Notes on the Underground: An Essay on Technology, Society, and the Imagination

Argues that the underground has become a model for a future dominated by technology, looks at actual and imaginary undergrounds, and offers a cultural perspective on the environmental crisis

In this intriguing book, Williams examines the theme of the "underground" as it manifests itself in the history of science and technology and in literature. She argues that the theme has both shaped, and is shaped by, our science and our fiction, and presents numerous examples of its influence. In many ways, the analysis carried out here is reminiscent of Michel Foucault (as in his Madness and Civilization ), in which an unusual orientation to history brings about fresh and startling insights. The major caveat is that one must remember that Williams's theme is not itself strong enough to provide a base for the development of science and must be taken in context with other contributing factors. Still, this is a fine example of interdisciplinary scholarship.
- Terry Skeats, Bishop's Univ. Lib., Lennoxville, Quebec
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.