CFP: 2001: A Space Odyssey
Call for Contributors – Abstracts by March 10, 2016.
Critical Insights: 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Nearly fifty years after its release, Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey remains a turning point in the history of science fiction cinema, and one of the most critically acclaimed science-fiction films ever made. As such, it’s been chosen by Salem Press for its Critical Insights: Film series (an extension of Salem’s well known CI series in literature).
These volumes are intended for an undergraduate, or upper-level high school, readership – providing key background, context, and analysis for thinking about the film itself, its place in American cinema, and its influences across media.
The structure of the volume is set by Salem to include the following:
- A 4000-5000 word “Historical Background†chapter that addresses how the time period influenced the development of the film genre across different time periods and cultures, as well as what makes the film relevant to a contemporary audience.
- A 4000-5000 word “Critical Reception†chapter that surveys major pieces of criticism of the film and the major concerns that critics of the film have attended to over the years.
- A 4000-5000 word “Critical Lens†chapter that offers a close reading of the film, approaching the theme/genre from a particular critical standpoint.
- A 4000-5000 word “Comparative Analysis†chapter that analyzes the director in light of another director or offers a comparative analysis of the genre/style across two or three different films that embody the genre.
- Ten 5000-5500-word chapters on topics related to the film.  These final 10 chapters typically have the normal “edited volume†flexibility in topics and approaches.
Initial drafts will be due July 15, 2016, with final drafts due October 1. The manuscript is due to the publisher in December 2016, for a mid-2017 publication. Authors of successfully completed essays will be compensated $250 by Salem Press.
Contact: A. Bowdoin Van Riper – abvanriper@gmail.com with inquiries
