2019/09/16 by Rob Mayo · 1 citation
Physics and Astronomy · Social Sciences · Arts and Humanities · #Space Science and Extraterrestrial Life #Digital Games and Media #Utopian, Dystopian, and Speculative Fiction
paper · pdf · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-27275-3_11
openalex publication_date 2019/09/16 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/04
Abstract Christopher Nolan’s 2010 film Inception was a commercial blockbuster and remains an enduring pop-culture reference point. Consciously or not, though, it enters into a thematic tradition which had already existed for over half a century. This essay traces a history, through literature, cinema and videogames from 1948 to 2010, of the theme of rendering a person’s mind as a physical ‘inner space’ which can be explored and interacted with by others. These creative works reflect contemporary society’s ideas and beliefs about how the mind works, how it may become damaged and how it may be fixed.