Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #887259 in Books
• Published on: 2006-07-24
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 176 pages

Synopsis
Examines a range of heroes and villains as portrayed in religion, contemporary literature and film. This title considers what these archetypes mean for us and what they say about societal values and our notions of right and wrong, good and bad.

Customer Reviews

comix and religion
when i first came upon this book i couldnt put it down.it takes the thoughts of people like joseph campbell and compares religion with the super heroes we have come to love in comics and on film and television.i was brought up on marvel comics and sci fi/fantasy movies and to try and look into these fictional characters like this is a great idea.we all live our lives the best way possible and take on board all sorts of influences.a great read.

The Ultimate Discussion of the Hero and Villain: A Fantastic Book!
Heroes and Villains is an amazing and interesting book for all ages and all walks of life. I approached this book as an English and Theology student and found it to be extremely helpful for my Master's Dissertation on Science Fiction. My brother, who is 16 also read it and found it enjoyable as a book that explores the main theme in fiction - the hero and the villain.

Alsford covers an extensive range of fiction: book, comic, film and television show. Harry Potter, Star Wars, Buffy, Dr Who, James Bond, Hercules and Xena, Batman, Superman, Star Trek and even Jesus (to name a few) are drawn upon. Alsford looks at fantasy and science fiction and presents the reader with a deeper understanding of their favourite characters and stories, which only serves to enrich the stories we know and love.

More than simply a book, this text provides the reader with an in-depth look into right and wrong, good and bad. And most importantly Alsford looks not at the black and white hero and villain, but all the areas of grey in-between. Alsford's book asks and attempts to answer questions that plague us all when reading these texts: What makes someone a hero? Who is the true villain? What makes someone a villain? What do these texts say about our culture and society?

Philosophy, theology and a range of theories are drawn upon to discuss the texts, providing readers with a wonderful background and foundation into theory and scholars such as Plato, Nietzsche, Kant, Descartes and many others. The beauty of this book is that the theory can be absorbed and understood by someone who doesn't have a prior knowledge of the theories, but Alsford also encourages students who are studying within their field to look at theory in a new way.

Whether you are reading this as a student or science fiction fan - you will love this book.

Also see `What If? Religious Themes in Science Fiction' by Mike Alsford - which looks at the numerous themes in science fiction, such as cloning and virtual reality.