Read The Monomyth in American Science Fiction Films: 28 Visions of the Hero's Journey by Donald E. Palumbo Online

The Monomyth in American Science Fiction Films: 28 Visions of the Hero's Journey

Donald E. Palumbo

2.5/5 ( ratings)

One of the great intellectual achievements of the 20th century, Joseph Campbell's The Hero with a Thousand Faces is an elaborate articulation of the monomyth: the narrative pattern underlying countless stories from the most ancient myths and legends to the films and television series of today. The monomyth's fundamental storyline, in Campbell's words, sees the hero venture forth from the world of the common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons to his fellow man. Campbell asserted that the hero is each of us--thus the monomyth's endurance as a compelling plot structure. This study examines the monomyth in the context of Campbell's The Hero and discusses the use of this versatile narrative in 26 films and two television shows produced between 1960 and 2009, including the initial Star Wars trilogy , The Time Machine , Logan's Run , Escape from New York , Tron , The Terminator , The Matrix , the first 11 Star Trek films , and the Sci Fi Channel's miniseries Frank Herbert's Dune and Frank Herbert's Children of Dune .

Pages: 204

Format: Paperback

Publisher: McFarland & Company

Release: October 22, 2014

ISBN: 0786479116

ISBN 13: 9780786479115

Rate this book!

Write a review?

Subscribe to Read | $0.00

Popular Genres

Subscribe to Read | $0.00

The Monomyth in American Science Fiction Films: 28 Visions of the Hero's Journey

The Monomyth in American Science Fiction Films: 28 Visions of the Hero's Journey

The Monomyth in American Science Fiction Films: 28 Visions of the Hero's Journey

More books from Donald E. Palumbo

Of Bread, Blood and the Hunger Games: Critical Essays on the Suzanne Collins Trilogy

Illuminating Torchwood: Essays on Narrative, Character and Sexuality in the BBC Series

Lois McMaster Bujold: Essays on a Modern Master of Science Fiction and Fantasy

The Inter-Galactic Playground: A Critical Study of Children's and Teens' Science Fiction

The Twilight Mystique: Critical Essays on the Novels and Films

Doctor Who in Time and Space: Essays on Themes, Characters, History and Fandom, 1963-2012

Comics as a Nexus of Cultures: Essays on the Interplay of Media, Disciplines and International Perspectives

The Heritage of Heinlein: A Critical Reading of the Fiction

Discworld and the Disciplines: Critical Approaches to the Terry Pratchett Works

Portals of Power: Magical Agency and Transformation in Literary Fantasy

Cult Telefantasy Series (Explorations in Science Fiction and Fantasy)

The Science of Fiction and the Fiction of Science: Collected Essays on SF Storytelling and the Gnostic Imagination

Erotic Universe: Sexuality and Fantastic Literature

Environments in Science Fiction: Essays on Alternative Spaces

A Dune Companion: Characters, Places and Terms in Frank Herbert’s Original Six Novels

The Sex Is Out of This World: Essays on the Carnal Side of Science Fiction

Eros in the Mind's Eye: Sexuality and the Fantastic in Art and Film

Heinlein's Juvenile Novels: A Cultural Dictionary

Caitlín R. Kiernan: A Critical Study of Her Dark Fiction (Critical Explorations in Science Fiction and Fantasy Book 71)

Science Fiction and Futurism: Their Terms and Ideas