Racial inequality and apocalyptic futures in American literature

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In the first year of the project, my research time was spent primarily in reading existing research and establishing a state of the field. Using kakenhi funds, I purchased recent and classic texts on race in speculative fiction, as well as other works relevant to the study of race in American literature more generally, and I have been engaged in studying these works. As the first year was an exploratory phase of research, my research focus has moved in unanticipated directions, going beyond the work of Octavia E. Butler to include classic works of speculative fiction and fantasy and other works by African American authors that deal with the topic of race. During this year, I have gained new understanding of the state of the field, and have expanded my awareness of important works of literature relevant to the project. This process of establishing a state of the field and surveying existing literature is ongoing.