Stephen King and Philosophy

Stephen King and Philosophy

Author: Jacob M. Held

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2016-08-15

Total Pages: 324

ISBN-13: 1442269766

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Haunting us with such unforgettable stories as The Shining, The Shawshank Redemption, Salem’s Lot, Carrie, The Green Mile, and Pet Sematary, Stephen King has been an anchor of American horror, science fiction, psychological thrillers, and suspense for more than forty years. His characters have brought chills to our spines and challenged our notions of reality while leaving us in awe of the perseverance of the human spirit. The first book in the new Great Authors and Philosophy series, Stephen King and Philosophy reveals some of the deeper issues raised by King’s work. From retribution, freedom, and moral relativity, to death and insanity, the chapters of this book expose how King’s stories access the questions and fears that haunt each of us in the middle of the night.


Book Synopsis Stephen King and Philosophy by : Jacob M. Held

Download or read book Stephen King and Philosophy written by Jacob M. Held and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2016-08-15 with total page 324 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Haunting us with such unforgettable stories as The Shining, The Shawshank Redemption, Salem’s Lot, Carrie, The Green Mile, and Pet Sematary, Stephen King has been an anchor of American horror, science fiction, psychological thrillers, and suspense for more than forty years. His characters have brought chills to our spines and challenged our notions of reality while leaving us in awe of the perseverance of the human spirit. The first book in the new Great Authors and Philosophy series, Stephen King and Philosophy reveals some of the deeper issues raised by King’s work. From retribution, freedom, and moral relativity, to death and insanity, the chapters of this book expose how King’s stories access the questions and fears that haunt each of us in the middle of the night.


The Philosophy of Horror

The Philosophy of Horror

Author: Thomas Fahy

Publisher: University Press of Kentucky

Published: 2010-04-30

Total Pages: 270

ISBN-13: 0813173701

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Sitting on pins and needles, anxiously waiting to see what will happen next, horror audiences crave the fear and exhilaration generated by a terrifying story; their anticipation is palpable. But they also breathe a sigh of relief when the action is over, when they are able to close their books or leave the movie theater. Whether serious, kitschy, frightening, or ridiculous, horror not only arouses the senses but also raises profound questions about fear, safety, justice, and suffering. From literature and urban legends to film and television, horror’s ability to thrill has made it an integral part of modern entertainment. Thomas Fahy and twelve other scholars reveal the underlying themes of the genre in The Philosophy of Horror. Examining the evolving role of horror, the contributing authors investigate works such as Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818), horror films of the 1930s, Stephen King’s novels, Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of The Shining (1980), and Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960). Also examined are works that have largely been ignored in philosophical circles, including Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood (1965), Patrick Süskind’s Perfume (1985), and James Purdy’s Narrow Rooms (2005). The analysis also extends to contemporary forms of popular horror and “torture-horror” films of the last decade, including Saw (2004), Hostel (2005), The Devil’s Rejects (2005), and The Hills Have Eyes (2006), as well as the ongoing popularity of horror on the small screen. The Philosophy of Horror celebrates the strange, compelling, and disturbing elements of horror, drawing on interpretive approaches such as feminist, postcolonial, Marxist, and psychoanalytic criticism. The book invites readers to consider horror’s various manifestations and transformations since the late 1700s, probing its social, cultural, and political functions in today’s media-hungry society.


Book Synopsis The Philosophy of Horror by : Thomas Fahy

Download or read book The Philosophy of Horror written by Thomas Fahy and published by University Press of Kentucky. This book was released on 2010-04-30 with total page 270 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sitting on pins and needles, anxiously waiting to see what will happen next, horror audiences crave the fear and exhilaration generated by a terrifying story; their anticipation is palpable. But they also breathe a sigh of relief when the action is over, when they are able to close their books or leave the movie theater. Whether serious, kitschy, frightening, or ridiculous, horror not only arouses the senses but also raises profound questions about fear, safety, justice, and suffering. From literature and urban legends to film and television, horror’s ability to thrill has made it an integral part of modern entertainment. Thomas Fahy and twelve other scholars reveal the underlying themes of the genre in The Philosophy of Horror. Examining the evolving role of horror, the contributing authors investigate works such as Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818), horror films of the 1930s, Stephen King’s novels, Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of The Shining (1980), and Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960). Also examined are works that have largely been ignored in philosophical circles, including Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood (1965), Patrick Süskind’s Perfume (1985), and James Purdy’s Narrow Rooms (2005). The analysis also extends to contemporary forms of popular horror and “torture-horror” films of the last decade, including Saw (2004), Hostel (2005), The Devil’s Rejects (2005), and The Hills Have Eyes (2006), as well as the ongoing popularity of horror on the small screen. The Philosophy of Horror celebrates the strange, compelling, and disturbing elements of horror, drawing on interpretive approaches such as feminist, postcolonial, Marxist, and psychoanalytic criticism. The book invites readers to consider horror’s various manifestations and transformations since the late 1700s, probing its social, cultural, and political functions in today’s media-hungry society.


Landscape of Fear

Landscape of Fear

Author: Tony Magistrale

Publisher: Popular Press

Published: 1988

Total Pages: 144

ISBN-13: 9780879724054

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One of the very first books to take Stephen King seriously, Landscape of Fear (originally published in 1988) reveals the source of King's horror in the sociopolitical anxieties of the post-Vietnam, post-Watergate era. In this groundbreaking study, Tony Magistrale shows how King's fiction transcends the escapism typical of its genre to tap into our deepest cultural fears: "that the government we have installed through the democratic process is not only corrupt but actively pursuing our destruction, that our technologies have progressed to the point at which the individual has now become expendable, and that our fundamental social institutions-school, marriage, workplace, and the church-have, beneath their veneers of respectability, evolved into perverse manifestations of narcissism, greed, and violence." Tracing King's moralist vision to the likes of Twain, Hawthorne, and Melville, Landscape of Fear establishes the place of this popular writer within the grand tradition of American literature. Like his literary forbears, King gives us characters that have the capacity to make ethical choices in an imperfect, often evil world. Yet he inscribes that conflict within unmistakably modern settings. From the industrial nightmare of "Graveyard Shift" to the breakdown of the domestic sphere in The Shining, from the techno-horrors of The Stand to the religious fanaticism and adolescent cruelty depicted in Carrie, Magistrale charts the contours of King's fictional landscape in its first decade.


Book Synopsis Landscape of Fear by : Tony Magistrale

Download or read book Landscape of Fear written by Tony Magistrale and published by Popular Press. This book was released on 1988 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of the very first books to take Stephen King seriously, Landscape of Fear (originally published in 1988) reveals the source of King's horror in the sociopolitical anxieties of the post-Vietnam, post-Watergate era. In this groundbreaking study, Tony Magistrale shows how King's fiction transcends the escapism typical of its genre to tap into our deepest cultural fears: "that the government we have installed through the democratic process is not only corrupt but actively pursuing our destruction, that our technologies have progressed to the point at which the individual has now become expendable, and that our fundamental social institutions-school, marriage, workplace, and the church-have, beneath their veneers of respectability, evolved into perverse manifestations of narcissism, greed, and violence." Tracing King's moralist vision to the likes of Twain, Hawthorne, and Melville, Landscape of Fear establishes the place of this popular writer within the grand tradition of American literature. Like his literary forbears, King gives us characters that have the capacity to make ethical choices in an imperfect, often evil world. Yet he inscribes that conflict within unmistakably modern settings. From the industrial nightmare of "Graveyard Shift" to the breakdown of the domestic sphere in The Shining, from the techno-horrors of The Stand to the religious fanaticism and adolescent cruelty depicted in Carrie, Magistrale charts the contours of King's fictional landscape in its first decade.


Breaking Bad and Philosophy

Breaking Bad and Philosophy

Author: David R. Koepsell

Publisher: Open Court

Published: 2012-06-20

Total Pages: 288

ISBN-13: 0812697901

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Breaking Bad, hailed by Stephen King, Chuck Klosterman, and many others as the best of all TV dramas, tells the story of a man whose life changes because of the medical death sentence of an advanced cancer diagnosis. The show depicts his metamorphosis from inoffensive chemistry teacher to feared drug lord and remorseless killer. Driven at first by the desire to save his family from destitution, he risks losing his family altogether because of his new life of crime. In defiance of the tradition that viewers demand a TV character who never changes, Breaking Bad is all about the process of change, with each scene carrying forward the morphing of Walter White into the terrible Heisenberg. Can a person be transformed as the result of a few key life choices? Does everyone have the potential to be a ruthless criminal? How will we respond to the knowledge that we will be dead in six months? Is human life subject to laws as remorseless as chemical equations? When does injustice validate brutal retaliation? Why are drug addicts unsuitable for operating the illegal drug business? How can TV viewers remain loyal to a series where the hero becomes the villain? Does Heisenberg’s Principle of Uncertainty rule our destinies? In Breaking Bad and Philosophy, a hand-picked squad of professional thinkers investigate the crimes of Walter White, showing how this story relates to the major themes of philosophy and the major life decisions facing all of us.


Book Synopsis Breaking Bad and Philosophy by : David R. Koepsell

Download or read book Breaking Bad and Philosophy written by David R. Koepsell and published by Open Court. This book was released on 2012-06-20 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Breaking Bad, hailed by Stephen King, Chuck Klosterman, and many others as the best of all TV dramas, tells the story of a man whose life changes because of the medical death sentence of an advanced cancer diagnosis. The show depicts his metamorphosis from inoffensive chemistry teacher to feared drug lord and remorseless killer. Driven at first by the desire to save his family from destitution, he risks losing his family altogether because of his new life of crime. In defiance of the tradition that viewers demand a TV character who never changes, Breaking Bad is all about the process of change, with each scene carrying forward the morphing of Walter White into the terrible Heisenberg. Can a person be transformed as the result of a few key life choices? Does everyone have the potential to be a ruthless criminal? How will we respond to the knowledge that we will be dead in six months? Is human life subject to laws as remorseless as chemical equations? When does injustice validate brutal retaliation? Why are drug addicts unsuitable for operating the illegal drug business? How can TV viewers remain loyal to a series where the hero becomes the villain? Does Heisenberg’s Principle of Uncertainty rule our destinies? In Breaking Bad and Philosophy, a hand-picked squad of professional thinkers investigate the crimes of Walter White, showing how this story relates to the major themes of philosophy and the major life decisions facing all of us.


Explaining Postmodernism

Explaining Postmodernism

Author: Stephen R. C. Hicks

Publisher: Scholargy Publishing, Inc.

Published: 2004

Total Pages: 250

ISBN-13: 9781592476428

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Book Synopsis Explaining Postmodernism by : Stephen R. C. Hicks

Download or read book Explaining Postmodernism written by Stephen R. C. Hicks and published by Scholargy Publishing, Inc.. This book was released on 2004 with total page 250 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:


Jane Austen and Philosophy

Jane Austen and Philosophy

Author: Mimi Marinucci

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2016-11-15

Total Pages: 266

ISBN-13: 1442257105

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Generations of readers have fallen in love with Jane Austen’s timeless tales of eighteenth-century English life. Even casual readers comprehend that these classic novels are not just love stories. They offer keen insights into various aspects of the human condition, such as interpersonal relationships, social conventions, and morality. Jane Austen and Philosophy offers all fans of Austen’s work an introduction to the incredible depth of this English novelist’s stories by probing, for example, the struggles of Elizabeth and Jane Bennett, Emma Woodhouse, and Elinor and Marianne Dashwood as they face societal pressures and their own desires. As the second book in the new Great Authors and Philosophy series,Jane Austen and Philosophy explores questions about morality and duty, propriety and dignity, and obligation and happiness that sheds new light on the works of this classic author and reveals deep issues still relevant to the men and women of society today.


Book Synopsis Jane Austen and Philosophy by : Mimi Marinucci

Download or read book Jane Austen and Philosophy written by Mimi Marinucci and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2016-11-15 with total page 266 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Generations of readers have fallen in love with Jane Austen’s timeless tales of eighteenth-century English life. Even casual readers comprehend that these classic novels are not just love stories. They offer keen insights into various aspects of the human condition, such as interpersonal relationships, social conventions, and morality. Jane Austen and Philosophy offers all fans of Austen’s work an introduction to the incredible depth of this English novelist’s stories by probing, for example, the struggles of Elizabeth and Jane Bennett, Emma Woodhouse, and Elinor and Marianne Dashwood as they face societal pressures and their own desires. As the second book in the new Great Authors and Philosophy series,Jane Austen and Philosophy explores questions about morality and duty, propriety and dignity, and obligation and happiness that sheds new light on the works of this classic author and reveals deep issues still relevant to the men and women of society today.


The Philosophy of Horror

The Philosophy of Horror

Author: Noel Carroll

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2003-09-02

Total Pages: 403

ISBN-13: 113596503X

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Noel Carroll, film scholar and philosopher, offers the first serious look at the aesthetics of horror. In this book he discusses the nature and narrative structures of the genre, dealing with horror as a "transmedia" phenomenon. A fan and serious student of the horror genre, Carroll brings to bear his comprehensive knowledge of obscure and forgotten works, as well as of the horror masterpieces. Working from a philosophical perspective, he tries to account for how people can find pleasure in having their wits scared out of them. What, after all, are those "paradoxes of the heart" that make us want to be horrified?


Book Synopsis The Philosophy of Horror by : Noel Carroll

Download or read book The Philosophy of Horror written by Noel Carroll and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2003-09-02 with total page 403 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Noel Carroll, film scholar and philosopher, offers the first serious look at the aesthetics of horror. In this book he discusses the nature and narrative structures of the genre, dealing with horror as a "transmedia" phenomenon. A fan and serious student of the horror genre, Carroll brings to bear his comprehensive knowledge of obscure and forgotten works, as well as of the horror masterpieces. Working from a philosophical perspective, he tries to account for how people can find pleasure in having their wits scared out of them. What, after all, are those "paradoxes of the heart" that make us want to be horrified?


The Necromancer's House

The Necromancer's House

Author: Christopher Buehlman

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2013-10-01

Total Pages: 355

ISBN-13: 1101625899

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“You think you got away with something, don’t you? But your time has run out. We know where you are. And we are coming.” Andrew Ranulf Blankenship is a stylish nonconformist with wry wit, a classic Mustang, and a massive library. He’s also a recovering alcoholic and a practicing warlock. His house is a maze of sorcerous booby traps and escape tunnels, as yours might be if you were sitting on a treasury of Russian magic stolen from the Soviet Union thirty years ago. Andrew has long known that magic is a brutal game requiring blood sacrifice and a willingness to confront death, but years of peace and comfort have left him more concerned with maintaining false youth than with seeing to his own defense. Now a monster straight from the pages of Russian folklore is coming for him, and frost and death are coming with her.


Book Synopsis The Necromancer's House by : Christopher Buehlman

Download or read book The Necromancer's House written by Christopher Buehlman and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2013-10-01 with total page 355 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “You think you got away with something, don’t you? But your time has run out. We know where you are. And we are coming.” Andrew Ranulf Blankenship is a stylish nonconformist with wry wit, a classic Mustang, and a massive library. He’s also a recovering alcoholic and a practicing warlock. His house is a maze of sorcerous booby traps and escape tunnels, as yours might be if you were sitting on a treasury of Russian magic stolen from the Soviet Union thirty years ago. Andrew has long known that magic is a brutal game requiring blood sacrifice and a willingness to confront death, but years of peace and comfort have left him more concerned with maintaining false youth than with seeing to his own defense. Now a monster straight from the pages of Russian folklore is coming for him, and frost and death are coming with her.


Superheroes and Philosophy

Superheroes and Philosophy

Author: Tom Morris

Publisher: ReadHowYouWant.com

Published: 2010-10

Total Pages: 470

ISBN-13: 1459601130

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Great Caesars Ghost!! A team of Brainiacs! Superheroes and Philosophy is Kryptonite for those super villains who diss the heroes as lightweights! Riddle me this, Batman: How are Gotham City and Metropolis like ancient Athens and modern Paris? Read this sensational book and find out!


Book Synopsis Superheroes and Philosophy by : Tom Morris

Download or read book Superheroes and Philosophy written by Tom Morris and published by ReadHowYouWant.com. This book was released on 2010-10 with total page 470 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Great Caesars Ghost!! A team of Brainiacs! Superheroes and Philosophy is Kryptonite for those super villains who diss the heroes as lightweights! Riddle me this, Batman: How are Gotham City and Metropolis like ancient Athens and modern Paris? Read this sensational book and find out!


The Dark Tower and Philosophy

The Dark Tower and Philosophy

Author: Nicolas Michaud

Publisher: Open Court Publishing

Published: 2018-10-16

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 081269984X

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“The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed . . .” With these words, Stephen King began what his most devout fans consider the most important story of his long and amazingly successful career. Spanning eight novels (4,250 pages), 85 comic books, a multi-part movie series, a TV show, over three decades, and millions of fans, The Dark Tower is comparable to the complete works of Tolkien. From the Wastelands of Mid-World to the streets of New York City, and many worlds between, King’s western-style saga details the immortal battle of Good versus Evil, with the sense of wonder and suspense that only King himself could muster. For The Dark Tower and Philosophy, the editors have searched the denizens of the Tower and its Worlds and to tell true they have found the very best wordslingers (watch out Cuthbert, for they can spin a tale, do ya kennit?) to come and help us along the paths of the Beam and get down into the questions that have plagued so many readers for years. What makes Roland tick? Is the Man in Black truly evil? Is Roland? What exactly is the Tower, and why should we defend it? Does Roland have a heart? All these and more will be answered. Readers are invited to sit down by the fire and palaver awhile, as we journey down the path and climb the steps above the crimson field of Can’-Ka No Rey. Whose name will you sing when you reach the Tower? Among the many urgent questions addressed in The Dark Tower and Philosophy: Which world is the Prime World . . . and does it really matter? Is Roland’s journey pointless? Why is Roland the only one concerned about the end of all Universes? “Yes, but not for you Gunslinger.” Is Roland an agent of Free Will or Fatalism? If Roland or Walter is inside someone’s mind, who is that person, really? What is true heroism? Roland and Sacrifice . . . Jake/Eddie/Cuthbert/Alain/Oy . . .? Are Roland and Jake insane? Why should Jake trust Roland? What is the problem with Blaine the Mono and the [Murderous] A.I.? A murderer, betrayer and an adulterer . . . Oh, and now he killed his mother too . . . Is Roland seriously our hero? What are the politics of being a corruption-free gunslinger? Flagg’s offer to abandon their quest and the fact that they refuse it—is Roland’s Ka-Tet committing suicide? Roland’s Ka-Tet’s Excellent Adventure: Is there a problem with time travel? Are Susannah and Mia really different people? Is there a Clearing at the End of the Path . . . or just more Worlds? Is The Void utter nonsense? Why isn't King a fan of Endings? Is Roland immortal? Is that a good thing? Does anyone truly die?


Book Synopsis The Dark Tower and Philosophy by : Nicolas Michaud

Download or read book The Dark Tower and Philosophy written by Nicolas Michaud and published by Open Court Publishing. This book was released on 2018-10-16 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed . . .” With these words, Stephen King began what his most devout fans consider the most important story of his long and amazingly successful career. Spanning eight novels (4,250 pages), 85 comic books, a multi-part movie series, a TV show, over three decades, and millions of fans, The Dark Tower is comparable to the complete works of Tolkien. From the Wastelands of Mid-World to the streets of New York City, and many worlds between, King’s western-style saga details the immortal battle of Good versus Evil, with the sense of wonder and suspense that only King himself could muster. For The Dark Tower and Philosophy, the editors have searched the denizens of the Tower and its Worlds and to tell true they have found the very best wordslingers (watch out Cuthbert, for they can spin a tale, do ya kennit?) to come and help us along the paths of the Beam and get down into the questions that have plagued so many readers for years. What makes Roland tick? Is the Man in Black truly evil? Is Roland? What exactly is the Tower, and why should we defend it? Does Roland have a heart? All these and more will be answered. Readers are invited to sit down by the fire and palaver awhile, as we journey down the path and climb the steps above the crimson field of Can’-Ka No Rey. Whose name will you sing when you reach the Tower? Among the many urgent questions addressed in The Dark Tower and Philosophy: Which world is the Prime World . . . and does it really matter? Is Roland’s journey pointless? Why is Roland the only one concerned about the end of all Universes? “Yes, but not for you Gunslinger.” Is Roland an agent of Free Will or Fatalism? If Roland or Walter is inside someone’s mind, who is that person, really? What is true heroism? Roland and Sacrifice . . . Jake/Eddie/Cuthbert/Alain/Oy . . .? Are Roland and Jake insane? Why should Jake trust Roland? What is the problem with Blaine the Mono and the [Murderous] A.I.? A murderer, betrayer and an adulterer . . . Oh, and now he killed his mother too . . . Is Roland seriously our hero? What are the politics of being a corruption-free gunslinger? Flagg’s offer to abandon their quest and the fact that they refuse it—is Roland’s Ka-Tet committing suicide? Roland’s Ka-Tet’s Excellent Adventure: Is there a problem with time travel? Are Susannah and Mia really different people? Is there a Clearing at the End of the Path . . . or just more Worlds? Is The Void utter nonsense? Why isn't King a fan of Endings? Is Roland immortal? Is that a good thing? Does anyone truly die?