Science fiction and fantasy are often thought of as stereotypically male genres, yet both have a long and celebrated history of female creators, characters, and fans. In particular, the science fiction and fantasy heroine is a recognized figure made popular in media such as Alien, The Terminator, and Buffy, The Vampire Slayer. Though imperfect, she is strong and definitely does not need to be saved by a man. This figure has had an undeniable influence on The Hunger Games, Divergent, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and many other, more recent female-led book and movie franchises. Despite their popularity, these fictional women have received inconsistent scholarly interest. This collection of new essays is intended to help fill a gap in the serious discussion of women and gender in science fiction and fantasy. The contributors are scholars, teachers, practicing writers, and other professionals in fields related to the genre. Critically examining the depiction of women and gender in science fiction and fantasy on both page and screen, they focus on characters who are as varied as they are interesting, and who range from vampire slayers to time travelers, witches, and spacefarers.

The first battle in the war for Earth was badly lost by humanity, and Nightwing and his vampire hordes have covered the Earth in permanent darkness. But hope is not lost, as an unlikely rebellion has emerged with a desperate and suicidal plan to save the world…Will it be enough? The second volume of the shocking, bestselling series collects DC vs. Vampires #7-12.

“Who Is Oracle?” part one! Someone has stolen the name Oracle right out of Barbara Gordon’s past! Hot on this false Oracle’s trail, Batgirl, Black Canary, and Huntress are all tracking the same mafia capo…so it makes sense to team up, right? Problem is, Barbara and Dinah need the secrets locked up in Oracle’s brain…and Helena Bertinelli would rather put a crossbow bolt right through it!

INTO EVERY GENERATION A SLAYER IS BORN Before Buffy, the world has been protected by Chosen Ones with the strength and spirit to fight evil in every form it takes. For the first time ever, discover the untold origin stories of some of the most important Slayers in history from all around the world...and the secret that changes everything you ever thought you knew about Buffy! Acclaimed creators including award-winner Nilah Magruder (Marvel Rising), Mairghread Scott (Batgirl), Celia Lowenthal (Over The Garden Wall: Hollow Town), Alexa Sharpe (Rolled and Told) and more join forces to reveal the Slayers of times past - and how they forever change Buffy’s future. Collects Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Chosen Ones #1 and Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Every Generation #1.

Joss Whedon's Watcher, Rupert Giles, goes on a solo investigation--back to high school--to uncover a vampire- and demon-filled mystery that is threatening the minds of the student body. From Joss Whedon and Erika Alexander comes a series that returns Buffy's Rupert Giles to high school! But this time--as a grown man living in a teenage body--Giles will be a student instead of a teacher. At an inner-city LA-area school, when a mystical influence is detected and teachers start to go missing, Giles enrolls to investigate. With the help of a new friend from class, Roux, Giles finds something more than vampires and demons . . . Something unusual and frightening is happening here. If Giles can get through a few days as a student, he'll have a chance to find out who, what, and where--but high school is still hell, y'all. Giles is dropped off to a high school adventure by writers Joss Whedon (Avengers, Serenity) and Erika Alexander (Concrete Park), and artist Jon Lam (Gotham Academy, Batgirl).

Get a unique insight into the image problems librarians face! The Image and Role of the Librarian addresses all aspects of professional identity for librarians, including professional roles, cultural images, popular perceptions, and future trends. The book examines historical representations, stereotypes, and popular culture icons and the r

This book offers 25 profiles of some of the most popular female action heroes throughout the history of film, television, comic books, and video games. Female action heroes, like other fictional characters, not only reveal a lot about society, but greatly influence individuals in society. It is no surprise that the gradual development and increase in the number of female action heroes coincides with societal changes and social movements, such as feminism. Nor is it a surprise that characteristics of female action heroes echo the progressive toughening of women and young girls in the media. Female Action Heroes: A Guide to Women in Comics, Video Games, Film, and Television brings to the forefront the historical representation of women and girls in film, television, comic books, and video games. The book includes profiles of 25 of the most popular female action heroes, arranged in alphabetical order for easy reference. Each chapter includes sections on the hero's origins, her power suit, weapons, abilities, and the villains with whom she grapples. Most significantly, each profile offers an analysis of the hero's story—and her impact on popular culture.

Anya has been a key figure in Buffy’s life ever since she arrived in Sunnydale, but there’s more to the demon’s mission and mysterious past than anyone knows! It starts with her secret connection to the Watcher’s Council and... the first full appearance of the Slayer who came before Buffy??? And the truth behind Anya connects Buffy(s) - yes, plural - in ways no one ever saw coming..

This comprehensive collection of essays written by a practicing psychiatrist shows that superheroes are more about superegos than about bodies and brawn, even though they contain subversive sexual subtexts that paved the path for major social shifts of the late 20th century. Superheroes have provided entertainment for generations, but there is much more to these fictional characters than what first meets the eye. Superheros and Superegos: Analyzing the Minds Behind the Masks begins its exploration in 1938 with the creation of Superman and continues to the present, with a nod to the forerunners of superhero stories in the Bible and Greek, Roman, Norse, and Hindu myth. The first book about superheroes written by a psychiatrist in over 50 years, it invokes biological psychiatry to discuss such concepts as "body dysmorphic disorder," as well as Jungian concepts of the shadow self that explain the appeal of the masked hero and the secret identity. Readers will discover that the earliest superheroes represent fantasies about stopping Hitler, while more sophisticated and socially-oriented publishers used superheroes to encourage American participation in World War II. The book also explores themes such as how the feminist movement and the dramatic shift in women's roles and rights were predicted by Wonder Woman and Sheena nearly 30 years before the dawn of the feminist era.