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Department of English Studies

Current and Recent Research Students

Mr Christian Kovacs

(email at c.j.kovacs@durham.ac.uk)

Biography

Originally from Sweden, Chris completed an MA in English Studies at the University of Newcastle. He is currently studying for a PhD on the representation of Artificial Life in modern and contemporary fiction. Supervised by Dr Sam Thomas and Professor Patricia Waugh, this project explores the radical changes - social, political and scientific - which underpin the way AI has been constructed across different levels of culture. It pays particular attention to the shifting conception of cyberspace and cybernetics, as well as theories of the trans- and post-human. Texts under discussion range from William Gibson's Sprawl trilogy to Manga animations to James Cameron's Avatar. The PhD argues for a complex and compelling relationship of cross-pollination between research at the cutting edge of science and the production of science fictions. His broader areas of interest include postmodern theory, comparative religion and cultural transgression.