A History of Cyber Literary Criticism in China

Description

This is the first scholarly attempt to write a history of cyber literary criticism in China. The author uses the Internet as the departure point, literature as the horizontal axis, and criticism as the vertical axis, to draw a detailed trajectory of the development of cyber literary criticism in China. The book comprises two parts. The first part focuses on the representation of historical facts about cyber literary criticism, covering five topics: the evolution of cyber literary criticism in the context of the new media; major types of cyber literary critics and their criticism; academic achievements in cyber literary studies; the form, contents, and rhetorical expressions of so-called netizens’ critical commentaries; and important events in the history of cyber literary criticism. The second part discusses the historical changes in literary criticism as responses to cyber literature, covering another five topics: the conceptual transformation in literary criticism of the Internet era; the establishment of evaluation criteria for cyber literature; changes in the function of cyber literary criticism; changes in the constitution of cyber literary critics; and the impact of cyber literary criticism. 　 This book will be an essential read to students and scholars of East Asian Studies, literary criticism, and those who are interested in cyber literature in general. Cover Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents List of Tables Introduction: To Write a History of Cyber Literary Criticism The Necessity and Possibility of Writing a History of Cyber Literary Criticism Cyber Literary Criticism as a Historical Fact The Historical Value of Cyber Literary Criticism Academic Achievements in Cyber Literary Studies A Historical Review of Academic Achievements in China’s Cyber Literary Studies The Ecology of Cyber Literary Criticism The History of Cyber Literary Criticism and Its Theoretical Discussions Representation of the History New Media and the Evolution of Literary Criticism in Cyberspace Major Types of Cyber Literary Criticism Academic Achievements in Cyber Literary Studies The Forms, Contents, and Rhetorical Expressions of Netizens’ Critical Commentaries Important Events in the History of Cyber Literary Criticism A Review of the Theoretical Discussions The Conceptual Transformation in Literary Criticism in the Internet Era The Establishment of Evaluation Criteria for Cyber Literature Changes in the Function of Cyber Literary Criticism Changes in the Constitution of Cyber Literary Critics The Impact of Cyber Literary Criticism Notes Bibliography 1 New Media and the Evolution of Cyber Literary Criticism The Birth of Cyber Literature and Cyber Literary Criticism Cyber Literature and Its Criticism The Forms of Online Literary Criticism The Characteristics of Online Literary Criticism The Rise of We-Media Literary Criticism We Media and We-Media Literary Criticism The Characteristics of We-Media Literary Criticism Cyber Literary Criticism in Traditional Media The Development of Cyber Literary Criticism in Traditional Media Major Issues Discussed in Cyber Literary Criticism in Traditional Media The Significance and Limitations of Cyber Literary Criticism in Traditional Media Notes Bibliography 2 Major Types of Cyber Literary Critics and Their Criticism Free Voices of Ordinary Readers On the Internet Netizens’ Short Replies and Clicks Netizens’ Dialogues and Posts Netizens’ Appreciative and Critical Reviews Spam Posts and Their Possible Commercial Purposes Literary Criticism in the Mass Media Journalists’ Information-Based Criticism Editors’ “On-Site” Criticism Criticism By Writers and Other Cultural Celebrities Scholars’ Contributions The Exploration of “Pioneers” In-depth Research By More Scholars Emerging Critical Voices of Young Scholars Notes Bibliography 3 Academic Achievements in Cyber Literary Studies Representative Achievements in Cyber Literary Studies Academic Books On Cyber Literature Academic Papers and Newspaper Articles Scholars’ Viewpoints On Cyber Literature A Call for Establishing an Evaluation System for Cyber Literature The Principles of Cyber Literary Criticism The Characteristics and Methods of Cyber Literary Criticism Studies On Specific Works and Genres of Cyber Literature Research On the Problems and Limitations of Cyber Literature Notes Bibliography 4 The Forms, Contents, and Rhetorical Expressions of Netizens’ Critical Commentaries The Forms of Netizen’s Critical Commentaries Texts Being Fragmentary Texts Being Interactive Commentaries in the Form of Monologues The Contents of Netizens’ Commentaries Direct Experience of the Essence of Literature Casual and Unrestrained Discussions Subversive Commentaries That Break Rules and Traditions Critical Texts That Are Postmodern and Deconstructive The Rhetoric of Free Writing Texts in “Martian Language” Colloquial and Vernacular Expressions The Use of Vulgar Words The Widespread Use of Internet Language Notes Bibliography 5 Important Events in the History of Cyber Literary Criticism Important Events of Cyber Literary Criticism Criticism of the “Mu Zimei Phenomenon” The Controversy Over Zhao Lihua’s Poems The Debate Between Han Han and Bai Ye The Debate Over Cyber Literature in 2003 Rankings and Other Activities for the Evaluation and Promotion of Cyber Literary Works The “Review of Cyber Literature in the Past Ten Years” (Wangluo Wenxue Shinian Pandian) The Novel Rankings By China Writers Association The “Promotion and Recommendation of Excellent Creative Cyberwritings in 2015” (Erlingyiwu Nian Youxiu Wangluo Wenxue Yuanchuang Zuopin Tuijie Huodong) Seminars and Discussions On Cyber Literature Scholars’ Critical Thoughts On Cyber Literary Criticism The Changes in the Conceptualization of Literature Important Questions Concerning Cyber Literary Criticism The Cultural Dimension of Cyber Literary Criticism The Competition Between Different Critical Voices The Exploration and Adjustment of Evaluation Criteria Constructive Reflections On the Value and Limitations of Cyber Literary Criticism Notes Bibliography 6 The Conceptual Transformation in Literary Criticism of the Internet Era The Changing Ideas of Literature and Its Criticism The Cultural Context of the Changing Ideas The Aesthetic Turn Postmodernism Cybermedia as the Context Hypertext Ten Notions in Cyber Literary Criticism Intersubjectivity Worship of the Mediocre A Blasphemous Tendency Parody of Classics The Use of Vulgar Words Spread of Feelings Spoofing Disenchantment Literary Criticism Posted On “Bulletin Boards” Virtual Persona What Has Been Transformed and What Has Been Maintained From “Literariness” to “Networkedness” Transformation of Literary Criticism and Retention of Its Traditional Values Notes Bibliography 7 The Establishment of Evaluation Criteria for Cyber Literature The Multiple Dimensions in the Evaluation Criteria The Positive and Negative Views of Cyber Literature The Traditional and New Ideas The Roles of Market and Technology in Cyber Literary Criticism The Necessity and Possibility for the Evaluation Criteria Critics’ Anxiety About the Lack of Evaluation Criteria Cyber Literature’s Demands for Evaluation Criteria Critics’ Attempts to Construct Evaluation Criteria What Criteria We Need for Cyber Literature The Poetic and the Commercial The Values and Dimensions of Cyber Literature Notes References 8 Changes in the Function of Cyber Literary Criticism Sharing the Right to Literary Criticism Through Subversion Breaking the Monopoly of Elite Criticism: The Rise of the Grassroots The Entrance of Netspeak Building the Paradigm of Cyber Literary Criticism Postmodern Characteristics of Cyber Literary Criticism Promoting Openness, Interaction, and Competition in Criticism Respecting Netizens’ Personal Experience and Different Styles Promoting Diversity in Aesthetic Trends Old and the New Roles of Literary Criticism The Perpetual Humanist Concern of Literary Criticism The Change and Extension of Cyber Literary Criticism’s Functions Notes Bibliography 9 Changes in the Constitution of Cyber Literary Critics The Early Stage: The Coexistence of Multiple Groups Overlaps and Separation Seizing Discursive Power: Revelry of Mass Criticism Online The Boom: Division and Competition Among Critics Division and Opposition The Rise of Netizens’ Discursive Power in an Orderly Way Development: Confluence of Groups and the Ethics of Cyber Literary Criticism The End of Separation Contending for Discursive Power: Extension of Netizens’ Online Criticism Notes Bibliography 10 The Impact of Cyber Literary Criticism The Structure of Cyber Literary Criticism’s Impact The Collision and Collaboration Between Different Groups of Critics Cyber Readers as Spectators and Participants in Cyber Literary Criticism Subverting and Restructuring the Ecology of Criticism Significance and Limitations of Cyber Literary Criticism Significance of Cyber Literary Criticism Limitations of Cyber Literary Criticism The Literary Canon in the Internet Era The Mechanism of Cyber Literary Criticism That Blocks Deep Thoughts Postmodernism’s Deconstruction of the Literary Canon Consumerism’s Challenge to Classics The Retirement of the Old Canon and the Construction of a Cyber Literary Canon Notes Bibliography Coda: Three Follow-Up Questions About the Historiography of Cyber Literary Criticism The Question About Historical Distance and the Theoretical Vacuum The Question About Diversity and Standardized Criticism The Question About Choosing Between the Old and the New Notes Bibliography Index