“But it’s only a novel, Dorian”:

Neo-Victorian Fiction and the Process of Re-Vision

Abstract

‘Re-visionary fiction’, as defined by Peter Widdowson, has many elements that are strikingly similar to the impulses and aims of the burgeoning neo-Victorian genre. This article sets out to explore the relevance of applying the principles of ‘re-visionary fiction’ to Sarah Waters’ Tipping the Velvet (1998) and Will Self’s Dorian: An Imitation (2002). This article outlines the ways in which re-visionary fiction elaborates or constrains neo-Victorian fiction.