Book review: The Poetics of Sleep: From Aristotle to Nancy:

TLDR: In this article, Milner argues that the distinction between periphery and semiperiphery can be established by other criteria, even though I am not in a position to do so here.

Abstract: ‘semi-peripheral’ within the ‘world-system’. Milner tackles this problem by wishing it away: ‘I intend to sidestep this ... by simply assuming that the distinction between periphery and semiperiphery can be established by other criteria, even though I am not in a position to do so here’ (p. 166). This is an odd admission, amounting to ‘this doesn’t really work, but I’m writing this chapter anyway’. Milner is an accomplished theorist: many of my criticisms here are ones that he anticipates. It remains a shame that the promises of this book – mapping a global SF field, analysing a ‘structure of feeling’, and discerning geographical patterns in SF’s productivity – are not fulfilled as convincingly as they could be. I suspect that Milner’s use of Williams and Bourdieu will inspire further developments in SF Studies. Taken as cultural sociology, however, some of this book’s claims would benefit from greater specificity and nuance.