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Professor Ralph O'Connor The University of Aberdeen School of Divinity, History & Philosophy Professor in the Literature and Culture of Britain, Ireland & Iceland work +44 (0)1224 272467 work fax 01224 - 272203 pref r.oconnor@abdn.ac.uk pref

School of Divinity, History and Philosophy,
Crombie Annexe,
Meston Walk,
King's College,
University of Aberdeen,
Old Aberdeen,
AB24 3FX
Room: 215

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Web Links

Winner of the 2008 best book prize of the British Society for Literature and Science (click here), and the 2008 best book prize of the Society for Literature, Science and the Arts.

For an essay review of this book, click on this link: PDF

For information on Icelandic Histories and Romances, see Amazon.

For a review of this book in Saga-Book of the Viking Society, click on the following link and scroll down to pp. 137-9: http://www.vsnrweb-publications.org.uk/2003_XXVII.pdf

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Research Interests

My research currently falls into four linked areas: mediaeval Celtic literature, mediaeval Scandinavian literature, modern history of science, and literary history in the long nineteenth century. My specific interests within these fields are:

• Science and literature, and the literary study of science-writing, 1750-1950 (mainly in Britain and America)
• The prehistory of science fiction, 1850-1950 (Britain, America, France)
• The history of popular science and science communication, 1750-present
• Religion and the physical sciences since 1800
• Mediaeval Irish legendary, historical and mythological narrative, 700-1200
• Mediaeval Icelandic legendary, historical, mythological and chivalric narrative, 1200-1600
• Fictionality and genre in mediaeval narrative
• Kingship ideology in mediaeval Ireland
• Dragons, dinosaurs and other monsters of science

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Current Research

I have just completed my fourth book, The Destruction of Da Derga's Hostel: Kingship and Narrative Artistry in a Mediaeval Irish Saga (Oxford University Press, February 2013). I am currently participating in a collaborative research project at the Centre for Advanced Study, Oslo, on the representation of the warrior in relation to the king in northwest Europe, 600-1600. With Dr Michael Taylor of National Museums Scotland I am editing a new annotated edition of Hugh Miller's literary masterpiece The Old Red Sandstone. With Dr Ben Marsden and Dr Hazel Hutchison of the University of Aberdeen I am editing Uncommon Contexts: Encounters between Science and Literature in Britain, 1800-1914.

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Research Grants

In 2009-10 my research was supported by the AHRC-funded Research Leave Scheme. This award was made via the Modern Languages panel in order to enable me to finish my book The Destruction of Da Derga's Hostel.

In 2012-13 I am in receipt of a grant and stipend from the Centre for Advanced Study in Oslo to enable me to attend as Fellow for the year.

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Teaching Responsibilities

• HI 1518 Vikings!
• CE 1028 Romans, Celts, Druids, and Warriors
• CE 2027 Arthur in Medieval Welsh and Gaelic Literature
• CE 2028 The Vikings in Scotland AD 795-1266
• CE 2529 History of the Celtic Languages
• CU 2507 Brains, Breeding and the Bomb: From Enlightenment to Scepticism
• CU 3011 Science and Religion: From Galileo to Creationism
• CE 3585/4585 Tales of Vengeance and Enchantment: Mediaeval Irish Sagas
• CE 3575/4575 Celtic Myth in the Modern World: From Ossian to the New Age
• EL 40BL Frankenstein to Einstein: Literature and Science
• CU 4029 Aspects of Culture
• HA 4057 Critical Perspectives in Art History
• HI 5029 Mediaeval Texts and Manuscripts
• CU 5510 Trolls, Druids and the Walking Dead: Visions of the Pagan Past in Mediaeval Ireland and Iceland

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Publications

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