Myth, Media, and Culture in Star Wars: An Anthology

Myth, Media, and Culture in Star Wars: An Anthology

In 1977, Star Wars blazed across the screen to become one of the highest grossing and most beloved movies of all time. It was followed by two sequels and three prequels, all of which became blockbusters. Comic books, novels, graphic novels, and magazines devoted to the films have added to the mythology of George Lucas’s creation. Despite the impact of the franchise on popular culture, however, discussion of the films from a scholarly perspective has not kept pace with the films. In Myth, Media, and Culture in Star Wars: An Anthology, Douglas Brode and Leah Deyneka have assembled an intriguing collection of essays addressing the influences that shaped the films, as well as the impact the franchise has had on popular culture. Contributors to this volume discuss the Star Wars universe and what its connection to various cultural touchstones―from fairy tales and Joseph Campbell to Disneyland and Marvel comics―mean to viewers. Essays examine the films in the franchise as well as incarnations of the Star Wars universe in video games, comic books, and television programs, including the films’ influence on new generations of filmmakers. A companion volume to Sex, Politics, and Culture in Star Wars, Myth, Media, and Culture in Star Wars is a diverse collection of criticism that investigates the dynamic force that Star Wars has become in popular culture, from every imaginable angle. “These titles will be of interest to Star Wars fans and popular culture scholars alike. They provide and interesting and scholarly view of the series and insight into our culture's feelings on politics, religion, media, and gender issues.” ― American Reference Books Annual “Because it [Star Wars] combines so many aspects of various legends, fairy tales, adventures and even religions, it connects so easily with huge audiences. Myth, Media, and Culture in Star Wars introduces a good samples of that discussion.” ― Popcultureshelf.com Douglas Brode , now retired, was the Creator/Coordinator of the Film Classics Program for The Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, USA. He is a novelist, screenwriter, playwright, film historian, multi-award winning journalist, and multi-award winning educator. His previous books include studies of director Steven Spielberg, Shakespeare in the Movies, Star Wars and Star Trek , Walt Disney, the Western genre, and the D.C. Universe, among more than fifty others. Recently, Brode was selected by the Popular Culture Association of America as person of the year for his lifelong list of contributions to the form. Leah Deyneka holds a master's degree in 19th-century literature from King's College, London, UK, and has written extensively on literature, film, media, and popular culture. Her previous books include Dracula's Daughters: The Female Vampire on Film (2013), Myth, Media and Culture in Star Wars: An Anthology (2012), and Sex, Politics, and Religion in Star Wars: An Anthology (2012). Used Book in Good Condition