This anthology is a compendium of essays on Contemporary Indian English Fiction, tracing angst and hope that the various characters experience in their interpersonal relationships. Angst or anxiety draws our attention to the origin and meaning of evil. Hope becomes meaningful in the context of anxiety, dread or despair. Angst and hope are part and parcel of human existence. If life is to be lived purposefully, it calls for an integration of these two aspects in life. Indian English fiction has come of age with fictionists of different sense and sensibilities such as Jhumpa Lahiri Aravind Adiga, Vikram Swarup, Jayanta Mahapatra, Tania James, Manju Kapur, Easterine Iralu, Temsula Ao and others, exploring human predicament in its multiple dimensions. Some have been very articulate in expressing their anguish, others more metaphorical; yet all of them have given realistic expression to their thoughts and feelings in their narratives.

About The Author:

Dr. A.J. Sebastian SDB (b.1953) is Professor in the Department of English, Nagaland Central University, Kohima Campus, Meriema. A Gold medallist in M.A.(1988), he was awarded Ph.D (1992) in the poetry of Gerard Manley Hopkins. The research was undertaken in collaboration with the G.M. Hopkins' Centre at the Gonzaga University, Spokane, U.S.A. He also holds a P.G. Diploma in Psychological Counselling. His major publications include: Aesthetic and Religious Quest in the Poetry of G.M. Hopkins (1994); Musings : A First Book of Verse (1996); My Travels: My Teacher (1998); Literary Terms in Poetry, (co-authored 2001); Literary Terms in Drama , Theatre & Cinema, (co-authored 2002), Literary Terms in Fiction & Prose (co-authored 2004). The Poetry of G.M. Hopkins: An Ecological Study (2009), Quest for Identity in Contemporary Indian English Drama (2011), Quest for Identity in Contemporary Indian English Fiction and Poetry (2011), Prosaic Musings: Nagaland University Anthology of Prose, Short Stories and Writing Skills (co-edited 2012) and Wings of Poesy: Nagaland University Anthology of Poetry (co-edited 2012). He has authored over 90 papers and articles for Nationals and International Journals and Anthologies. His interests include Indian Writing in English with special reference to the Literature of the North East India.