The Social Construction of American Realism (review)
and Franklin Rosemont's essay, "Bellamy's Radicalism Reclaimed," which attempts to correct the mistaken notion that Bellamy only appealed to the working class by showing that because of his power as a storyteller he had enormous appeal for other socioeconomic classes as well. The critical essays are followed by a useful bibliography on Bellamy and Looking Backward compiled by Nancy Snell Griffith. Daphne Patai's collection of critical essays serves the important function of contextualizing the work of an important literary figure and social figure who inspired social reforms and political structures. The volume is a most welcome update.