In the field of literary and cultural studies, interest in nineteenth-century biology has been substantial for the last 20 years, yet the focus has been almost exclusively on evolutionary theory, neglecting other branches of nineteenth-century biology. This collection corrects that imbalance, shedding light on other discoveries in cell biology, physiology, neurology and virology. It examines the issue of authority in science, demonstrating the social ’embeddedness’ of the natural sciences, and gender issues. It also shows how scientists and creative writers drew on a common imagination as well as narrative techniques and stylistic devices; indeed, often inspired by the same subjects. This important new book, including contributions from some of the most distinguished experts in the field, demonstrates that the relation between literature, culture and biology in the nineteenth century is far more complex than habitual references to Darwin would have us believe.

Anne-Julia Zwierlein is Assistant Professor at the Centre for British Studies, University of Bamberg. She has published a monograph, ‘Majestick Milton: British Imperial Expansion and Transformations of Paradise Lost, 1667–1837’ (Münster, 2001) and co-edited ‘Plotting Early Modern London: New Essays on Jacobean City Comedy’ (Aldershot, 2004).

List of Illustrations; About the Authors; Preface; INTRODUCTION: Unmapped Countries: Biology, Literature and Culture in the Nineteenth Century; PART I: Science and Literature; 1. ‘This Questionable Little Book’: Narrative Ambiguity in Nineteenth Century Literature of Science; 2. Vestiges of English Literature: Robert Chambers; PART II: Evolution and Degeneration; 3. Aestheticism, Immorality and the Reception of Darwinism in VIctorian Britain; 4. Constructing Darwinism in Literary Culture; 5. Close Encounters with a New Species: Darwin’s Clash with the Feminists at the End of the Nineteenth Century; 6. Mutual Aid, a Factor of Peter Korpotkin’s Literay Criticism; 7. The Savage Within: Evolutionary Theroy, Anthropology and the Unconscious in Fin-de-siècle Literature; 8. Homer on the Evolutionary Scale: Interrelations between Biology ad Literature in the Writings og William Gladstone and Grant Allen; 9. ‘Naturfreund’ or ‘Naturfeind’? Darwinism in the Early Drawings of Alfred Kubin; PART III: Physiology and Pathology; 10. Cells and Networks in Nineteenth Century Literature; 11. Contagious Sympathies: George Eliot and Rudolf Virchow; 12. From Parasitology to Parapsychology: Parasites in Nineteenth Century Science and Literature; 13. Surgical Engineering in the Nineteenth Century: Frankenstein, The Island of Dr Moreau, Flatland; 14. ‘Serious’ Science versus ‘Light’ Entertainment? Feminity Concepts in Nineteenth Century British Medial Discourse and Popular Fiction; 15. Night Terrors: Medical and Literary Representations of Childhood Fear; Sensuous Knowledge; Notes; Bibliography

‘Each of the essays has a sparkle and charm of its own… [they] take us into relatively unexplored regions and offer fresh insights into their own particular subject area.’ —’Victorian Studies’

 ’Recommended for in-depth reading, which will surely offer illuminating insights beyond the range of specialised professional interests.’ —’Anglistik: International Journal of English Studies’