Guest Lecture Petra Ederer (University of Vienna)

No one has ever actually traveled in time. In fiction, however, time travel comes to life in many different ways. As a popular, easily adaptable and fruitful trope it does not only allow for entertaining, puzzling and moving stories, but it also creates a political momentum: Those who go on a ride to a past, future or parallel world emerge from the adventure stronger than they went into. In this sense, time travel is a chance through which the characters create a new sense of self, resulting in the experience of empowerment.

This talk introduces the cognitive processes the reader undergoes when dealing with fictional worlds. The theory of Possible Worlds thereby lays the groundwork for explaining how the reader agrees to be taken on a journey through time. Adopting a cultural studies approach, this talk also presents some ideas on identity with a focus on children’s identity and the conditions which facilitate the empowerment of the young time traveler.

University of Graz   
Department of American Studies         

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