Monstrous Births: Coming to Life in Science and Literature of the 19th century

Explores European fascination with the origins of life in the long nineteenth century, including monsters, automata, and strange births. Attention both to science and to fiction. Focus on attitudes towards the creative power of nature and of the human imagination, the connection between gender and creativity, the differences between scientific and literary questions and practices, and the position of each with respect to society and to truth. Traces connections between earlier anxieties and contemporary concerns with technological-human hybrids, reproductive technologies, and generative AI. All readings and discussions in English.