Book Talk: Return of the 90s w/ eds. Sean O’Brien & Thomas Laughlin

Please join us for a book talk to discuss The Return of the 90s: A Cultural History of the Present. Editor Sean O’Brien will be joined by Dr. Thomas Laughlin for a conversation.

Why are we so obsessed with the 90s? This is an insightful political reckoning with an anomalous decade.

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. We now see this pivotal decade in the rearview mirror as a force to reckon with, have yet to write its history, and 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.

When: Friday, September 4th 2026 @ 7pm
Where: Trident Booksellers & Cafe, 1256 Hollis ST. Halifax