Revising Reality: How Sequels, Remakes, Retcons, and Rejects Explain the World

The past is fixed – what happened happened. But our descriptions of that past are in constant flux, creating branching networks of contradictory accounts more complex than any fictional franchise. Revising Reality uses pop culture and media concepts of revision to untangle our real-world histories – with startlingly revelatory results.

Novels, comics, films, and TV shows can continue previous events (sequels), reinterpret events (retcons), or restart events (remakes), and audiences can ignor...