One of the common dialectics found in science fiction is the tension between home and away, argues Fortin (Montana State U.), and this tension provides a means for critically reflecting upon
the discipline of architecture. He begins by establishing the link between architecture and science fiction through readings of science fiction theorists such as Darko Suvin, Stanslaw Lem, J.
P. Telotte, Vivian Sobchack, and Carl Freedman. He then examines early modern representations of the home in the science fiction films Metropolis (1927) and Things to Come (1936) and the
architectural writings of Witold Rybczynski. He then turns to the emergence of postmodernism and its understanding of the home, discussing Hans-George Gadamer's hermeneutical circle and the
writings of Philip K. Dick. The remainder of the work focuses in detail on four films adapted from Dick's work: Blade Runner (1982), Total Recall (1990), Minority Report (2002), and A Scanner
Darkly (2006). Annotation 穢2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
