Evolution, Literature, and Film

Evolution, Literature, and Film: A Reader brings together thirty-nine essential essays by pioneering scholars, scientists, and critics, offering a multifaceted introduction to the principles of evolution. The reader opens with significant contributions from figures such as Charles Darwin, Richard Dawkins, Edward O. Wilson, Steven Pinker, and David Sloan Wilson, each elucidating how evolutionary theory can illuminate our understanding of the natural world and human behavior. Subsequent sections delve into the adaptive function of the arts, exploring evolutionary literary theory and film theory. The essays provide thoughtful analyses of a broad range of texts - from folk and fairy tales to Homer's Iliad and Shakespeare's plays, as well as writings by William Wordsworth, Charles Dickens, Emily Brontë, and Zora Neale Hurston. They also examine narratives in sci-fi, comics, and slash fiction, alongside films from Europe, America, Asia, and Africa. Each contribution in this reader demonstrates how evolutionary theory enriches our study of the human mind, culture, and artistic expression, inviting readers to engage deeply with the intersections of science, literature, and film.