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Millennial Mythmaking: 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 from various sources such as Planet of the Apes, Wicked, Pan's Labyrinth, and Spirited Away ; the Harry Potter series; and Second Life are analyzed as creative mythology and a representation of contemporary culture and emerging technology.
- GenresNonfiction
212 pages, Paperback
First published December 23, 2009
30 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 9, 2011
Edited by John Perlich and David Whitt, Millennial Mythmaking follows up their previous anthology of essays - Sith, Slayers, Stargates, and Cyborgs - with another round of contemporary comparative mythology. Generally connecting back to Joseph Campbell's theories of mythology, this collection examines modern novels, films, and games and compares them to traditional themes (mostly classical, but also western) and analyzes the roles of science fiction and fantasy as contemporary mythology. Topics in the book include the Harry Potter novels, The Wizard of Oz and Wicked, Pan's Labyrinth, Spirited Away, the game "Second Life," Planet of the Apes (the film), The Triplets of Belleville, Ghost in the Shell, and a few recent TV shows.
While the essays in this anthology are written in scholarly style (including lots of notes and citations), they are perfectly readable for those of us who have a more amateur interest in science fiction/fantasy and comparative mythology. Even as someone who is more familiar with older texts (as in H.G. Wells and William Morris), I was not bored while reading most of these essays, nor was I confused with plotlines, as the authors give basic overviews of the works they discuss. The essays in Millennial Mythmaking have interesting points that, for the most part, they develop and support well. Not all of the essays are equal, however. The first one, in particular, did little for me and seemed unclear. One or two others rambled a bit or were not entirely clear in such things as sequences of events, but these are the exceptions. I was also disappointed by some grammatical and punctuation errors in my copy (which has no indication on it of being an ARC).
A positive thing about Millennial Mythmaking is that it does not limit itself to English-language texts. While it is much less broad than it could be, it does go far enough to include some Japanese, Spanish, and French works. It focuses more on films than anything else, which can be a little disappointing for literature buffs, but it didn't detract too much from my overall impression of the book. So, for anyone interested in modern comparative mythology or the analysis of sci-fi/fantasy, this is a decent read.
While the essays in this anthology are written in scholarly style (including lots of notes and citations), they are perfectly readable for those of us who have a more amateur interest in science fiction/fantasy and comparative mythology. Even as someone who is more familiar with older texts (as in H.G. Wells and William Morris), I was not bored while reading most of these essays, nor was I confused with plotlines, as the authors give basic overviews of the works they discuss. The essays in Millennial Mythmaking have interesting points that, for the most part, they develop and support well. Not all of the essays are equal, however. The first one, in particular, did little for me and seemed unclear. One or two others rambled a bit or were not entirely clear in such things as sequences of events, but these are the exceptions. I was also disappointed by some grammatical and punctuation errors in my copy (which has no indication on it of being an ARC).
A positive thing about Millennial Mythmaking is that it does not limit itself to English-language texts. While it is much less broad than it could be, it does go far enough to include some Japanese, Spanish, and French works. It focuses more on films than anything else, which can be a little disappointing for literature buffs, but it didn't detract too much from my overall impression of the book. So, for anyone interested in modern comparative mythology or the analysis of sci-fi/fantasy, this is a decent read.
February 26, 2016
This book has several interesting essays on how modern myths can turn up in today 19s books and other media. There are essays about the Harry Potter, the Wizard of Oz and 1CThe Planet of the Apes 1D movies. The different essays showed a different light on their topics and how new myths can emerge in our modern world. I found the book informative and thought provoking.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews