Werther is different Werthers but not everywhere at the same time. This study investigates how the novel’s interpretations, translations and literary adaptations have left their marks on the original text, but this time without judging them against the canonical ideas of academic criticism. LINK

In classical dramas, novels, and ghost stories, dreams see the earthly realm enter into conflict with the higher realms of existence. They indulge the dreamer’s quest for sensual pleasures, but then spiritual beings relentlessly harvest the dreamers’ life energy. LINK

Present discussions of artificial intelligence’s impact on humanity’s future draw heavily on literary models. Isaac Asimov, Jack Williamson and D. F. Jones frame the iconic human-machine antagonism through Luddite scenarios, techno-optimistic visions and end-of-days storylines. LINK

This issue discusses European, American, and Chinese texts that address the advent of world peace, ranging from naïve enthusiasm for top-down solutions to dejected elegies for the demise of civil liberties. LINK