Product Description

In a constantly changing world, individuals are forever growing to meet the challenges and developments that emerge around them. In contemporary society, technology is at the heart of change. Literature, too, reflects the evolution of culture and increasingly represents and considers technology. And as children become young adults, their reading helps shape their understanding of the world. This book examines representative works of science fiction, children's literature, and popular culture to show how these works reflect the process of growing up in a technological world.

The volume looks at the simple picture books and comic books that appeal to small children; the formulaic adventures that fascinate older children; the films and television programs that are watched by children and young adolescents; the music videos and programming that appeal to young adults; and the popular novels that interest older readers. Included are discussions of Superman, the Hardy Boys, "Star Trek, " science fiction films, and music videos. The book points to similarities among popular culture, science fiction, and children's literature and demonstrates the relevance of these works to contemporary society.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2063709 in Books
• Published on: 2000
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• Binding: Hardcover
• 176 pages

Review
?Westfahl succeeds in his aim of showing that children's literature and pop culture have generally become more imaginative due to science fiction. The aroma of muckraking is what makes these studies so delightful and compulsively readable. Suitable to college-level readers and up, the book is one I heartily recommend to everybody.?-Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts

About the Author
GARY WESTFAHL teaches at the University of California, Riverside. In addition to writing a column for the science fiction magazine Interzone, he is the author or coeditor of several books on science fiction and fantasy, including Cosmic Engineers: A Study of Hard Science Fiction (1996), and Space and Beyond: The Frontier Theme in Science Fiction (2000), both available from Greenwood Press.