Aliens in Popular Culture

(Hardback)

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Description

An indispensable resource, this book provides wide coverage on aliens in fiction and popular culture. The wide impact that the imagined alien has had upon Western culture has not been surveyed before; in many cases the essays in Aliens in Popular Culture are the first written on the topic. The book is a compendium of short entries on notable uses of aliens in popular culture across different media and platforms by almost 90 researchers in the field. It covers science fiction from the late nineteenth century into the twenty-first century, including books, films, television, comics, games, and even advertisements. Individual essays point to the ways in which the imagined alien can be seen as a reflection of different fears and tensions within society, above all in the Anglo-American world. The book additionally provides an overview for context and suggestions for further reading. All varieties of readers will find it to be a comprehensive reference about the extra-terrestrial in popular culture.

Reviews

Sf enthusiasts will appreciate this comprehensive reference about extraterrestrials in popular culture. * Library Journal *
The range of topics covered is as wide as a galaxy and includes familiar sf writers such as Harlan Ellison, Ursula K. LeGuin, Philip K. Dick, and Octavia E. Butler as well as film, television, and gaming favorites, from Teletubbies and Tron to Star Trek, Star Wars, and StarCraft. A specialized sourcebook with definite appeal for fans of sf in particular and students of popular culture in general. * Booklist Online *
A nice collection of essays and entries on a popular topic in both media and public interest. * ARBA *

Author Bio

Michael M. Levy was professor of English at the University of Wisconsin, Stout, until his untimely death in 2017. Farah Mendlesohn is author of Rhetorics of Fantasy The Inter-Galactic Playground: Children's and Teens' Science Fiction.