Superheroes have been an integral part of popular society for decades and have given rise to a collective mythology familiar in popular culture worldwide. Though scholars and fans have recognized and commented on this mythology, its structure has gone largely unexplored. This book provides a model and lexicon for identifying the superhero mythos. The author examines the myth in several narratives--including Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Green Arrow and Beowulf--and discusses such diverse characters as Batman, Wolverine, Invincible and John Constantine.
Superheroes - individuals with incredible powers and incredible lives, dedicated to protecting the world, no matter what the cost. Superhumanity offers seven tales that delve into the conflict-ridden lives of humanity's defenders, taking an intense look into the soul of the superhero.The collection includes:Boom - An origin tale in a dystopian world.How to Save the Day and Screw up Everything Else - A day in the troubled life of a teenage superhero.He Saved, She Saved - Can a double life be a shared life?The Light in the Shadows - A dark adventure for a spectral hero.Old Fashioned Values - A retired superhero struggles to find his place in the modern world.Sunset - A gruelling battle that will push one hero to her limits and beyond.Giants Walk Among Us - A powerless crusader must learn what it means to be a hero.
Superheroes have been an integral part of popular society for decades and have given rise to a collective mythology familiar in popular culture worldwide. Though scholars and fans have recognized and commented on this mythology, its structure has gone largely unexplored. This book provides a model and lexicon for identifying the superhero mythos. The author examines the myth in several narratives--including Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Green Arrow and Beowulf--and discusses such diverse characters as Batman, Wolverine, Invincible and John Constantine.
The essays in this collection explore the question of the human, both as a contested concept and as it relates to, and functions within, the wider global conjuncture. The authors explore the theoretical underpinnings of the term “human,” inviting the reader to reflect upon the contemporary human condition, to identify opportunities and threats in the changes ahead, and to determine what aspects of our species we should abandon or strive to maintain. The volume approaches these ideas from a myriad of perspectives, but the authors are united in their abstention from rejecting humanism outright or, indeed, fully endorsing posthumanism‘s teleological narrative of accelerated progress and perfectability. Instead, the authors argue that the term “human” itself is better understood as a concept perpetually undergoing revision, and is necessarily subject to scrutiny. The contributors here are thus concerned with investigating the following questions: What does it mean to be human, or to have a self? What is the current place or status of the human in the contemporary world? As technology is increasingly used to modify our bodies and minds, to what extent should we alter – and how can we improve – our very understanding of human nature? The authors contend that literature is the art form best placed to answer these questions. In its dynamism and discursiveness, literature has the capacity to both reflect dominant discourses and ideologies, as well as to generate and even anticipate social change; to critique and refine conventional ideas and existing cultural modes, and to envision new possibilities for the future. The human and its literary representation, in other words, are inherently intertwined.
In 2077, Sophia Smith was a normal girl with a normal family until something happened on July 19th, her last summer school field trip. Sophia fell down into toxic waste, which gave her amazing abilities. She later finds out that her brother, Andrew Luck, is not who he seemed to be while she meets new friends like Blue Sky, Green Dirt, and a boy with special abilities. Along the way, she also meets enemies, in particular two men with special abilities and the most sinister one of them all, The White Magician!
This collection explores contemporary superhero narratives, including comic books and films, in a wider mythic context. Since the 1930s superheroes have come to dominate a variety of media formats. Why are audiences so fascinated with heroes, and what makes the idea of heroes so necessary in society?
A tenth anniversary edition of the worldwide cult favorite, now with new material and illustrations. "One of the saddest, funniest, strangest, and most romantic books. . . . Brilliant!" —The Bookseller (UK) All Tom's friends really are superheroes. Tom even married a superhero, the Perfectionist. But at their wedding she was hypnotized to believe Tom is invisible. Six months later, she's sure Tom has abandoned her. With no idea Tom's beside her, she boards an airplane, determined to leave the heartbreak behind. He has till they land to make her see him. This tenth anniversary edition adds short stories, illustrations, and a foreword to the cult classic that has been a bestseller in the United Kingdom, Germany, and Sweden.
Now that little Carol Anne Smith is going from a baby to a toddler, she is growing by leaps and bounds and with her abilities growing and being fine-tuned that also means that her sibling rivalry with her big brother; Andrew is also growing and reaching new heights, as Carol Anne learns to defend herself and fight back and give as good as she gets. It then, therefore, begs the question: Will there ever be hope for a sibling truce, before Carol Anne's second birthday in July 2016 or will both little siblings just keep on fighting as their rivalry escalates to new, dizzying height
Come and See is the story of Andrew Daltoy, an average college student who does not know that he is about to be thrust into a difficult situation. Regardless of what he believes, he is about to have a hand in history as one of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse. Who can he trust with this earth-shattering secret, and who would stick by someone after learning such a secret? Andrew learns that he is going to be dragged into a competition between the horsemen and the winner gets the grand prize of kicking off the end of the world. He will be pulled between the horrible responsibility of his destiny and having to give up what he wants to keep those he loves, and the world, safe. Will Andrew win the contest and end the world, or will he lose it all trying to save it all? Will his sacrifice be worth what he will be required to give up to keep his loved ones safe and secure? Will Andrew even be the same person when the contest is over? Can he stop those that will stop at nothing to end it all, even if it requires the unthinkable?
In a world where superheroes are a business, sixteen-year-old Alex Fry gets the dream job of teenagers everywhere when he is hired by the famous superhero Rubberman as his sidekick. As Rubberman's sidekick, Alex hopes to not only learn how to use his powers, but also save up enough money to buy his first car before he heads off to college. But Alex gets more than he bargains for when a powerful supervillain with mysterious connections to Rubberman's past appears in his city with a dangerous agenda. Now Alex must master his powers in time to help Rubberman defeat this supervillain before he succeeds in his vile plans. Yet when Alex learns about the darker side of the superhero industry, he finds himself unsure whether to keep working for Rubberman or to stand against him for the greater good. If Alex makes the wrong choice, it will change his life—and the fate of his hometown—forever. KEYWORDS: superhero action fiction, superhero fantasy, superhero fiction novel, superhero science fiction, superhero scifi, superhero young adult, superhero city, superhero books, superhero action, superhero books for kids, superheroes, cool superheroes, action adventure books, superhero action adventure books, action adventure fiction, superhero action adventure fiction, young adult action adventure, action adventure young adult, free superhero books, free action adventure books, free young adult books, free coming of age books, free young adult thrillers
