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 .

Niall Lucy was Professor of Critical Theory at Curtin University and founding co–editor of the international journal. His books include Literary Theory: An Introduction (Wiley Blackwell, 1997), A Derrida Dictionary (Wiley Blackwell, 2004), and Pomo Oz: Fear and Loathing Downunder (2010). A leading figure in and postmodernism, Lucy died in 2014.