Jews in Popular Science Fiction

Valerie Estelle Frankel teaches at Mission College and San Jose City College.

• Chapter 1. “Discovery Requires Experimentation”: Centering Nazi-Fighting Ideology Without Judaism in Genre TelevisionErin GianniniChapter 2. Destroyer, Defender, AI, Lover: The Golem in Speculative Fiction Prose and ComicsFraser ShermanChapter 3. “The Golem was Built to go to War”: The Golem in TV FictionMara W. Cohen IoannidesChapter 4. The Origins of Superman: An Unlikely Window into the Jewish American ExperienceMatthew DiamondChapter 5. Bats & Mitzvahs: Judaism in Modern Batman ComicsJonathan SextonChapter 6. Have Onscreen Superheroes Lost their Faith? Considering Marvel, Magneto, the Arrowverse, and Harley QuinnValerie Estelle FrankelChapter 7. Making a Jewish Case for Ferengi: Redeeming Star Trek’s Worst ArchetypesMiriam Eve MoraChapter 8. Who Brings The Messiah: Klingon Messianism and Anti-messianism in Star Trek: TNGAri Elias-BachrachChapter 9. Across Galaxies: How Science Fiction Echoes the Jewish Experience Under ColonizationSarah KatzChapter 10. Mandalorian Midra

Jews in Popular Science Fiction: Marginalized in the Mainstream offers a fascinating series of Jewish-tinted lenses through which to view some of our most widely known science fiction franchises. If you’ve ever wondered about topics such as whether the Ferengi are good for the Jews, or what rabbinic attitudes about zombies are (and where Mel Brooks’s son’s opinions fit into the discussion), then this is the book for you.