2004: Daniel Chandler, Semiotics: The Basics
Let’s get real: if you’re just getting into semiotics then you won’t want to dive headfirst into some of the more complex stuff. What you need is a good introduction (or refresher), and this book is ideal for getting your wheels turning and your signs, um, signing. Semiotics can involve lots of fancy words, but Chandler helps bring them down to earth, as well as providing a really useful intro. So, if you’re looking for Semiotics 101 then look no further.
In the chapter titled “Intertextuality,” Chandler states that “every reading is always a rewriting.” How could we apply that to some literary texts (like Gulliver or Alice)?
Chandler discusses modality judgments; that is, the extent to which we see a text/representation as being authentic and having the status of “reality” (yeah, we’re keepin’ it real here). What sort of factors might we take into account when making such judgments? Do we perceive some mediums as being more “real” than others?