The Science Fiction of Defeat
Future Wars in Spanish Culture (1870-1939)
Liverpool University Press · Print & ebook · December 2, 2025
This book is the first to examine a body of cultural artifacts from Spain that depict wars likely to erupt in the near or distant future.
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- Who it’s for
- A history of Spanish future-war stories and popular culture, from 1870 to 1939.
- Genres
- SF & Fantasy Criticism, Iberian Lit Crit, Spanish & Portuguese History
- Published
- Liverpool University Press, December 2, 2025
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Start with this bookAbout this book
This book is the first to examine a body of cultural artifacts from Spain that depict wars likely to erupt in the near or distant future. Beginning with the earliest examples of imaginary wars published in the late nineteenth century, it traces the evolution of the genre and its interplay with real conflicts up to the end of the Spanish Civil War.
Continue reading
The Science Fiction of Defeat uncovers a vast array of stories that explore the role of emerging technologies in modern warfare, shifts in the geopolitical landscape, the impact of World War I, the place of colonialism, fears of invasion, the specter of communism and fascism, and anxieties over the collapse of civilization. The book situates these texts within their historical context, both domestic and international, compares them to their European counterparts, and addresses issues of readership and influence. It reveals distinctive traits such as persistent Anglophobia, the use of humor, enduring imperialist aspirations, and anxieties about modernization and the nation. Expanding beyond literature, the book also investigates popular theater, reportage, comics, and collectible trading cards.
Spain’s Imagined Wars
A history of Spanish future-war stories and popular culture, from 1870 to 1939.
Come here for
- Emerging technologies, colonialism, and fears of invasion in imagined wars
- Theater, reportage, comics, and collectible trading cards alongside literature
Expect
- Historical context from Spain and abroad, with European comparisons
- Coverage through the Spanish Civil War, including readership and influence
Where it sits
| Iberian Lit Crit | 64% |
|---|---|
| SF & Fantasy Criticism | 47% |
| Spanish & Portuguese History | 45% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Other Military Conflicts
- 20th-Century History
- 21st-Century History
- Spanish & Portuguese History
Show all 8 publisher categories
- SF & Fantasy Criticism
- Iberian Lit Crit
- Comics & Graphic Novel Criticism
- 19th-Century Literary Criticism
- Authors
- Juan Herrero-Senés
- Publisher
- Liverpool University Press
- Published
- December 2, 2025
- Format
- Print & ebook
- Reading lane
- Other Military Conflicts