Superheroes have been an integral part of popular society for decades and have given rise to a collective mythology familiar in popular culture worldwide.
Exploring the pedagogical power of the monstrous, this collection of new essays describes innovative teaching strategies that use our cultural fascination with monsters to enhance learning in high school and college courses.
Crime fiction--a product of the burgeoning metropolis of the 19th century--features specialists who identify criminals to protect an anxious citizenry.
Nearly 130 years after the introduction of Sherlock Holmes to readers, the Great Detective's identity is being questioned, deconstructed, and reconstructed more than ever.
Before the 1969 Stonewall Riots, LGBTQ life was dominated by the negative image of "e;the closet"e;--the metaphorical space where that which was deemed "e;queer"e; was hidden from a hostile public view.
Part of Alice's appeal is her ambiguity, which makes possible a range of interpretations in adapting Lewis Carroll's classic Wonderland stories to various media.
When Kenneth Johnson's science fiction miniseries V premiered in 1983, it netted more than 40 percent of the television viewing audience and went on to spawn a sequel, a weekly series, novelizations, comic books and a remake.
Imagining the figure of the fictional detective as an archetype in the study of modern culture, the author argues that contemporary detective fiction can help us better comprehend fundamental shifts of the Digital Age--in communication, family, entertainment, society, even the way we think as individuals.
A literary genre that pervades 21st-century popular culture, science fiction creates mythologies that make statements about humanity's place in the universe and embody an intersection of science, religion and philosophy.
Marvel Studios' approach to its Cinematic Universe--beginning with the release of Iron Man (2008)--has become the template for successful management of blockbuster film properties.
The great scientific, astronomical and technological advances of the 20th century inspired the science fiction genre to imagine distant worlds and futures, far beyond the discoveries of the here and now.
A prolific author, Isaac Asimov is most admired for his science fiction, including his collection of short stories I, Robot and his Robot, Empire and Foundation series novels.
One of the most popular comic strips of the 1950s and the first to reference politics of the day, Walt Kelly's Pogo took on Joe McCarthy before the controversial senator was a blip on Edward R.
In January 1966, Alan Napier became a household name on ABC's hit series Batman (1966-1968) as Alfred Pennyworth, loyal butler to the show's title character.
Edward Bulwer-Lytton--who coined the terms "e;the great unwashed"e; and "e;the pen is mightier than the sword"e;--is best remembered for persuading Dickens to change the ending of Great Expectations; but Lord Lytton was a prolific and influential novelist in his own right, inspiring Edgar Allan Poe, H.
Since the late 1960s, the novels of Sjowall and Wahloo's Martin Beck detective series, along with the works of Henning Mankell, Hakan Nesser and Stieg Larsson, have sparked an explosion of Nordic crime fiction--grim police procedurals treating urgent sociopolitical issues affecting the contemporary world.
Superheroes are enjoying a cultural resurgence, dominating the box office and breaking out of specialty comics stores onto the shelves of mainstream retailers.
Mention Shaft and most people think of Gordon Parks' seminal 1971 film starring Richard Roundtree in a leather coat, walking the streets of Manhattan to Isaac Hayes' iconic theme music.
Since the early 2000s, popular culture has experienced a "e;Zombie Renaissance,"e; beginning in film and expanding into books, television, video games, theatre productions, phone apps, collectibles and toys.
A great deal of scholarship has focused on Joss Whedon's television and film work, which includes Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, Doctor Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, The Cabin in the Woods and The Avengers.
Through classroom activities, wizard rock concerts, and organizations like the Harry Potter Alliance, Harry Potter fans are using creativity to positively impact the world.
Dick Grayson--alter-ego of the original Robin of Batman comics--has gone through various changes in his 75 years as a superhero but has remained the optimistic, humorous character readers first embraced in 1940.
Billionaire industrialist, cold warrior, weapons designer, alcoholic, philanthropist, Avenger--Tony Stark, alter-ego of Marvel Comics' Iron Man, has played many roles in his five decades as a superhero.
This book studies the treatment of science and technology from ancient myths to current works, demonstrating the importance of science to human civilization as evidenced in literature.
