What makes a kaiju a kaiju? What makes a large ape a large ape, and why do we sympathize with some, such as King Kong, and not with others, such as Konga? And what makes a giant person become a "monster"? This book provides a new and updated perspective on the kaiju genre and reveals that our boundaries for the kaiju film are perhaps not as solid as we think. These critical commentaries focus primarily on newer kaiju works, ranging from Colossal to Shin Godzilla to Godzilla vs. Kong, but also touches on classics such as King Kong, Mighty Joe Young, Godzilla Raids Again, and even lesser-known works such as What to Do With the Dead Kaiju? and Agon.

Dismissed as camp by critics but revered by fans, the kaiju or ""strange creature"" film has become an iconic element of both Japanese and American pop culture. From homage to parody to advertising, references to Godzilla-and to a lesser extent Gamera, Rodan, Ultraman and others-abound in entertainment media. Godzilla in particular is so ubiquitous, his name is synonymous with immensity and destruction. In this collection of new essays, contributors examine kaiju representations in a range of contexts and attempt to define this at times ambiguous genre.

The Kaiju (strange monster) film genre has a number of themes that go well beyond the ""big monsters stomping on cities"" motif. Since the seminal King Kong (1933) and the archetypal Godzilla (1954), kaiju has mined the subject matter of science run amok, militarism, capitalism, colonialism, consumerism and pollution. This critical examination of kaiju considers the entirety of the genre-the major franchises, along with less well known films like Kronos (1957), Monsters (2010) and Pacific Rim (2013). The author examines how kaiju has crossed cultures from its original folkloric inspirations in both the U.S. and Japan and how the genre continues to reflect national values to audiences.

It all begins with a howl, the unsettling sound which tells audiences that someone will soon become a werewolf. But the changes that occur during that transformation aren't just physical, they are psychological as well. Unremarkable men become domineering leaders. Innocuous men become violent and overtly sexual. In films from The Wolf-man and An American Werewolf in London to Ginger Snaps, when the protagonists become werewolves, their perceptions of their gender and their masculinity or femininity change dramatically. This volume explores how werewolves in cinema have provided an avenue for frank and often enlightening conversations about gender roles and masculinity. Werewolves are indeed a harbinger of change, but the genre of werewolf cinema itself has changed over time in how different styles of masculinity and different gender identities are portrayed.

As video gaming and video gaming culture became more mainstream in the 1970s, science fiction authors began to incorporate aspects of each into their work. In this examination of how video gaming and video gaming culture are depicted in science fiction, Jason Barr examines how preconceived, media-fueled paranoia about video gaming, first formed almost fifty years ago, still resonate in modern science fiction prose. This works reveals how the negative stereotypes of gamers and gaming have trickled through mainstream thought through the years and still dominate science fiction and almost every discussion or depiction of modern video gamers in media and entertainment. As a result, faithful and honest portrayals of gamers and gaming are still wanting, even in the "forward thinking" worlds of science fiction.

The wandering survivor of a once-powerful alien civilization, Doctor Who possesses powers beyond human comprehension. He can bend the fabric of time and space with his TARDIS, alter the destiny of worlds, and drive entire species into extinction. Fifty years' worth of adventures make him the longest-lived hero in science-fiction television. In this richly developed fictional universe, the good doctor has appeared in many different guises, a result of regeneration. In The Language of Doctor Who: From Shakespeare to Alien Tongues, Jason Barr and Camille D. G. Mustachio present several essays that use language as an entry point into the character and his universe. Ranging from both the original and rebooted television series-and through the adventures of the first eleven Doctors-these essays explore how written and spoken language have been used to define the Doctor's ever-changing identities, shape his relationships with his many companions, and give him power over his enemies-even the implacable Daleks. Individual essays focus on fairy tales, myths, medical travel narratives, nursery rhymes, and of course, Shakespeare.Contributors consider how the Doctor's companions speak with him through graffiti, how the Doctor himself uses postmodern linguistics to communicate with alien species, and how language both unites and divides fans of Classic Who and New Who trying to converse with each other. Broad in scope, innovative in approach, and informed by a deep affection for the program, The Language of Doctor Who will appeal to scholars of science fiction, television, and language, as well as to fans looking for a new perspective on their favorite Time Lord.