The Trans and Non-Binary Hero's Journey: Quests for Empowerment in Science Fiction and Fantasy

by Valerie Estelle Frankel, Dean Leetal

Overview

A brave heroine whose quest involves living her true gender. A genderqueer knight who battles the transphobic court to save their prince. Often fearing discovery, the trans hero embarks on adventure, aided by an accepting mentor and other allies, and challenged by transphobic villains and sometimes uncomprehending family members. Ultimately, the trans hero triumphs, finding love, selfhood, and affirmation.

This book adapts Joseph Campbell's classic pattern of comparative mythology and applies it to trans and non-binary heroes in modern popular media who are traversing multiple worlds. Analyzed are works for the screen such as Steven Universe, The Matrix, Sense8, and Sandman; print materials such as DC and Marvel comics; and television, fantasy books, and graphic novels from trans and non-binary creators worldwide.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781476694795
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Publication date:	07/15/2024
Pages:	225
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.46(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Valerie Estelle Frankel teaches English at Mission College and San Jose City College. The author of more than 90 popular culture books and more than 100 stories and essays, she lives in Sunnyvale, California. Dean Leetal was the first out non-binary person in Israel, and organizer of the first group and activist campaign and is a teaching assistant at Kibbutzim College in Tel Aviv.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Foreword by Kai Cheng Thom
Introduction
1. Ordinary World
Secret Identity: The Matrix (Film)
Trapped at Home: Dreadnought (Novel)
Forbidden Desires: Magical Boy (Graphic Novel)
The Call to Escape: The Sunbearer Trials (Novel)
Refusal Through Fear: Shadowhunters (Series)
2. Divine Aid
Human Mentor: Meet Cute Diary (Novel)
Dragon Mentor: “Battlement of Straw” (Short Story)
Otherworldly Mentor: The Rocky Horror Picture Show (Film)
Talisman: Our Flag Means Death (Television)
­Self-Naming: DC’s Nubia and the Amazons (Graphic Novel)
Defying the Threshold Guardian: Charmed (Television)
Discovering a New World: The Affair of the Mysterious Letter (Novel)
3. Safety with Others
Haven: Doom Patrol (Television)
Found Family: Dead End: Paranormal Park (Television)
An Uplifting Interlude: Steven Universe (Television)
Finding Allies: Pet (Novel)
4. Challenge and Growth
Partnering the Double: The Witch King (Novel)
Following the Anim Guide: The Prince and the Dressmaker (Graphic Novel)
Loving the Anim: A Lady for a Duke (Novel)
Mirroring: Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Film)
5. Battling Society
Misgendered: Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston (Novel)
Dumped for Being Trans: If I Was Your Girl (Novel)
Threatened: Supergirl (Television)
Forced to Suppress Legitimate Anger: Seven Suspects (Novel)
Punished for Rage: Orange Is the New Black (Television)
6. Underworld Descent
Descent Within and Without: The Watch (Television)
Belly of the Whale: Look Past (Novel)
Supreme Ordeal: No Man of Woman Born (Short Stories)
Tyrant Parent: Funky Dan and the Pixie Dream Girl (Novel)
Shadow as Otherself: Loki (Television)
Sacrifice: Sandman (Graphic Novel)
Rebirth: Birdverse (Series)
Transcendent Treasure: Peter Darling (Novel)
7. Return and Acceptance
Escape with Allies’ Aid: Sense8 (Television)
The Tyrant Crumbles: Sort Of (Television)
Public Acknowledgment: Cemetery Boys (Novel)
Master of the Two Worlds: Good Omens (Television)
Freedom to Live? Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars (Novel)
Becoming a Community Elder: Pose (Television)
Teaching the Next Generation: The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (Film)
Final Thoughts
Glossary
Resources
Texts for Beginners
Anthologies and Collections
Children’s Picture Books
Children’s Middle Grade Fiction
Young Adult/Teen Novels
Works Cited
Primary Sources
Secondary Sources
Index