Writing with his customary wit and style, Richard Dyer argues that while pastiche can be used to describe works which contain montage or collage, it can also be used to describe works which are a kind of imitation of previous works.

Investigating a wide range of cultural texts drawn from films, videos, novels, poetry, rap tracks, music and painting, Richard Dyer explores issues of text, genre, and the use of pastiche as a resource within a work. The final chapter draws together the underlying concern of the book with affect and poetics and discusses the politics of pastiche.