Presents selections of literary criticism devoted to the Bible.

Zora Neale Hurston, one the first great African-American novelists, was a major figure in the Harlem Renaissance and an inspiration for future generations of writers. Widely studied in high school literature courses, her novels are admired for their depiction of Southern black culture and their strong female characters. Critical Companion to Zora Neale Hurston is a reliable and up-to-date resource for high school and college-level students, providing reliable information on Hurston's life and work. This new volume covers all her writings, including Their Eyes Were Watching God; her landmark works of folklore and anthropology, such as Mules and Men; and shorter works, such as her story The Gilded Six-Bits.

Did extraterrestrial beings visit our planet in ancient times? That's what the popular cable television program Ancient Aliens: The Series asks viewers to believe. But is it true? Only one book dares to weigh the evidence to find out once and for all if the "ancient astronaut theorists" appearing on Ancient Aliens really know what they're talking about, or if their ideas are lighter than a UFO's tractor beam. What you are about to read is a collection of skeptical xenoarchaeologist Jason Colavito's episode-by-episode reviews and commentaries covering Seasons 3 and 4 of Ancient Aliens. This critical companion examines the specific claims made by ancient astronaut theorists on Ancient Aliens and evaluates them against the scientific, literary, and historical evidence. Did aliens create Bigfoot? Did aliens make a peace treaty with deep sea fish? Ancient astronaut theorists say YES! Read on to find out if they're right...

The twelve essays in A Critical Companion to Mel Gibson offer various interpretations of Mel Gibson’s work, treating this prolific but controversial figure not only as a filmmaker but as a historian, religious thinker, and social philosopher. From The Man Without a Face and Braveheart to The Passion of the Christ, Apocalypto, and Hacksaw Ridge, this interdisciplinary collection mines Gibson’s life and oeuvre for insight into existential problems, Aristotelian virtues, the politics of film, interreligious dialogue, adaptation issues, and much more.

Examines the life and writings of Flannery O'Connor, including detailed synopses of her works, explanations of literary terms, biographies of friends and family, and social and historical influences.

This book offers a comprehensive, academic and detailed study of the works of James Cameron, whose films include successful productions such as the first two Terminator films (1984-91), Aliens (1986), Titanic (1997), and Avatar (2009), but also lesser known films such as Piranha 2: The Spawning (1981), The Abyss (1989), and True Lies (1994), and a series of documentaries on the depths of the ocean or on the tomb of Christ. Cameronʼs major productions have an immense and enduring popularity throughout the globe and have attracted both public and critical attention. This volume investigates several distinct areas of Cameronʼs works and addresses the different approaches and topics invited by the multidimensionality of the subject itself: the philosophical, the artistic, the socio-cultural and the personal. The methodologies adopted by the contributors differ significantly from each other, thus offering the reader a variegated and compelling picture of Cameronʼs oeuvre. Contrary to the numerous volumes published in the past on the subject, each chapter offers specific case studies that have been previously ignored, or only partially mentioned, by other scholars.

Examines the life and writings of Geoffrey Chaucer, including detailed synopses of his works, explanations of literary terms, character portraits, social and historical influences, and more.

Dante Alighieri is one of the greatest poets in world history. His brilliant epic, "The Divine Comedy", an imagined journey through Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory, continues to captivate readers. This work provides an information on his life and work. It covers Dante's canon, including his love poems in "La Vita Nuova" and his philosophical works.

First full comprehensive guide to one of the most important genres of music in the Middle Ages.

Praise for the previous edition:RASD/ALA "Outstanding Reference Source, 1996""'Essential' is the word for it!