Finding the Force of the Star Wars Franchise
Fans, Merchandise, and Critics
John Shelton Lawrence editor Matthew Wilhelm Kapell editor
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Peter Lang Publishing Inc
Published:11th Jul '06
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
In 1977 a single film called Star Wars exploded on the consciousness of the world. Since then the franchise, created by George Lucas, has become a global entertainment corporation. The merchandise of the original trilogy was largely confined to toys and games, but those games have since become computerized, the toys more sophisticated, and Star Wars has moved into the multi-media environment of the twenty-first century in ways unimaginable in the long-ago world of 1977. Computer games and web sites, novels, animated television shows, as well as a new trilogy of films, have all placed Star Wars at the center of world popular culture.
Finding the Force of the Star Wars Franchise brings together contributors who critically analyze the Star Wars universe from many perspectives. Topics include war, foreign policy, gender roles, spirituality and religion, toy play and adult collecting, creative fandom, race, special effects, and mythology.
«Star Wars is the most important franchise in the history of American popular culture, and Kapell and Lawrence’s ‘Finding the Force of the Star Wars Franchise: Fans, Merchandise, and Critics’ is the most important book about Star Wars. This collection of well-written and engaging essays examines the Star Wars phenomenon from a variety of important and revealing perspectives. It is a ‘must have’ for any Star Wars fan, or for anyone interested in the dynamic interplay of popular culture and society.» (Gary Hoppenstand, Editor, The Journal of Popular Culture)
«These essays place the dynamics of the twentieth century’s most wide-reaching science fiction phenomenon in a meaningful cultural and political context.» (Javier Martinez, Editor, Extrapolation)
«Star Wars is the most important franchise in the history of American popular culture, and Kapell and Lawrence’s ‘Finding the Force of the Star Wars Franchise: Fans, Merchandise, and Critics’ is the most important book about Star Wars. This collection of well-written and engaging essays examines the Star Wars phenomenon from a variety of important and revealing perspectives. It is a ‘must have’ for any Star Wars fan, or for anyone interested in the dynamic interplay of popular culture and society.» (Gary Hoppenstand, Editor, The Journal of Popular Culture)
«These essays place the dynamics of the twentieth century’s most wide-reaching science fiction phenomenon in a meaningful cultural and political context.» (Javier Martinez, Editor, Extrapolation)
ISBN: 9780820463339
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: 440g
308 pages
New edition