Robinson In Space

The award-winning film "Robinson in Space" is a satirical record of a journey made by a fictional character called Robinson through the increasingly unknown landscapes of present-day England. This book juxtaposes the narrative and over 200 images from the film.

“Robinson believed that, if he looked at it hard enough, he could cause the surface of the city to reveal to him the molecular basis of historical events, and in this way he hoped to see into the future.” In his sequence of films, Patrick Keiller retraces the hidden story of the places where we live, the cities and landscapes of our everyday lives. Now, in this brilliant collection of essays, he offers a new perspective on how Britain works and sees itself. He discusses the background to his work and its development – from surrealism to post-2008 economic catastrophe – and expands on what the films reveal. Referencing writers including Benjamin and Lefebvre, the essays follow his career since the late 1970s, exploring themes including the surrealist perception of the city; the relationship of architecture and film; how cities change over time, and how films represent this; as well as accounts of cross-country journeys involving historical figures, unexpected ideas and an urgent portrait of post-crash Britain.

A highly imaginative psychogeographic journey through (and history of) London from Patrick Keiller, author of Robinson in Spaceand View from the Train In London, the celebrated filmmaker and writer Patrick Keiller offers a journey through the London of 1992, as undertaken by an unnamed narrator and his companion, Robinson. The unseen pair complete a series of excursions around the city, in an attempt to investigate what Robinson calls "the problem of London"; in so doing, the vast palimpsest of the city is revealed. Based on Keiller's acclaimed 1994 film of the same name, Londonis a unique take on the essay-film format in the style of Chris Marker, with scathing reflections on the recent past, enlivened by offbeat humor and wide-ranging literary anecdotes. The amazing locations reveal the familiar London of the near past: Concorde almost touches suburban houses as it takes off; Union Jacks fly from Wembley Stadium; and pigeons flock around tourists in Trafalgar Square. These images, in combination with the script, allow us to see beyond the London presented on the page. This volume offers both a fascinating reflection on the diverse histories of Britain's capital and an illuminating record of 1992, the year of John Major's reelection, IRA bombs and the first crack in the House of Windsor. The publication constitutes the first time that the film has been fully reproduced in print and contains an introduction from the director.

"...Sees Robinson commissioned to undertake a study of the 'problem' of England. Keiller's immaculately framed images and sly deadpan narration take the viewer on an unpredictable exploration of the cultural and economic landscape" [box cover note].

Elizabeth is a precocious middle-school-age student who loves science. In Elizabeth Goes to Mars! she is watching a documentary on going to Mars and falls asleep. She starts dreaming of an actual trip to Mars. Her adventure with her dog, Rigel, reflects just a few of the challenges we will face if we want to live on Mars.

"Generations after leaving earth, a starship draws near to the planet that may serve as a new home world for those on board. But the journey has brought unexpected changes and their best laid plans may not be enough to survive"-

While spending the day in the Robinson household, Wilbur’s best friend Lewis helps search for Grandfather Robinson’s missing false teeth in this classic picture book from William Joyce that inspired the Disney animated sci-fi comedy, Meet the Robinsons! No need to knock, just step right in. You’re just in time to two-step with Grandfather Robinson and his dancing frog band. Cousin Laszlo is demonstrating his new antigravity device. And Uncle Art’s flying saucer is parked out back. It seems like all the Robinson relatives are here, so be prepared. And keep your head down…Uncle Gaston is testing out the family cannon. Oh, and watch where you sit, Grandpa’s lost his teeth again. Welcome to the Robinson’s.

Postmodern Time and Space in Fiction and Theory seeks to place the contemporary transformation of notions of space and time, often attributed to the technologies we use, in the context of the ongoing transformations of modernity. Bringing together examples of modern and contemporary fiction (from Defoe to DeLillo, Frankenstein to Finnegans Wake) and theoretical discussions of the modern and the post-modern, the author explores the legacy of modern transformations of space and time under five headings: “The Space of Nature”; “The Space of the City”; “Postmodern or Most Modern Time”; “The Time and Space of the Work of Art in the Age of Digital Reproduction”; and “Travel: from Modernity to...?”. These five essays re-examine the meanings of modernity and its aftermath in relation to the spaces and times of the natural, the urban and the media environment.