CU in the City, Ottawa – Superheroes and Literature by Dr. Brian Johnson (Department of English Language and Literature)
Superheroes and Literature – A talk by Dr. Brian Johnson
Although superheroes have become mainstays of comic books, television, and film since the debut of Superman in 1938, their presence in literary fiction like Michael Chabon’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay (2000), seems like a relatively new phenomenon—but is it? This talk explores the superhero’s surprising literary history, focusing particularly on the rise of “superhero fiction” as a literary subgenre, how literary superheroes differ from their comic book counterparts, and why superheroes have become such potent metaphors for contemporary experiences and dilemmas.