Do you find yourself contemplating the imminent end of the world? Do you wonder how society might reorganize itself to cope with global cataclysm? Have you begun hoarding canned goods and ammunition against possible alien invasion? Visions of the apocalypse and its aftermath began to dominate mass media well before the turn of the millennium. Yet narratives since the year 2000 present decidedly different spins on cultural anxieties, founded in real-world experiences of terrorism, disease, environmental collapse, worldwide conflict and millennial technologies. Many of these concerns have been made metaphorical: zombie hordes embody fear of out-of-control appetites and encroaching disorder. Other fears, like the prospect of human technology turning on its creators, seem more based in reality. This collection of new essays explores apocalyptic themes and narratives in a variety of post-millennial media, including film, television, video games, webisodes and smartphone apps.

At the close of the 2010s, to many, the world appears to be in a state of dangerous change. News and fictional media alike report that these are dark times, and narratives of social resistance imbue many facets of Western culture. The chapters in this collection examine different events and themes of the 2010s that readily acknowledge the struggling state of things. Crucially, these essays look to the resistance and political activism of communities that seek to make long-reaching and institutional changes in the world through a diverse group of media texts. They scrutinize how a society relates to injustices and how individuals enact a desire for change. The authors analyze a broad range of works such as texts like: Awake: A Dream from Standing Rock, Black Panther, The Death of Stalin, Get Out, Jessica Jones, Hamilton, The Shape of Water, and Star Wars: The Last Jedi. By digging into these and other works, as well as historic events, the contributors explicate the soul-deep necessity of pushing back against injustice, whether personal or cultural.

[The World of The Hunger Games is an anthology of scholarly but accessible essays on Suzanne Collins's epic trilogy. Spanning multiple disciplines, its contributors probe the trilogy's meaning using theories grounded in historicism, feminism, humanism, queer theory, as well as cultural, political, and media studies. Although the contributors demonstrate diverse critical perspectives regarding Collins's novels, their work has three elements in common: an appreciation of the trilogy as literature, a belief in its permanent value, and a need to share both appreciation and belief with fellow readers. To that end, this anthology's introduction acknowledges the significance of the series as both young adult and trans-generational/trans-genre literature. The 21 essay-chapters that follow the introduction are grouped into four parts. Part I considers the trilogy in the context of ""History, Politics, Economics, and Culture,"" while Part II interrogates ""Ethics, Aesthetics, and Identity"" within the novels. Part III examines issues of ""Resistance, Surveillance, and Simulacra,"" while Part IV looks at some of the ""Thematic Parallels and Literary Traditions"" that readers can find in Collins's narratives. The anthology also includes a core bibliography of dystopian and postapocalyptic works, with emphasis on the young adult category--itself an increasingly crucial part of postmodern culture.]

Since the 1997 publication of the first Harry Potter novel, the "Potterverse" has seen the addition of eight feature films (with a ninth in production), the creation of the fan-interactive Pottermore (c) website, the release of myriad video games for multiple platforms, the construction of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios, several companion books (such as Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them), critical essays and analyses, and the 2016 debut of the original stage play, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. This volume examines the role of convergence culture in the construction (and reconstruction) of fan identity. Are you, like us, still waiting for your First Year letter from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry? Do you imagine the nervous excitement of being Sorted in the Great Hall or the rush of streaking across the sky on your Nimbus 2000? Well, while you wait and dream about those experiences, this collection of sixteen essays offers Harry Potter fans the opportunity to plant feet in both the Muggle and magical worlds. Each author examines a part of the Potterverse beyond the books and eight films to uncover new interpretations of the Wizarding World through the lens of convergence culture. With these essays you can explore how online communities tackle Sorting and community games like the Quidditch Cup and the Triwizard Tournament, learn about International Quidditch and the quest for inclusivity among players, and analyze how Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child are changing the landscape of fandom and the canon alike. Also included are essays that discuss some fan-favorite topics like fanfiction and wizard rock (wrock). Within these pages are critical essays that speak to the unchanged momentum of Harry Potter's popularity across multiple media platforms and entertainment experiences.