This book examines how Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, H. G. Wells’s The Island of Dr. Moreau, and Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World represent groundbreaking milestones in British apocalyptic literature, urging readers to recognize their lasting significance and influence. It illustrates how developments in science and technology from 1818 to 1932 bring humanity closer to a fictional apocalypse. Using this idea as a starting point, this book discusses how the hubris inherent in individuals pursuing scientific and technological advancements in the name of perfection is a mere pretext under which the true power dynamics are hidden, ultimately leading to an inescapable apocalypse. In these novels, the potential for apocalypse is revealed through the ‘mad scientist’ trope, which is closely tied to advancements in science and technology. It is this trope that accelerates the impending apocalypse through uncontrollable scientific experiments or a deep yearning for absolute power, both of which are what totalitarian ideologies require. In either case, at the core of these concerns lies one central idea that this book emphasises— the renunciation of humanity’s security and peace in exchange for much power by the powerful.

The Imagist movement, a radical departure from traditional poetry, emerged as a revolutionary literary turning point in the 20th century. Following the principle of economy and precision of language, the Imagist poets championed poetry devoid of ornament and emotional excess. The movement’s emphasis on directness, simplicity, and visual intensity reshaped the spirit of poetry, sparking profound reverberations in literature.

This book comprehensively explores the Imagist movement’s theoretical background and historical context, as well as the analysis of the poems and contributions of its key figures, such as T. E. Hulme, Ezra Pound, H.D., and Amy Lowell. It also includes selected poems from Imagist anthologies, providing readers with concrete examples that highlight the essence of Imagist poetry.