Supernatural and superhuman elements have been prominent in American culture from the time of the New England Puritans' intense emphasis on religion.
Superpower
surveys the appearance of supernatural and superhuman elements in American culture, focusing on the American fascination with narratives involving supernatural adventure, superhuman heroes, and vast conspiracies driven by supernatural evil. In particular, M. Keith Booker suggests that the popularity of such themes indicates a deep-seated dissatisfaction with the rationalized world of contemporary American society. Booker details the development of the national myths underlying the characters of Superman, Batman, and Spiderman; television hits from
Star Trek
to
Lost
; and the franchises of
Pirates of the Caribbean
and
The Lord of the Rings
.
This culture-spanning investigation begins with a historical survey of supernatural and superhuman themes in American culture and concludes with the recent upsurge that began in the 1990s. It then turns to various works of recent popular culture with supernatural and superhuman themes such as
Twin Peaks
,
The X-Files
, and
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
, organized according to the desires to which these works respond. What do these fantasies reveal about what it means to be American today--and what we want it to mean?
M. Keith Booker is the James E. and Ellen Wadley Roper Professor of English and the director of the program in comparative literature and cultural studies at the University of Arkansas. He is the author of several books, including
Alternate Americas: Science Fiction Film and American Culture
From Box Office to Ballot Box: The American Political Film