Superpower : Heroes, Ghosts, and the Paranormal in American Culture

by Booker, M. Keith

• ISBN13: 9780803232891
• ISBN10: 0803232896
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-05-01
• Publisher: Univ of Nebraska Pr

Summary

Supernatural and superhuman elements have been prominent in American culture from the time of the New England Puritans' intense emphasis on religion.Superpowersurveys the appearance of supernatural and superhuman elements in American culture, focusing on the American fascination with narratives involving supernatural adventure, superhuman heroes, and vast conspiracies driven by supernatural evil. In particular, M. Keith Booker suggests that the popularity of such themes indicates a deep-seated dissatisfaction with the rationalized world of contemporary American society. Booker details the development of the national myths underlying the characters of Superman, Batman, and Spiderman; television hits fromStar TrektoLost; and the franchises ofPirates of the CaribbeanandThe Lord of the Rings. This culture-spanning investigation begins with a historical survey of supernatural and superhuman themes in American culture and concludes with the recent upsurge that began in the 1990s. It then turns to various works of recent popular culture with supernatural and superhuman themes such asTwin Peaks,The X-Files, andBuffy the Vampire Slayer, organized according to the desires to which these works respond. What do these fantasies reveal about what it means to be American todayand what we want it to mean?

Author Biography

M. Keith Booker is the James E. and Ellen Wadley Roper Professor of English and the director of the program in comparative literature and cultural studies at the University of Arkansas. He is the author of several books, including Alternate Americas: Science Fiction Film and American Culture and From Box Office to Ballot Box: The American Political Film.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Culture of Longing—The Supernatural in American Culture	p. ix
Not Just a Job: The Longing for Adventure in American History and American Culture	p. 1
Voyages of Discovery: American Adventure from Columbus to Jean-Luc Picard	p. 3
The British Invasion: Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter Make It Big in America	p. 27
Cool Magic: The American Postmodern Epic Fantasy	p. 40
Heroism in America: The Longing for Heroes in American History and American Culture	p. 49
American Heroes and Antiheroes: Kings of the Wild Frontier	p. 50
Hard-boiled Magic: The Vampire Detective	p. 67
Girls Kick Butt: The Female Action Hero	p. 82
Buffy Keeps It Cool	p. 89
Teenagers from Outer Space: Teen Angst and the Superhero Narrative	p. 101
Our Others, Our Selves: The Mutant Superhero	p. 110
U.S. vs. Them: American Paranoia and the Longing for Evil in American History and American Culture	p. 129
Rosemary's Baby and the Horror Boom of the 1970s	p. 133
The X-Files and the Postmodern Conspiracy Narrative: Mapping the Apocalypse	p. 142
Apocalyptic Television at the Turn of the Millennium	p. 149
Finding that Special Place: The Strange Enclave Narrative from Twin Peaks to Lost	p. 161
Conclusion: The Contradictory Compensations of Popular Culture	p. 171
Notes	p. 177
Works Cited	p. 183
Films Cited	p. 189
Television Series Cited	p. 195
Index	p. 199
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