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Hottest Titles from McFarland
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Newest Titles in This Section
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This collection of new essays focuses on The CW network's hit television series Arrow--based on DC Comic's Green Arrow--and its spin-offs The Flash, DC's Legends of Tomorrow and Supergirl.
Comic book adaptations have been big business for film studios since Superman (1978) and in recent years have dominated at the box office--five of the 11 highest grossing films of 2016 were adapted from comics.... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$7.99
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From Buffy the Vampire Slayer to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Joss Whedon's work presents various representations of home spaces that give depth to his stories and storytelling. Through the spaceship in Firefly, a farmhouse in Avengers: Age of Ultron or Whedon's own house in Much Ado About Nothing, his work collectively offers audiences the opportunity to question the ways we relate to and inhabit... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$18.99
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Essays on Radical Transformations of Original Works
Some film and novel revisions go so far beyond adaptation that they demand a new designation. This critical collection explores movies, plays, essays, comics and video games that supersede adaptation to radically transform their original sources.
Fifteen essays investigate a variety of texts that rework everything from literary... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$24.99
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The J. Lloyd Eaton Conferences on Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature--long held at the University of California, Riverside--have been a major influence in the study of science fiction and fantasy for thirty years. The conferences have attracted leading scholars whose papers are published in Eaton volumes found in university libraries throughout the world.
This collection brings together 22 of... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$26.99
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For more than 60 years, Captain America was one of Marvel Comics' flagship characters, representing truth, strength, liberty, and justice. The assassination of his alter ego, Steve Rogers, rocked the comic world, leaving numerous questions about his life and death.
This book discusses topics including the representation of Nazi Germany in Captain America Comics from the 1940s to the 1960s; the creation... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$14.99
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A significant expansion of the critically acclaimed first edition, Classics Illustrated: A Cultural History, 2d ed., carries the story of the Kanter family's series of comics-style adaptations of literary masterpieces from 1941 into the 21st century.
This book features additional material on the 70-year history of Classics Illustrated and the careers and contributions of such artists as Alex A.... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$12.99
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These essays from various critical disciplines examine how comic books and graphic narratives move between various media, while merging youth and adult cultures and popular and high art.
The articles feature international perspectives on comics and graphic novels published in the U.S., Canada, Great Britain, Portugal, Germany, Turkey, India, and Japan. Topics range from film adaptation, to journalism... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$19.99
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Although the idea that graphic narratives represent an important literary form is still debated in academic circles, in recent years comics scholarship has emerged into wider contexts.
This collection of new essays considers various literary approaches to graphic narrative and sequential art. The authors examine the politics of comic form and narrative, the ways in which graphic narrative and sequential... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$19.99
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" The word ""control"" has many implications for video games. On a basic level, without player control, there is no experience. Much of the video game industry focuses on questions of control and ways to improve play to make the gamer feel more connected to the virtual world.
The sixteen essays in this collection offer critical examinations of the issue of control in video... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$15.99
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A Critical Analysis of The Prisoner, Twin Peaks, The X-Files, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Lost, Heroes, Doctor Who and Star Trek
From The Prisoner in the 1960s to the more recent Heroes and Lost, a group of television series with strong elements of fantasy have achieved cult status. Focusing on eight such series, this work analyzes their respective innovations and influences.
Assessing the strategies... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$17.99
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Although life in the Middle Ages was not as comfortable and safe as it is for most people in industrialized countries today, the term "Dark Ages" is highly misleading. The era was not so primitive and crude as depictions in film and literature would suggest. Even during the worst years of the centuries immediately following the fall of Rome, the legacy of that civilization survived.
This... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$14.99
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On every continent and in every nation, animals unrecognized by modern science are reported on a daily basis. People passionately pursue these creatures--the name given to their field of study is cryptozoology. Coined in the 1950's, the term literally means the science of hidden animals.
When the International Society of Cryptozoology (ISC) was formed in 1982, the founders declared that the branch... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$14.99
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This exhaustive volume catalogs nearly three thousand demons in the mythologies and lore of virtually every ancient society and most religions.
From Aamon, the demon of life and reproduction with the head of a serpent and the body of a wolf in Christian demonology, to Zu, the half-man, half-bird personification of the southern wind and thunder clouds in Sumero-Akkadian mythology, entries offer descriptions... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$37.95 $17.99
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A common misconception is that professors who use popular culture and fantasy in the classroom have abandoned the classics, yet in a variety of contexts--high school, college freshman composition, senior seminars, literature, computer science, philosophy and politics--fantasy materials can expand and enrich an established curriculum.
The new essays in this book combine analyses of popular television... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$12.99
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The Politics, Literary Influences and Cultural History of Kenneth Johnson's V
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. Yet the 2009 V reboot was cancelled in its second season, despite a robust premiere.... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$9.99
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Essays on the Comics, Poetry and Prose
This collection of new essays looks carefully at the broad spectrum of Neil Gaiman’s work and how he interacts with feminism.
Sixteen diverse essays from Gaiman scholars examine highlights from Gaiman’s graphic novels, short stories, novels, poems and screenplays, and confront the difficult issues he raises, including femininity,... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$15.99
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The 14 essays in Game on, Hollywood! take on several points of game and film intersection.
They look at storylines, aesthetics, mechanics, and production. The book is about adaptation (video game to film, film to video game), but it is even more about narrative. The essays draw attention to the ways and possibilities of telling a story. They consider differences and similarities... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$15.99
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In this in-depth critical and theoretical analysis of the horror genre in video games, 14 essays explore the cultural underpinnings of horror's allure for gamers and the evolution of "survival" themes.
The techniques and story effects of specific games such as Resident Evil, Call of Cthulhu, and Silent Hill are examined individually. ... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$12.99
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That notorious evening at Villa Diodati when Lord Byron challenged his contemporaries to write a ghost story, his summons brought forth a mad doctor intent on reanimation and a vampire drunk with bloodlust.
The night modern horror was born was notoriously dark and stormy, as were the lives of those who wrote the most fearsome--yet beloved--tales in literature, for those so gifted were also cursed.... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$9.99
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The Multifarious Walking Dead in the 21st Century
Since the early 2000s, popular culture has experienced a "Zombie Renaissance," beginning in film and expanding into books, television, video games, theatre productions, phone apps, collectibles and toys.
Zombies have become allegorical figures embodying cultural anxieties, but they also serve as models for concepts in economics, political... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$14.99
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The Sagas of Icelanders are enduring stories from Viking-Age Iceland filled with love and romance, battles and feuds, tragedy and comedy.
Yet these tales are little read today, even by lovers of literature. The culture and history of the people depicted in the Sagas are often unfamiliar to the modern reader, though the audience for whom the tales were intended would have had an intimate understanding... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$12.99
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Art, Evil and Intertextuality in the Stephen King Novels
Stephen King is no stranger to the realm of literary criticism, but his most fantastic, far-reaching work has aroused little academic scrutiny. This study of King's epic Dark Tower series encompasses the career of one of the world's best-selling authors and frames him as more than a "horror writer."
Four categories... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$14.99
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Created around the world and available only on the web, Internet "television" series are independently produced, mostly low budget shows that often feature talented but unknown performers. Typically financed through crowd-funding, they are filmed with borrowed equipment and volunteer casts and crews, and viewers find them through word of mouth or by chance.
The fourth in a series covering... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$24.99
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Created around the world and available only on the Web, internet "television" series are independently produced, mostly low budget shows that often feature talented but unknown performers. Typically financed through online crowd-funding, they are produced with borrowed equipment and volunteer casts and crews, and viewers find them through word of mouth or by chance.
The second in a first-ever... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$19.99
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This is the first ever compilation on Internet television and provides details of 405 programs from 1998 to 2013. Each entry contains the storyline, descriptive episode listings, cast and crew lists, the official website and comments.
An index of personnel and programs concludes the book.
From Barry the Demon Hunter to Time Traveling Lesbian to Hamilton Carver, Zombie P.I., it is a previously... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$19.99
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Created around the world and available only on the Web, internet ""television"" series are independently produced, mostly low budget shows that often feature talented but unknown performers. Typically financed through crowd-funding, they are filmed with borrowed equipment and volunteer casts and crews, and viewers find them through word of mouth or by chance.
The third of five... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$19.99
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Premiering in September of 2006, the weekly NBC television series Heroes was an immediate commercial and critical hit, lasting four successful seasons. Heroes follows a group of interrelated characters who discover they have superhuman powers, with each successive episode exploring how these people react to and utilize their powers for good or for evil.
This collection of essays explores a variety... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$17.99
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Superman is the original superhero, an American icon, and arguably the most famous character in the world--and he's Jewish!
Introduced in June 1938, the Man of Steel was created by two Jewish teens, Jerry Siegel, the son of immigrants from Eastern Europe, and Joe Shuster, an immigrant. They based their hero's origin story on Moses, his strength on Samson, his mission on the golem, and his nebbish... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$45.00 $21.99
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Essays on Gender, Trauma and Addiction in the Netflix Series
Jessica Jones barged onto our screens in November 2015, courtesy of Marvel and Netflix, presenting a hard-drinking protagonist who wrestles with her own inner (and outer) demons. Gaining enhanced abilities as a teenager, she eschews the "super costume" and is far more concerned with the problems of daily life. But when Jessica falls under... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$18.99
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Big Business Critiqued in the Films and Television Programs
Screenwriter, director, producer and comic book author Joss Whedon is best known for his television series and films featuring villainous vampires, angry gods and even bloggers who wish to rule the world. Within these works is a prevalent yet commonly overlooked theme—the corporate antagonist.
This book examines the effects of this... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$9.99
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Essays on The Punisher in Print and on Screen
Since the Punisher's first appearance in the pages of Spider-Man #129, the character has become one of the most popular and controversial figures in Marvel's vast universe.
The Punisher represents one of the most recognizable types of anti-heroes. His iconic skull insignia stands for a unique type of justice: protecting the innocent while violently eliminating... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$39.95 $23.99
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Unlike traditional animation techniques that use specialized 3D animation software, machinima--a term derived from the words "machine" and "cinema"--records the action in real-time interactive 3D environments, such as those found in video games, to create a cinematic production.
No longer solely the province of hard-core gamers, machinima has become central to the convergence... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$19.99
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From 1985 to 1995, Mark Gruenwald was the head writer for Captain America. During this decade, Gruenwald wrote some of the most essential stories in Captain America's history and guided the comic through an eventful period of both world history and comic book history.
This book dissects the influence of the world at large on Gruenwald's stories and the subsequent influence of Gruenwald's work on... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$39.95 $17.99
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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. Yet films featuring Marvel characters can be traced back to the 1940s, when the Captain America serial first appeared on the screen.
This collection of new essays is the first to explore the historical,... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$18.99
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Critical Essays on the Comic Saga
Marvel Comics has an established tradition of addressing relevant real-life issues facing the American public. With the publication of Civil War (2006-2007), a seven-issue crossover storyline spanning the Marvel universe, they focused on contemporary anxieties such as terrorism and threats to privacy and other civil liberties.
This collection of new essays explores... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$19.99
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From the text adventures of Zork, to the arcade game of Pac-Man, to the corridors of Doom, and on to the city streets of Grand Theft Auto IV, the maze has often been used as a space to trap and confuse players in their navigation of gameworlds. However, the maze as a construction on the landscape has a long history before the invention of the videogame.
By examining the change in the maze from the... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$13.99
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Prolific, popular and critically acclaimed, Michael Moorcock is the most important British fantasy author of his generation. His Elric of Melnibone is an iconic figure for millions of fans but Moorcock has also been a pioneer in science fiction and historical fiction. He was hailed as the central figure of the "New Wave" in science fiction, and has won numerous awards for his fantasy and SF, as well... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$11.99
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Essays on the Power of Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature, Films and Games
Contemporary myths, particularly science fiction and fantasy texts, can provide commentary on who we are as a culture, what we have created, and where we are going. These nine essays from a variety of disciplines expand upon the writings of Joseph Campbell and the hero's journey.
Modern examples of myths... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$17.99
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Essays on the Novels, Children's Stories, Online Writings, Comics and Other Works
Neil Gaiman has emerged as one of the most influential literary figures of the 21st century. To borrow a phrase from his viral 2012 University of the Arts commencement speech, Gaiman "makes good art," from his graphic novels to his social media collaborations, award-winning fantasy fiction and beloved... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$15.99
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This collection of new essays covers the myriad portrayals of the figure of the pirate in historical records, literary narratives, films, television series, opera, anime and games. Contributors explore the nuances of both real and fictional pirates, giving attention to renowned works such as Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island, J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan, the Pirates of the... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$19.99
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Breaking box office records, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has achieved an unparalleled level of success with fans across the world, raising the films to a higher level of narrative: myth.
This is the first book to analyze the Marvel output as modern myth, comparing it to epics, symbols, rituals, and stories from world religious traditions.
This book places the exploits of Iron Man, Captain America,... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$39.95 $17.99
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This ethnographic study of contemporary American Renaissance fairs focuses on the Maryland Renaissance Festival, in which participants recreate sixteenth-century England through performances of theater, combat-at-arms, processions, street hawking, and meticulously faithful historical reconstructions.
It is also partly an autobiographical account of interactive improvisation, subcultures within the... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$12.99
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Beginning with the structural features of design and play, this book explores video games as both compelling examples of story-telling and important cultural artifacts.
The author analyzes fundamentals like immersion, world building and player agency and their role in crafting narratives in the Mass Effect series, BioShock, The Last of Us, Fallout 4 and many more. The text-focused "visual... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$17.99
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Role-playing games seemed to appear of nowhere in the early 1970s and have been a quiet but steady presence in American culture ever since.
This new look at the hobby searches for the historical origins of role-playing games deep in the imaginative worlds of Western culture. It looks at the earliest fantasy stories from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, at the fans--both readers and writers--who... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$45.00 $20.99
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What comes to mind when you think about superheroes?
Strength, bravery, and heroism are common answers.
However, superheroes do not only have physical strength, but they also have mental strengths and skills. Superheroes tend to have intelligence and detection skills which allow them to develop other skills.
In this analysis of superhero literacy aimed at students, the connection between superhero... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$45.00 $27.99
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Few scholars nursed on the literary canon would dispute that knowledge of Western literature benefits readers and writers of the superhero genre. This analysis of superhero comics as Romance literature shows that the reverse is true--knowledge of the superhero romance has something to teach critics of traditional literature.
Establishing the comic genre as a cousin to Arthurian myth, Spenser, and... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$19.99
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55 Traditional Stories from Around the World
This book is a collection of 55 folktales that feature supernatural abilities.
These tales represent powers--from invisibility to shape-shifting--that people have dreamed of, conjured up and strived for through the ages.
Many of the powers are present in popular culture, making the superheroes who wield them the direct descendants of characters such as... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$9.99
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A Complete Guide to Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel in Print, Film, Television, Comics, Games and Other Media, 1992-2010
This bibliographic guide covers the "Buffyverse"--the fictional worlds of the acclaimed television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003) and its spinoff Angel (1999-2004), as well as the original Buffy feature film of 1992. It is the largest... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$18.99
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With their rakish characters, sensationalist plots, improbable adventures and objectionable language (like swell and golly), dime novels in their heyday were widely considered a threat to the morals of impressionable youth. Roundly criticized by church leaders and educators of the time, these short, quick-moving, pocket-sized publications were also, inevitably, wildly popular with readers of all ages.... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$24.99
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A Comprehensive Catalog of the Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Screenplays, Film Appearances, Speeches and Other Works, with a Concise Biography
Although he is most remembered for his vast collection of science fiction memorabilia; his influential magazine, Famous Monsters of Filmland; and his frequent sci-fi convention appearances, Forrest J Ackerman (1916-2008) also left a sizeable... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$19.99
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