Clowns in Space: An Introduction to Circus Aliens and Spaced-out Comic Performers

Abstract

This chapter is a guided tour of fiction and film on circus in space, since the mid-20th century. Through the analysis of selected case studies, it clarifies how ‘traditional’ circus can be defined in space narratives, and how space narratives expand on and transcend the cultural imaginary of the circus. Exploring the affinities between space and circus, the article focuses on the comic archetype of the Big Top, i.e. the clown, and on what defines a clown in space narratives— with particular reference to psychedelic and murderous clowns, and to clowns playing human(s). This chapter carves out their pervasive but surprisingly understudied cultural presence and the cultural work they do in different media. Show more