Read Books Online and Download eBooks, EPub, PDF, Mobi, Kindle, Text Full Free.
Nature And The Numinous In Mythopoeic Fantasy Literature
Download Nature And The Numinous In Mythopoeic Fantasy Literature full books in PDF, epub, and Kindle. Read online Nature And The Numinous In Mythopoeic Fantasy Literature ebook anywhere anytime directly on your device. Fast Download speed and no annoying ads. We cannot guarantee that every ebooks is available!
Book Synopsis Nature and the Numinous in Mythopoeic Fantasy Literature by : Chris Brawley
Download or read book Nature and the Numinous in Mythopoeic Fantasy Literature written by Chris Brawley and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2014-06-26 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book makes connections between mythopoeic fantasy—works that engage the numinous—and the critical apparatuses of ecocriticism and posthumanism. Drawing from the ideas of Rudolf Otto in The Idea of the Holy, mythopoeic fantasy is a means of subverting normative modes of perception to both encounter the numinous and to challenge the perceptions of the natural world. Beginning with S.T. Coleridge’s theories of the imagination as embodied in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, the book moves on to explore standard mythopoeic fantasists such as George MacDonald, C.S. Lewis, and J.R.R. Tolkien. Taking a step outside these men, particularly influenced by Christianity, the concluding chapters discuss Algernon Blackwood and Ursula Le Guin, whose works evoke the numinous without a specifically Christian worldview.
Book Synopsis Fantasy Literature and Christianity by : Weronika Łaszkiewicz
Download or read book Fantasy Literature and Christianity written by Weronika Łaszkiewicz and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2018-10-04 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The debate surrounding the Christian aspects of C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia, J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials and J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter has revealed not only the prominence of religious themes in fantasy fiction, but also readers' concerns over portrayals of religion in fantasy. Yet while analyses of these works fill many volumes, other fantasy series have received much less attention. This critical study explores the fantastic religions and religious themes in American and Canadian works by Stephen R. Donaldson (Chronicles of Thomas Covenant), Guy Gavriel Kay (Fionavar Tapestry), Celia S. Friedman (Coldfire Trilogy), and Brandon Sanderson (Mistborn). References to biblical tradition and Christian teachings reveal these writers' overall approach to Christianity and the relationship between Christianity and the fantasy genre.
Book Synopsis The Transcendent Vision of Mythopoeic Fantasy by : David S. Hogsette
Download or read book The Transcendent Vision of Mythopoeic Fantasy written by David S. Hogsette and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2022-07-21 with total page 233 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An ever-expanding critical library on fantasy fiction requires an analysis of why the genre is so ubiquitous, enduring and beloved. This work analyzes the mythic elements in foundational fantasy texts, arguing that mythopoeic fantasy reveals timeless truths that link human cultures past and present. Through close readings of works like Phantastes, The King of Elfland's Daughter, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, A Wizard of Earthsea, The Neverending Story, A Wrinkle in Time and Out of the Silent Planet, this book explores how mythopoeic fantasy speaks to the deepest concerns of the human heart. It investigates the genre's use of an imagination that is sometimes atrophied by the demands of contemporary life, and explores how fantasy provides restoration, consolation and hope within a cultural context that too often decries such ideas. Each chapter focuses on a representative text, providing author background and engaging relevant scholarship on a variety of relevant thematic issues. Offering new insights on these classic texts by drawing upon post-secular critical approaches, this work is suitable for both new and seasoned students of fantasy.
Book Synopsis Ecologies in Southeast Asian Literatures: Histories, Myths and Societies by : Chi P. Pham
Download or read book Ecologies in Southeast Asian Literatures: Histories, Myths and Societies written by Chi P. Pham and published by Vernon Press. This book was released on 2019-09-09 with total page 166 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ecocriticism in relation to the Southeast Asian region is relatively new. So far, John Charles Ryan’s Ecocriticism in Southeast Asia is the first book of its kind to focus on the region and its literature to give an ecocritical analysis: that volume compiles analyses of the eco-literatures from most of the Southeast Asian region, providing a broad insight into the ecological concerns of the region as depicted in its literatures and other cultural texts. This edited volume furthers the study of Southeast Asian ecocriticism, focusing specifically on prominent myths and histories and the myriad ways in which they connect to the social fabric of the region. Our book is an original contribution to the expanding field of ecocriticism, as it highlights the mytho-historical basis of many of the region’s literatures and their relationship to the environment. The varied articles in this volume together explore the idea of nature and its relationship with humans. The always problematic questions that surround such explorations, such as “why do we regard nature as ‘external’?” or “how is humankind a continuum with nature?”, emerge throughout the volume either overtly or implicitly. As Pepper (1993) points out, what Karl Marx referenced as ‘first’ or ‘external’ nature gave rise to humankind. But humanity “worked on this ‘first’ nature to produce a ‘second’ nature: the material creations of society plus its institutions, ideas and values.” (Pepper, 108). Thus, our volume constantly negotiates this field of ideas and belief systems, in diverse ways and in various cultures, attempting to relate them to the current ecological predicaments of ASEAN. It will likely prove an invaluable resource for scholars and students of ecocriticism and, more broadly, of Southeast Asian cultures and literatures.
Book Synopsis Discovering Dune by : Dominic J. Nardi
Download or read book Discovering Dune written by Dominic J. Nardi and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2022-08-01 with total page 285 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Frank Herbert's Dune is one of the most well-known science fiction novels of all time, and it is often revered alongside time-honored classics like The Lord of the Rings. Unlike Tolkien's work, the Dune series has received remarkably little academic attention. This collection includes fourteen new essays from various academic disciplines--including philosophy, political science, disability studies, Islamic theology, environmental studies, and Byzantine history--that examine all six of Herbert's Dune books. As a compendium, it asserts that a multidisciplinary approach to the texts can lead to fresh discoveries. Also included in this collection are an introduction by Tim O'Reilly, who authored one of the first critical appraisals of Herbert's writings in 1981, and a comprehensive bibliography of essential primary and secondary sources.
Book Synopsis Escape Into Meaning by : Evan Puschak
Download or read book Escape Into Meaning written by Evan Puschak and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2023-07-11 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Escape Into Meaning is the debut essay collection by the creator of the highly addictive, deeply informative, always unconventional Nerdwriter channel, which has 3 million subscribers on YouTube. In this debut collection of eleven incisive, engaging, and humorous essays, readers are immersed in a fascinating and multifaceted montage of subjects-from the origins of Superman to the future of the city of Venice to the life of Ralph Waldo Emerson to the oeuvre of Quentin Tarantino"--
Book Synopsis J.R.R. Tolkien, Robert E. Howard and the Birth of Modern Fantasy by : Deke Parsons
Download or read book J.R.R. Tolkien, Robert E. Howard and the Birth of Modern Fantasy written by Deke Parsons and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2014-10-31 with total page 199 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The birth of modern fantasy in 1930s Britain and America saw the development of new literary and film genres. J.R.R. Tolkien created modern fantasy with The Lord of the Rings, set in a fictional world based upon his life in the early 20th century British Empire, and his love of language and medieval literature. In small-town Texas, Robert E. Howard pounded out his own fantasy realm in his Conan stories, published serially in the ephemeral pulp magazines he loved. Jerry Siegel created Superman with Joe Shuster, and laid the foundation for perhaps the most far-reaching fantasy worlds: the universe of DC and Marvel comics. The work of extraordinary people who lived in an extraordinary decade, this modern fantasy canon still provides source material for the most successful literary and film franchises of the 21st century. Modern fantasy speaks to the human experience and still shows its origins from the lives and times of its creators.
Book Synopsis Patricia A. McKillip and the Art of Fantasy World-Building by : Audrey Isabel Taylor
Download or read book Patricia A. McKillip and the Art of Fantasy World-Building written by Audrey Isabel Taylor and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2017-08-11 with total page 191 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From wondrous fairy-lands to nightmarish hellscapes, the elements that make fantasy worlds come alive also invite their exploration. This first book-length study of critically acclaimed novelist Patricia A. McKillip's lyrical other-worlds analyzes her characters, environments and legends and their interplay with genre expectations. The author gives long overdue critical attention to McKillip's work and demonstrates how a broader understanding of world-building enables a deeper appreciation of her fantasies.
Book Synopsis Images of the Anthropocene in Speculative Fiction by : Tereza Dedinová
Download or read book Images of the Anthropocene in Speculative Fiction written by Tereza Dedinová and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2021-03-01 with total page 277 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In order to demonstrate that speculative fiction provides a valuable contribution to the discussion about the challenges of the Anthropocene, Images of the Anthropocene in Speculative Fiction investigates a range of novels whose subject matter pertains to various aspects of the Anthropocene. These include the destruction and protection of the natural environment, the relationship between human and non-human inhabitants of the planet, the role of myth in the shaping of and combat against the Anthropocene, the political dimensions of the Anthropocene, the ensuing threat of the Apocalypse, and the role of post-apocalyptic narratives. To explore these topics our authors examine the works of Patricia Briggs, M.R. Carey, Dmitry Glukhovsky, Ursula K. Le Guin, N.K. Jemisin, Stephenie Meyer, China Miéville, James Patterson, Maggie Stiefvater, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Scott Westfield. Their essays demonstrate that speculative fiction, given its ability to pursue scenarios of alternative history and present familiar things in an unfamiliar way, can alter the readers’ perception of their duties and responsibilities towards their communities and the world, so that the threat of human-wrought destruction might ultimately be averted.
Book Synopsis Science Fiction and Futurism by : Ace G. Pilkington
Download or read book Science Fiction and Futurism written by Ace G. Pilkington and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2017-03-05 with total page 235 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Science and science fiction have become inseparable--with common stories, interconnected thought experiments, and shared language. This reference book lays out that relationship and its all-but-magical terms and ideas. Those who think seriously about the future are changing the world, reshaping how we speak and how we think. This book fully covers the terms that collected, clarified and crystallized the futurists' ideas, sometimes showing them off, sometimes slowing them down, and sometimes propelling them to fame and making them the common currency of our culture. The many entries in this encyclopedic work offer a guided tour of the vast territories occupied by science fiction and futurism. In his Foreword, David Brin says, "Provocative and enticing? Filled with 'huh!' moments and leads to great stories? That describes this volume."
Book Synopsis The Science Fiction Mythmakers by : Jennifer Simkins
Download or read book The Science Fiction Mythmakers written by Jennifer Simkins and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2016-09-02 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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. This book considers the significance of this confluence through an examination of myths in the writings of H. G. Wells, Arthur C. Clarke, Philip K. Dick and Frank Herbert. Presenting fresh insights into their works, the author brings to light the tendency of science fiction narratives to reaffirm spiritual myths.
Book Synopsis Saving the World Through Science Fiction by : Michael R. Page
Download or read book Saving the World Through Science Fiction written by Michael R. Page and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2017-02-28 with total page 295 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of the major figures in science fiction for more than sixty years, James Gunn has been instrumental in making the genre one of the most vibrant and engaging areas of literary scholarship. His genre history Alternate Worlds and his The Road to Science Fiction anthologies introduced countless readers to science fiction. He founded the Gunn Center for the Study of Science Fiction in 1982. But Gunn has also been one of the genre's leading writers. His classic novels Star Bridge (with Jack Williamson), The Joy Makers, The Immortals and The Listeners helped shape the field. Now in his nineties, he remains a prominent voice. His forthcoming novel is Transformation. Drawing on materials from Gunn's archives and personal interviews with him, this study is the first to examine the life, career and writing of this science fiction grandmaster.
Book Synopsis Gender and the Quest in British Science Fiction Television by : Tom Powers
Download or read book Gender and the Quest in British Science Fiction Television written by Tom Powers and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2016-10-14 with total page 285 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The subjects of this book constitute a significant cross section of BBC science fiction television. With such characters as the Doctor (an enigmatic time-traveling alien), Kerr Avon (a problematic rebel leader), Dave Lister (a slovenly last surviving human) and Captain Jack Harkness (a complex omnisexual immortal), these shows have both challenged and reinforced viewer expectations about the small-screen masculine hero. This book explores the construction of gendered heroic identity in the series from both production and fan perspectives. The paradoxical relationships between the producers, writers and fans of the four series are discussed. Fan fiction, criticism and videos are examined that both celebrate and criticize BBC science fiction heroes and villains.
Book Synopsis The Fantastic in Holocaust Literature and Film by : Judith B. Kerman
Download or read book The Fantastic in Holocaust Literature and Film written by Judith B. Kerman and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2014-11-04 with total page 243 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When reality becomes fantastic, what literary effects will render it credible or comprehensible? To respond meaningfully to the surreality of the Holocaust, writers must produce works of moral and emotional complexity. One way they have achieved this is through elements of fantasy. Covering a range of theoretical perspectives, this collection of essays explores the use of fantastic story-telling in Holocaust literature and film. Writers such as Jane Yolen and Art Spiegelman are discussed, as well as the sci-fi television series V (1983), Stephen King's novella Apt Pupil (1982), Guillermo del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth (2006) and Martin Scorsese's dark thriller Shutter Island (2010).
Book Synopsis Michael Moorcock by : Mark Scroggins
Download or read book Michael Moorcock written by Mark Scroggins and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2015-12-22 with total page 213 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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 as his "mainstream" writing. This first full-length critical look at Moorcock's career, from the early 1960s to the present, explores the author's fictional multiverse: his fantasy tales of the "Eternal Champion"; his experimental Jerry Cornelius novels; the hilarious science-fiction satire of his "End of Time" books; and his complex meditations on 20th century history in Mother London and the Colonel Pyat tetralogy.
Book Synopsis The British Comic Book Invasion by : Jochen Ecke
Download or read book The British Comic Book Invasion written by Jochen Ecke and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2018-12-14 with total page 282 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What makes a successful comics creator? How can storytelling stay exciting and innovative? How can genres be kept vital? Writers and artists in the highly competitive U.S. comics mainstream have always had to explore these questions but they were especially pressing in the 1980s. As comics readers grew older they started calling for more sophisticated stories. They were also no longer just following the adventures of popular characters--writers and artists with distinctive styles were in demand. DC Comics and Marvel went looking for such mavericks and found them in the United Kingdom. Creators like Alan Moore (Watchmen, Saga of the Swamp Thing), Grant Morrison (The Invisibles, Flex Mentallo) and Garth Ennis (Preacher) migrated from the anarchical British comics industry to the U.S. mainstream and shook up the status quo yet came to rely on the genius of the American system.
Book Synopsis Environments in Science Fiction by : Susan M. Bernardo
Download or read book Environments in Science Fiction written by Susan M. Bernardo and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2014-03-12 with total page 207 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The all-new essays in this book respond to the question, How do spaces in science fiction, both built and unbuilt, help shape the relationships among humans, other animals and their shared environments? Spaces, as well as a sense of place or belonging, play major roles in many science fiction works. This book focuses especially on depictions of the future that include, but move beyond, dystopias and offer us ways to imagine reinventing ourselves and our perspectives; especially our links to and views of new environments. There are ecocritical texts that deal with space/place and science fiction criticism that deals with dystopias but there is no other collection that focuses on the intersection of the two.
