From Blood Simple and Raising Arizona to Inside Llewyn Davis and Hail, Caesar!, the films of Joel and Ethan Coen represent a sort of alternate reality of America. The author explores how the settings&
This book looks at how the original Star Trek became a cultural phenomenon, generating numerous spin-offs and feature films and inspiring multiple series, films, books, etc. In addition to the show&rs
Focusing on the intersection of literature and politics since the beginning of the 20th century, this book examines authors, historical figures, major literary and political works, national literature
Long after the Civil War ended, one conflict raged on: the battle to define and shape the war's legacy. Across the Bloody Chasm deftly examines Civil War veterans' commemorative efforts and the concom
This dictionary covers the history of Science Fiction in literature through a chronology, an introductory essay, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 300 cross-referenced ent
The Historical Dictionary of American Cinema provides broad coverage of the people, films, companies, techniques, themes, and genres that have made American cinema such a vital part of world cinema. T
The Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction Cinema provides broad coverage of the people, films, companies, techniques, themes, and subgenres that have made science fiction cinema such a vital part o
Supernatural and superhuman elements have been prominent in American culture from the time of the New England Puritans’ intense emphasis on religion. Superpower surveys the appearance of supernatural
A wide-ranging survey of American children's film that provides detailed analysis of the political implications of these films, as well as a discussion of how movies intended for children have come t
In Complete Humanity in Jesus: A Theological Memoir, John M. Keith examines what it means to be human in relation to the perfect humanity of Jesus, punctuated with anecdotes from experiences over seve
Prolific author M. Keith Booker investigates the hidden truths of some of America's most popular movies and tv shows -- including Buffy, Heroes, and Harry Potter -- and thus illuminates the changing
People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered: Love them anyway.If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives: Do good anyway.If you are successful, you will win false fr
Using primary sources from archives around the country, Democracy as Discussion traces the early history of the Speech field, the development of discussion as an alternative to debate, and the Deweyan
Since the first Superman film came to the screen in 1978, films adapted from comics have become increasingly important as a film form. M. Keith Booker surveys this development in film history, tracki
Given the complexity and expense of making and distributing a film, the process of filmmaking is by its very nature a political process. Moreover, given the power and persuasiveness of the cinema as a
Since late evening cartoons first aired in 1960, prime-time animated series have had a profound effect on American television and American culture at large. The characters and motifs from such shows
For more than 50 years, science fiction films have been among the most important and successful products of American cinema, and are worthy of study for that reason alone. On a deeper level, the genre
These ten principles were first articulated by Kent Keith as a student at Harvard in the 1960s. Since then, unbeknownst to him, they were quoted, circulated, and appropriated by countless people aroun
In America, the long 1950s were marked by an intense skepticism toward utopian alternatives to the existing capitalist order. This skepticism was closely related to the climate of the Cold War, in whi
Booker (English, U. of Arkansas) explores the science fiction novels and films of the 1950s, emphasizing their engagement with their social and cultural contexts, primarily scientific developments and
Heroism has long been recognised by readers and critics of Roman epic as a central theme of the genre from Virgil and Ovid to Lucan and Statius. However the crucial role female characters play in the constitution and negotiation of the heroism on display in epic has received scant attention in the critical literature. This study represents an attempt to restore female characters to visibility in Roman epic and to examine the discursive operations that effect their marginalisation within both the genre and the critical tradition it has given rise to. The five chapters can be read either as self-contained essays or as a cumulative exploration of the gender dynamics of the Roman epic tradition. The issues addressed are of interest not just to classicists but also to students of gender studies.
James Joyce has emerged as one of the most significant writers of the twentieth century, and his writings continue to invite enormous amounts of scholarly attention. This volume offers a careful readi
British leftist novels are best understood as part of a cultural phenomenon that reacts against the mainstream tradition of British literature but also establishes and draws upon traditions of its own
African novels are not easy reading. The African novel differs from European and American novels in its social and historical background and in its aesthetics. African novelists make important use of
Booker (English, U. of Arkansas) offers a reading of Irish author O'Brien's major works within the context of the carnivalesque ambivalence of Menippean satire and of Mikhail Bakhtin's work in general
A uniquely accessible guide to a difficult subject, A Practical Introduction to Literary Theory and Criticism introduces students to the major trends in contemporary literary theory. Offering the brea
While literary utopias depict an ideal society and reflect an optimistic belief in the triumph of humanity and government, dystopias present a society marked by suffering caused by human and political
