into the global village by stoically confronting reality and having the necessary courage to propose another vision which counterpoints McLuhan's misguided one.

This interdisciplinary collection of essays unites researchers from many divergent fields in a common effort to explore the complexity, diversity, and paradoxes of French Harki literature. Given the growing body of literature written by, for, and about the Harkis, this project begins to fill a significant research gap. Although French Harki literature continues to evolve and diversify with each passing day, this book represents the first systematic attempt to delineate the significance of this emerging field within the larger context of Francophone literature, migration studies, and diaspora studies. Furthermore, the invaluable contributions of noted historians which open the volume offer an essential theoretical framework which places Harki literature in its appropriate historical context on both sides of the Mediterranean. As the title of this collection unequivocally implies, this volume was intentionally designed to foster meaningful collaboration with scholars from disciplines such as French/Francophone literature, history, anthropology, and sociology in a common effort to create intellectually rigorous essays which are also accessible to a broad audience. A Practical Guide to French Harki Literature is a much-needed point of departure that strives to encourage other researchers to contribute to the conversation regarding the past and present repercussions of the construction of the social group known as the Harkis.

Contemporary French Environmental Thought in the Post-COVID-19 Era is focused on the fields of biosemiotics, linguistics, ecocriticism, and environmental ethics. Closely aligning with Sustainable Development Goal 13.1, Keith Moser’s study aims to strengthen resilience to climate-related hazards by drawing on ecological theories developed by French philosophers in conversation with biosemiotic principles. Not only does the novel theoretical framework offered by biosemiotic interpretations of the universe and our place in it represent an indispensable conceptual tool for understanding the unprecedented medical challenges at the dawn of a new millennium, but it also beckons us to think harder about the environmental crisis that threatens the continued existence of all sentient beings who call the biosphere home. This book also highlights the richness, diversity, and utility of the ecological theories developed by the French philosophers Michel Serres, Edgar Morin, Jacques Derrida, Dominique Lestel, and Michel Onfray in addition to how they engage with biosemiotic principles. Taken together, the book probes the scientific, linguistic, philosophical, and ethical implications of biosemiotic theories in a post-pandemic world from an environmental and medical perspective.

This collection reviews current research on balancing commercial use with the range of ecosystem services delivered by boreal and temperate forests. Chapters survey advances in understanding forest ecophysiology, including mechanisms of root and canopy development and the way forest tress react to abiotic stress. The book also discusses current understanding of the ecosystem services that forests deliver and how they can be balanced with activities such as logging. Building on this foundation, it then reviews advances in sustainable forest management techniques, including improvements in breeding, monitoring forest health, innovations in planting, stand management and regeneration as well as harvesting/felling. The book also reviews ways of managing, insect and fungal pests as well as natural hazards. The final section of the book assesses sustainable ways of developing and diversifying forest products, including novel uses of timber, biomass, non-timber products and recreational services.

The Metaphor of the Monster offers fresh perspectives and a variety of disciplinary approaches to the ever-broadening field of monster studies. The eclectic group of contributors to this volume represents areas of study not generally considered under the purview of monster studies, including world literature, classical studies, philosophy, ecocriticism, animal ethics, and gender studies. Combining historical overviews with contemporary and global outlooks, this volume recontextualizes the monstrous entities that have always haunted the human imagination in the age of the Anthropocene. It also invites reflection on new forms of monstrosity in an era epitomized by an unprecedented deluge of (mis)information. Uniting researchers from varied academic backgrounds in a common effort to challenge the monstrous labels that have historically been imposed upon "the Other," this book endeavors above all to bring the monster out of the shadows and into the light of moral consideration.