Books by Valerie Estelle Frankel

The original Star Wars trilogy follows Joseph Campbell's model for the hero's journey, making Luke Skywalker's story the new hero quest for a modern age. With the film saga complete, new story patterns have emerged as the hero's journey is imagined over and over. This book tracks the journeys of over 20 characters throughout the franchise.

In this in-depth analysis of female characters in superhero media, the authors begin by identifying ten eras of superhero media defined by the way they portray women. Following this, the various archetypes of superheroines are classified into four categories: boundary crossers, good girls, outcasts, and those that reclaim power.

Fan Phenomena: Harry Potter is a journey - yes, a magical one - through one of the largest fanbases of all time and its efforts to ensure that The Boy Who Lived would live forever.

Star Wars defined popular, big-screen science fiction. Still, what many viewers best recall is assertive, hilarious Leia, the diminutive princess with a giant blaster who had to save them all. As the 1977 film arrived, women were marching for equality and demanding equal pay, with few onscreen role models. Leia echoed their struggle and showed them what they could be. Two more films joined in, though by the early eighties, post-feminism was pushing back and shoving the tough heroine into her pornographic gold bikini. After a sixteen-year gap, the prequels catered to a far different audience. Queen Amidala's decoy power originates in how dominated she is by her massive royal gowns. This obsession with fashion but also costuming as a girly superpower fits well with the heroines of the time. The third wavers filled the screens with glamorous, mighty girls strong but not too strong, like the idealistic teen Ahsoka of Clone Wars. However, space colonialism, abusive romance, and sacrifice left these characters a work in progress. Finally, the sequel era has introduced many more women to fill the galaxy: Rey, Jyn, Rose, Maz, Qi'ra, Val, L3-37, Captain Phasma, Admiral Holdo, and of course General Leia. Making women the central warriors and leaders while keeping them powerful and nonsexualized emphasizes that they can share in the franchise instead of supporting male Jedi. There's also more diversity, though it's still imperfect. Hera and Sabine on the spinoff cartoon Rebels and the many girls in the new franchise Forces of Destiny round out the era, along with toys, picture books, and other hallmarks of a new, more feminist fourth wave for the franchise.

Over the past half-century Doctor Who has defined science fiction television. The women in the series - from orphans and heroic mothers to seductresses and clever teachers - flourish in their roles yet rarely surmount them. Covering all of the series - classic and new - this book examines the women archetypes in Doctor Who.

With vampires, fairies, angels, romance, steampunk, and modern New York all in one series, Cassandra Clare is exploding onto the scene. This book explores the deeper world of the Shadowhunters: - Parabatai, Nephilim, blessings, and runes - Lucifer, Ithuriel, Lilith, Agramon, and other angels and demons - Ancient legends of werewolves, vampires, and fairyfolk - Clare's clever Easter eggs from pop culture and literature - The classic heroine's journey - Muslim angels, Hindu prayers, the Jewish Book of Raziel, and the Christian Grail There's something for everyone, as this book reveals unseen lore within the bestselling series. Valerie Estelle Frankel is the author of two books on the heroine's journey, along with books on the Harry Potter series and The Hunger Games. Valerie lives (and writes!) in Sunnyvale, California.

Katniss is the heroine who's changed the world. Like Harry Potter, she's gotten kids and teens reading. And like Harry, she explodes across genres: She is a dystopian heroine, a warrior woman, a reality TV star, a rebellious adolescent. She's surrounded by the figures of Roman history, from Caesar and Cato to Cinna and Coriolanus Snow. She's also traveling the classic heroine's journey. As a child soldier, she faces trauma; as a growing teen, she battles through love triangles and the struggle to be good in a harsh world. This book explores all this and more, while taking a look at the series' symbolism, from food to storytelling, to show how Katniss becomes the greatest power of Panem, the girl on fire. For all the essays and book reports kids write on The Hunger Games, for all the curious fans who want to know who "Cinna" and "Plutarch" were historically, for all the kids confused about the trilogy's ending, for all the fascinated teachers and scholars, this book will be an invaluable resource. Valerie Estelle Frankel is the author of two books on the heroine's journey, along with books on the Harry Potter series. Her book exploring the popular series of books, The Mortal Instruments, is being published soon by Zossima Press (Myths and Motifs in The Instruments). Valerie lives (and writes!) in Sunnyvale, California.

The worlds of Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, and other modern epics feature the Chosen One--an adolescent boy who defeats the Dark Lord and battles the sorrows of the world. Television's Buffy the Vampire Slayer represents a different kind of epic--the heroine's journey, not the hero's. This provocative study explores how Buffy blends 1990s girl power and the path of the warrior woman with the oldest of mythic traditions. It chronicles her descent into death and subsequent return like the great goddesses of antiquity. As she sacrifices her life for the helpless, Buffy experiences the classic heroine's quest, ascending to protector and queen in this timeless metaphor for growing into adulthood.