Madeline Lane-McKinley & Sean O'Brien: The Return of the 90s: A Cultural History of the Present

Pluto Press, 2026, softcover, 240 pages, 

The 1990s were a cultural watershed, marking a turning point in popular music, television, cinema, literature and fashion. Nestled between the fall of the Berlin Wall and the 9/11 attacks, the decade witnessed the “end of history” and the birth of the internet, the consolidation of neoliberalism, and a political urgency embodied by the anti-globalization movement. Now in the rearview mirror, this pivotal decade appears as a time to be reckoned with, its history yet to be written, and we have only begun to come to terms with its lasting significance.

This anthology dives into the contemporary fascination with the ’90s. Plotting a playful course between sociology and cultural studies on the one hand, and giddy nostalgia on the other, the book charts decisive developments of the decade to fully apprehend its resonances today.

Covering everything from “girl power,” Star Trek and hip-hop, to queer cinema, anarchist counterculture and the erotic thriller, The Return of the 90s excavates key moments in ’90s culture and uncovers its multiple reckonings in the present.