Finding the Force of the Star Wars Franchise

The Editors: Matthew Wilhelm Kapell edited, with William G. Doty, Jacking in to the Matrix Franchise (2004). An anthropologist and historian, he has published on topics as diverse as the genetics of human growth, utopian thought, and Christian romance fiction. John Shelton Lawrence is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Morningside College, Sioux City, Iowa. He wrote, with Robert Jewett, Captain America and the Crusade against Evil (2003) and the multiple award-winningThe Myth of the American Superhero (2002).

«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)

• Contents: John Shelton Lawrence: Introduction: Spectacle, Merchandise, and Influence – John Shelton Lawrence: Joseph Campbell, George Lucas, and the Monomyth – Stephen P. McVeigh: The Galactic Way of Warfare – Michelle J. Kinnucan: Pedagogy of (the) Force: The Myth of Redemptive Violence – Jonathan L. Bowen/Rachel Wagner: «Hokey Religions and Ancient Weapons»: The Force of Spirituality – Jennifer E. Porter: «I Am a Jedi»: Star Wars Fandom, Religious Belief, and the 2001 Census – Philip L. Simpson: Thawing the Ice Princess – Roger Kaufman: How the Star Wars Saga Evokes the Creative Promise of Homosexual Love: A Gay-Centered Psychological Perspective – Matthew Wilhelm Kapell: Eugenics, Racism, and the Jedi Gene Pool – Staphanie J. Wilhelm: Imperial Plastic, Republican Fiber: Speculating on the Post-Colonial Other – Jess C. Horsley: Growing Up in a Galaxy Far, Far Away – John Panton: Two Generations of Boys and Their Star Wars Toys – Lincoln Geraghty: Aging Toys and Players: Fan Identity and Cultural Capital – Andrew Plemmons Pratt: Blowing Stardust in Our Eyes: Digital Film Theory and Identification with Imaginary Cameras – Mark McDermott: The Menace of the Fans to the Franchise – Bruce Isaacs: A Survey of Popular and Scholarly Receptions of the Star Wars Franchise – Matthew Wilhelm Kapell: Conclusion: Finding Myth in the History of Your Own Time.