Known primarily for the section on Salomons House, the supposed blueprint for the Royal Society,

is one of only two fictional texts written by Sir Francis Bacon (1563-1626), natural philosopher and statesman, and occupies a precarious position in his canon. While in many ways a “utopian” text similar to Andreae's

(1619), Campanella's

(1602; 1623) and More's

(1516), to which it cheekily refers, it simultaneously subverts, manipulates and pulls itself clear of such generic bindings.

Appearing unheralded at the back of Sylva sylvarum (1626), a sort of compendium of natural historical experiments and observations published a few short months after Bacon's death, New Atlantis lacks definitive evidence of authorial intention. All material

2482 words

Citation: Langman, Pete. "New Atlantis". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 14 April 2010 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=3262, accessed 21 November 2024.]

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