A Dictionary of Postmodernism

For many, postmodernism is notoriously resistant to definition, but this does not mean its key terms, concepts, figures and issues cannot be explained. A Dictionary of Postmodernism is an authoritative guide to the critical terms and central figures at the heart of postmodernist theory and culture. Offering a series of brief essays rather than strict ‘definitions’, chapters illuminate the names and ideas that have come to define the postmodern condition - from canonical figures including Baudrillard, Jameson, and Lyotard, to the concepts of deconstruction, metanarrative, and simulation - alongside less canonical topics ranging from dialogue to punk.

At once a scholarly guide and enduring reference for the field, chapters provide a kaleidoscope of postmodernism perspectives - addressing its lovers (Barthes, Eco, and Hassan) and haters (Habermas, the Sokal affair); its movers (Deleuze and Guattari) and shakers (Derrida); its origins (modernism, semiotics) and outlook for the future (dialogue, globalization). Engaging and thought-provoking, A Dictionary of Postmodernism deftly reveals how there is more to postmodern theory than ‘definitions’ -and so much more to postmodern culture than ‘depthlessness’.