Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture
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| Author | Douglas Coupland |
|---|---|
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Postmodern literature, Novel |
| Publisher | St. Martin's Press |
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Publication date
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March 15, 1991 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 192 |
| ISBN | (paperback) |
| OCLC | 22510632 |
| 813/.54 20 | |
| LC Class | PS3553.O855 G46 1991 |
| Followed by | Shampoo Planet |
Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture, published by St. Martin's Press in 1991, is the first novel by Douglas Coupland. The novel popularized the term Generation X, which refers to those born from approximately the early 1960s to the early 1980s. It is a framed narrative, in which a group of youths exchange heartfelt stories about themselves and fantastical stories of their creation.
Coupland released the similarly titled Generation A in September 2009.
Generation X is a framed narrative, like Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, or The Decameron by Boccaccio. The framing story is that of three friends—Dag, Claire, and the narrator, Andy—are living together in the Coachella Valley in southern California. The tales are told by the various characters in the novel, which is arranged into three parts. Each chapter is separately titled rather than numbered, with titles such as "I Am Not A Target Market" and "Adventure Without Risk Is Disneyland."
The novel was set circa 1990, in the then rapidly growing and economic booming-turned-into-depressed communities of Palm Springs and the Inland Empire region. Some characters were born and raised in Los Angeles and suburban Orange County.
The first part of the novel takes place over the course of a picnic. Andrew, Dag, and Claire tell each other stories—some personal, others imagined—over the course of the day. Through these tales, the reader glimpses the characters' motivations and personalities.
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