The Popular Culture Association continues to be a great source for addressing fascinating aspects at the intersection between the fantastic and culture. Yesterday I received an announcement concerning a call for papers dealing with the topic of mythology and the new millennium for a volume that is viewed as a logical extension of a new book. This new book is edited by David Whitt and John R. Perlich, and it is titled Slayers, Stargates, and Cyborgs: Modern Mythology in the New Millennium (Peter Lang Publishers, 2007). The book is not yet available from American publishing outlets but can be ordered directly from the publisher or from Amazon.com.

Book Description
The beginning of the twenty-first century has already seen its fair share of modern myths with heroes such as Spider-Man, Superman, and Harry Potter. The authors in this volume deconstruct, discuss, engage, and interrogate the mythologies of the new millennium in science fiction fantasy texts. Using literary and rhetorical criticism—paired with philosophy, cultural studies, media arts, psychology, and communication studies—they illustrate the function, value, and role of new mythologies, and show that the universal appeal of these texts is their mythic power, drawing upon archetypes of the past which resonate with individuals and throughout culture. In this way they demonstrate how mythology is timeless and eternal.

From the Back Cover
“This volume represents fan-scholarship at its most energetic, invigorating, and inspiring. The contributors couple a fan’s close reading and enthusiasm with the confidently-informed theoretical scope of academia—and show that not only do the two approaches mesh perfectly, but that they’re really not that far apart.

“It’s a tribute to the authors that however well you know these shows and movies, you’ll find something here to surprise you; a way of seeing the familiar from a fresh perspective. You’ll want to watch old DVDs again, and check out the ones you haven’t seen. You’ll want to meet the contributors and talk through a few of their ideas— and you get the feeling they’d like that too.”

Will Brooker, Principal Lecturer and Head of Film and Television at Kingston University in London and author Batman Unmasked, Using the Force, and The Blade Runner Experience.