{"product_id":"mutants-and-mystics-science-fiction-superhero-comics-and-the-paranormal-9780226271484","title":"Mutants and Mystics: Science Fiction, Superhero Comics, and the Paranormal","description":"In many ways, twentieth-century America was the land of superheroes and science fiction. From Superman and Batman to the Fantastic Four and the X-Men, these pop-culture juggernauts, with their \"powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men,\" thrilled readers and audiences--and simultaneously embodied a host of our dreams and fears about modern life and the onrushing future. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBut that's just scratching the surface, says Jeffrey Kripal. In \u003ci\u003eMutants and Mystics\u003c\/i\u003e, Kripal offers a brilliantly insightful account of how comic book heroes have helped their creators and fans alike explore and express a wealth of paranormal experiences ignored by mainstream science. Delving deeply into the work of major figures in the field--from Jack Kirby's cosmic superhero sagas and Philip K. Dick's futuristic head-trips to Alan Moore's sex magic and Whitley Strieber's communion with visitors--Kripal shows how creators turned to science fiction to convey the reality of the inexplicable and the paranormal they experienced in their lives. Expanded consciousness found its language in the metaphors of sci-fi--incredible powers, unprecedented mutations, time-loops and vast intergalactic intelligences--and the deeper influences of mythology and religion that these in turn drew from; the wildly creative work that followed caught the imaginations of millions. Moving deftly from Cold War science and Fredric Wertham's anticomics crusade to gnostic revelation and alien abduction, Kripal spins out a hidden history of American culture, rich with mythical themes and shot through with an awareness that there are other realities far beyond our everyday understanding. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eA bravura performance, beautifully illustrated in full color throughout and brimming over with incredible personal stories, \u003ci\u003eMutants and Mystics\u003c\/i\u003e is that rarest of things: a book that is guaranteed to broaden--and maybe even blow--your mind.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sureshotbooks-com.myshopify.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=AUTH-3809059\"\u003eJeffrey J. Kripal\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e University of Chicago Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 12\/21\/2015\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 392\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.90lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.50h x 6.20w x 1.30d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780226271484\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN10:\u003c\/b\u003e 022627148X\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBISAC Categories:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e- \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sureshotbooks-com.myshopify.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=CAT-HIS\"\u003eHistory\u003c\/a\u003e | \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sureshotbooks-com.myshopify.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=BISAC-HIS036060\"\u003eUnited States | 20th Century\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e- \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sureshotbooks-com.myshopify.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=CAT-REL\"\u003eReligion\u003c\/a\u003e | \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sureshotbooks-com.myshopify.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=BISAC-REL070000\"\u003eChristianity | General\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e- \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sureshotbooks-com.myshopify.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=CAT-LIT\"\u003eLiterary Criticism\u003c\/a\u003e | \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sureshotbooks-com.myshopify.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=BISAC-LIT004020\"\u003eAmerican | General\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eJeffrey Kripal\u003c\/b\u003e is the J. Newton Rayzor Professor of Religion and chair of the Department of Religious Studies at Rice University. He is the author of six books, including \u003ci\u003eEsalen: America and the Religion of No Religion\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eAuthors of the Impossible: The Paranormal and the Sacred\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"University of Chicago Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44442271416557,"sku":"9780226271484","price":43.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0550\/8097\/6621\/products\/img_f7f06cd0-e52e-4060-88f2-c6c97283a952.jpg?v=1700203814","url":"https:\/\/sureshotbooks.com\/products\/mutants-and-mystics-science-fiction-superhero-comics-and-the-paranormal-9780226271484","provider":"SureShot Books Publishing LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}