The Modern Myths

The Modern Myths PDF Author: Philip Ball
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 0226823849
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 437

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Book Description
With The Modern Myths, brilliant science communicator Philip Ball spins a new yarn. From novels and comic books to B-movies, it is an epic exploration of literature, new media and technology, the nature of storytelling, and the making and meaning of our most important tales. Myths are usually seen as stories from the depths of time—fun and fantastical, but no longer believed by anyone. Yet, as Philip Ball shows, we are still writing them—and still living them—today. From Robinson Crusoe and Frankenstein to Batman, many stories written in the past few centuries are commonly, perhaps glibly, called “modern myths.” But Ball argues that we should take that idea seriously. Our stories of Dracula, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Sherlock Holmes are doing the kind of cultural work that the ancient myths once did. Through the medium of narratives that all of us know in their basic outline and which have no clear moral or resolution, these modern myths explore some of our deepest fears, dreams, and anxieties. We keep returning to these tales, reinventing them endlessly for new uses. But what are they really about, and why do we need them? What myths are still taking shape today? And what makes a story become a modern myth? In The Modern Myths, Ball takes us on a wide-ranging tour of our collective imagination, asking what some of its most popular stories reveal about the nature of being human in the modern age.

The Modern Myths

The Modern Myths PDF Author: Philip Ball
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 0226823849
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 437

Get Book Here

Book Description
With The Modern Myths, brilliant science communicator Philip Ball spins a new yarn. From novels and comic books to B-movies, it is an epic exploration of literature, new media and technology, the nature of storytelling, and the making and meaning of our most important tales. Myths are usually seen as stories from the depths of time—fun and fantastical, but no longer believed by anyone. Yet, as Philip Ball shows, we are still writing them—and still living them—today. From Robinson Crusoe and Frankenstein to Batman, many stories written in the past few centuries are commonly, perhaps glibly, called “modern myths.” But Ball argues that we should take that idea seriously. Our stories of Dracula, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Sherlock Holmes are doing the kind of cultural work that the ancient myths once did. Through the medium of narratives that all of us know in their basic outline and which have no clear moral or resolution, these modern myths explore some of our deepest fears, dreams, and anxieties. We keep returning to these tales, reinventing them endlessly for new uses. But what are they really about, and why do we need them? What myths are still taking shape today? And what makes a story become a modern myth? In The Modern Myths, Ball takes us on a wide-ranging tour of our collective imagination, asking what some of its most popular stories reveal about the nature of being human in the modern age.

Super Heroes

Super Heroes PDF Author: Richard Reynolds
Publisher: Univ. Press of Mississippi
ISBN: 9780878056941
Category : Humor
Languages : en
Pages : 140

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Book Description
A study of one of popular culture's superstars whose enchanting mystique pervades the modern world

Modern Mythology

Modern Mythology PDF Author: Andrew Lang
Publisher: London : Longmans, Green
ISBN:
Category : Mythology
Languages : en
Pages : 254

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Book Description


Mythologies

Mythologies PDF Author: Roland Barthes
Publisher: Macmillan
ISBN: 0809071940
Category : Literary Collections
Languages : en
Pages : 296

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Book Description
"This new edition of MYTHOLOGIES is the first complete, authoritative English version of the French classic, Roland Barthes's most emblematic work"--

The Rise of Modern Mythology, 1680-1860

The Rise of Modern Mythology, 1680-1860 PDF Author: Burton Feldman
Publisher: Indiana University Press
ISBN: 9780253201881
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 596

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Book Description
A book on modern mythology

Japan's Modern Myth

Japan's Modern Myth PDF Author: Roy Andrew Miller
Publisher: Weatherhill, Incorporated
ISBN:
Category : Foreign Language Study
Languages : en
Pages : 336

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Book Description
This text analyzes the Japanese psyche through the Japanese language, and the myths and misconceptions that have been built around it.

Science as Salvation

Science as Salvation PDF Author: Mary Midgley
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134841167
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 250

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Book Description
What is the role of scientists in society? What should we think when they talk about more than just science? Mary Midgley discusses the high spiritual ambitions which tend to gather around the notion of science.

Don Juan, Mescalito and Modern Magic

Don Juan, Mescalito and Modern Magic PDF Author: Nevill Drury
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1000900096
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 198

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Book Description
First published in 1978, Don Juan, Mescalito and Modern Magic begins with an analysis of the Castaneda material from the viewpoint of its inherently magical content. The author examines the symbiotic gestures, the magical actions and the mind-altering techniques employed by the brujo Don Juan, and then goes on to draw comparisons with two other schools of thought: the psychedelic development of the 1960s and the Western Magical Tradition. The essential aim throughout is to show that there is a basically Western shamanism which uses Western symbols and is easily accessible. The shamanistic practices of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn are examined in this context. Considerable emphasis is also placed on mythological aspects associated with out-of-the-body experiences and their relevance to both the Don Juan Mescalito imagery and the Qabalistic and Tarot symbols found in Western Magic. This book will be of interest to students of religion, history and literature.

The Mythology of Modern Law

The Mythology of Modern Law PDF Author: Peter Fitzpatrick
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134890508
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 379

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Book Description
The Mythology of Modern Law is a radical reappraisal of the role of myth in modern society. Peter Fitzpatrick uses the example of law, as an integral category of modern social thought, to challenge the claims of modernity which deny the relevance of myth to modern society.

Ancient Mythology of Modern Science

Ancient Mythology of Modern Science PDF Author: Gregory Allen Schrempp
Publisher: McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP
ISBN: 0773539891
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 316

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Book Description
Examining the nature of myth-making and its surprising appearance in popular science writing.