Supernatural Psychology Roads Less Traveled

by Langley, Travis; Zubernis, Lynn S; Maberry, Jonathan; Pellegrino, Mark R.

• ISBN13: 9781454926610
• ISBN10: 1454926619
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2017-11-07
• Publisher: Sterling

Summary

A fascinating analysis of the psychology behind the popular TV series Supernatural.

Following the adventures of two brothers who investigate deeply strange and paranormal mysteries in their never-ending road trip, the TV show Supernatural has many fans eager to better understand the psychology behind the series’ themes and characters. Through 20 essays, this collection examines such issues as

• The role grief and trauma play in the protagonists’ lives
• The importance of music to the narrative
• What motivates someone to hunt monsters and why we want to believe in magic
• The various archangels and archetypes depicted
• How people can cope with tragedy, loss, addiction, and fear to become heroes who do the right thing
• The dynamics of fandom: how fans relate to the narrative, characters, and actors, and continue to engage with series through fanfic, social media, and other practices

Author Biography

Travis Langley, PhD, is a psychology professor at Henderson State University, the author of Batman and Psychology (Wiley), and the volume editor of The Walking Dead Psychology, Star Wars Psychology, Game of Thrones Psychology, and the rest of the Popular Culture Psychology series (all Sterling). He speaks regularly on media and heroism at universities, conferences, and popular-culture conventions including San Diego Comic-Con, New York Comic Con, and others throughout the world. Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC Comics and other films have featured him as an expert interviewee, and the documentary Legends of the Knight spotlighted how he uses fiction to teach real psychology. Psychology Today carries his blog “Beyond Heroes and Villains,” and he is one of the 10 most popular psychologists on Twitter with over 100,000 followers: @superherologist.