Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction: Knowing theory -- Pt. 1. Theories of textuality -- The death of the author -- Structure, sign, and play -- Pt. 2. Psychological theories -- The mirror stage -- Women's time -- Pt. 3. Theories of society -- Systems of constraint -- Simulacra and simulation -- Lines of flight -- Conclusion: Talking back to theory.

Starting in the late twentieth century, novels began to incorporate literary theory in unexpected ways. Through allusion, parody, or implicit critique, theory formed an additional strand in narratives, raising questions about the nature of authorship and the practice of writing fiction. Overlooked by many scholars, this phenomenon casts new light on both the recent development of the novel and the persistence of modern theory beyond the period of its greatest success. In this book, Judith Ryan opens these questions to a variety of audiences, enabling them to participate in the debates ove.