This inquiry into the notion of the hypercontemporary in its literary and cultural articulations analyzes a varied group of works representative of the most vibrant novels published in Portugal since 2000. The editors' introductory chapter theorizes the concept of the hypercontemporary as one way of looking at the novel after its postmodern period - especially in its relation to questions of violence, memory and performativity.
These essays show how the Portuguese novel has evolved in the past 25 years, and how, in their diversity, most of these novels exhibit several common traits, including new topics and writing strategies - sometimes developing further entropic lines characteristic of many Postmodern narratives - and themes of violence, rapid transformation, and the many threats to a contemporary world that seems mass-produced due to greater technological advances. Readings also discuss the use of innovative graphic forms available from current print technologies and global networks.
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