This book offers a critical reading of some of the most significant representations of the automaton in literary and audiovisual imagination. It explores the dialogue between humans and cyborgs, androids, and robots, hovering between interrogation and psychoanalytic inquiry. What does it mean to be human? Observing the anthropomorphic machine—as an inverted metaphor, our negative reflection—reveals a deeper awareness of our fragility, both as individuals and as part of a vulnerable planet.

Among the most expansive and cross-cutting genres in literature, the historical novel continues to enjoy great acclaim today, with titles frequently topping the lists of the most prestigious literary awards and garnering praise from both critics and readers alike. These works exhibit a remarkable diversity, ranging from lighthearted narratives to more ambitious literary productions. In contemporary Italy, France, and England, historical novels engage with pressing political themes, unearthing histories buried in the shadows of official narratives. They recount stories of resistance or the repression of traumatic events—from the Shoah to colonialism—demanding new forms of storytelling that challenge our present.

Writers such as Laurent Binet, Jonathan Littell, Laurent Mauvignier, Wu Ming, Helena Janeczek, Antonio Scurati, Gabriella Ghermandi, Andrea Levy, and Martin Amis give voice to these narratives. Their works share a commitment to recovering lost memories and submerged lives, critically reinterpreting archives, employing polyphony in narration, and exploring the political unconscious—practices and themes that remain central and urgent.

Positioned at the intersection of literature, history, and psychoanalysis, this book offers a critical journey through minor epics and meditations on wounded lives, the enduring relevance of revolution, and the discontent of civilization. Through an analysis of ways of seeing and ways of thinking, the author reflects on how contemporary historical novels represent struggle and its impossibility, as well as the nature of evil—both inflicted and endured.

This book explores the relationship between the metamorphosis of the novel and audiovisual textuality, focusing on some of the most representative works of what has been termed Complex TV in the United States.

Through a critical analysis of episode and series finales—interpreted as clues or symptoms of specific stylistic features—Emanuela Piga Bruni traces the revival of long-standing themes and narrative techniques from the classic novel in three highly successful television series: Lost by J. J. Abrams, D. Lindelof, J. Lieber, and C. Cuse (2004–2010), Mad Men by Matthew Weiner (2007–2015), and Breaking Bad by Vince Gilligan (AMC, 2008–2013).

The author examines the factors behind the widespread success of these series: from entrelacement to cliffhangers, intricate plots to narrative interruptions, and influences from cinema and the visual arts, contemporary TV series create new resonances within the collective imagination, engaging a global and transgenerational audience.