Abstract
This chapter intends to retrace the imagination about Antarctica, focusing on the production of two centuries of narration, starting with science-fiction, eco-thrillers and action-adventure novels, than moving on to non-fantastic narratives which take place in the everyday experiences on the White Continent and finally focusing on soul-searching and personal transformation in the later twentieth century. It attempts to reconstruct the images conjured in the literature, which might have influenced and motivated the expectations of modern day travellers. The study is limited to Anglophone readers and travellers. The article concludes by discussing how the imagery of polar heroes of Antarctic Exploration, as presented in fiction, leads to proposals of extreme adventures and experiences, which might allow the traveller to retrace the steps of their idols from the past.
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Notes
- 1.
According to the data compiled by the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) for the Antarctic season 2013–14, 58 % of all tourists visiting the White Continent were of Anglo-Saxon background: North Americans 33 %; Australians 11 %; British 9 % and Canadian 5 %. Information Paper No 44, Report of the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators 2013–14, ATCM XXXVII, Brazil 2014.
- 2.
The text selection is based on the commercial success of the works, which can be understood as (a) permanence on bestseller lists; (b) number of editions; (c) quantity of different languages the work has been translated to.
- 3.
Information Paper No 78 Adventure Tourism: Activities undertaken by IAATO Members, ATCM XXXVII, Brazil 2014.
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Schillat, M. (2016). Images of Antarctica as Transmitted by Literature. In: Tourism in Antarctica. SpringerBriefs in Geography. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39914-0_2
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