The Cineautistic Detective: Steve Erickson’s “Zeroville” and the New Hollywood Novel
This article proposes a reading of Steve Erickson’s Zeroville (2007) as a post-noir mystery novel in which the ‘cineautistic’ detective Vikar, haunted by the ghosts of his Hollywood myths, brings out the cultural meaning behind the fatal date 1969. Going beyond the tropes of the Hollywood Novel, as...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures at the University of Verona
2021-12-01
|
| Series: | Iperstoria |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://iperstoria.it/article/view/1085 |
| _version_ | 1831696713857892352 |
|---|---|
| author | Antonio Di Vilio |
| author_facet | Antonio Di Vilio |
| author_sort | Antonio Di Vilio |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This article proposes a reading of Steve Erickson’s Zeroville (2007) as a post-noir mystery novel in which the ‘cineautistic’ detective Vikar, haunted by the ghosts of his Hollywood myths, brings out the cultural meaning behind the fatal date 1969. Going beyond the tropes of the Hollywood Novel, as a solitary detective who tries to relate to the fragmented space that surrounds him, Vikar will shed some light not so much on the industry’s dehumanizing capabilities—which the classic Hollywood novels aimed to uncover—but on the force of the medium and its conventions. Vikar’s great skills as a film editor will piece together the clues in order to solve a metaphysical cinematic mystery and to confront the cultural transition represented by the New Hollywood and television. As Zeroville’s storyworld proves to be rooted in film experience, this essay also aims to detect the cinematic references and to analyze their meaning in relation to the novel’s discourse on medium. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T13:18:18Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d2c8006aa8494655b007cd766301aa55 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2281-4582 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T13:18:18Z |
| publishDate | 2021-12-01 |
| publisher | Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures at the University of Verona |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Iperstoria |
| spelling | doaj.art-d2c8006aa8494655b007cd766301aa552022-12-21T19:39:28ZengDepartment of Foreign Languages and Literatures at the University of VeronaIperstoria2281-45822021-12-0101810.13136/2281-4582/2021.i18.1085924The Cineautistic Detective: Steve Erickson’s “Zeroville” and the New Hollywood NovelAntonio Di Vilio0University of Trieste / University of UdineThis article proposes a reading of Steve Erickson’s Zeroville (2007) as a post-noir mystery novel in which the ‘cineautistic’ detective Vikar, haunted by the ghosts of his Hollywood myths, brings out the cultural meaning behind the fatal date 1969. Going beyond the tropes of the Hollywood Novel, as a solitary detective who tries to relate to the fragmented space that surrounds him, Vikar will shed some light not so much on the industry’s dehumanizing capabilities—which the classic Hollywood novels aimed to uncover—but on the force of the medium and its conventions. Vikar’s great skills as a film editor will piece together the clues in order to solve a metaphysical cinematic mystery and to confront the cultural transition represented by the New Hollywood and television. As Zeroville’s storyworld proves to be rooted in film experience, this essay also aims to detect the cinematic references and to analyze their meaning in relation to the novel’s discourse on medium.https://iperstoria.it/article/view/1085steve ericksonzerovillenoirnew hollywoodpop culture |
| spellingShingle | Antonio Di Vilio The Cineautistic Detective: Steve Erickson’s “Zeroville” and the New Hollywood Novel Iperstoria steve erickson zeroville noir new hollywood pop culture |
| title | The Cineautistic Detective: Steve Erickson’s “Zeroville” and the New Hollywood Novel |
| title_full | The Cineautistic Detective: Steve Erickson’s “Zeroville” and the New Hollywood Novel |
| title_fullStr | The Cineautistic Detective: Steve Erickson’s “Zeroville” and the New Hollywood Novel |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Cineautistic Detective: Steve Erickson’s “Zeroville” and the New Hollywood Novel |
| title_short | The Cineautistic Detective: Steve Erickson’s “Zeroville” and the New Hollywood Novel |
| title_sort | cineautistic detective steve erickson s zeroville and the new hollywood novel |
| topic | steve erickson zeroville noir new hollywood pop culture |
| url | https://iperstoria.it/article/view/1085 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT antoniodivilio thecineautisticdetectivesteveericksonszerovilleandthenewhollywoodnovel AT antoniodivilio cineautisticdetectivesteveericksonszerovilleandthenewhollywoodnovel |