Comic books in 'Popular Culture and Philosophy'

Popular Culture and Philosophy: Book 1 - 1st printing. "A Book about Everything and Nothing!" Edited by William Irwin. Softcover, 6-in. x 9-in., 288 pages, Text Only. Cover price $17.95.

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Popular Culture and Philosophy: Book 2 - 1st printing. "The D'oh! of Homer!" Edited by William Irwin, Mark T. Conrad and Aeon J. Skoble. An unconventional and lighthearted look into the ideas of the major Western philosophers. The authors look beyond the jokes, the crudeness, the attacks on society?and see a clever display of irony, social criticism, and philosophical thought. The book also examines the ethics and themes of the show, and concludes with discussions on how the series reflects the work of Aristotle, Marx, Camus, Sartre, and other thinkers. Softcover, 6-in. x 9-in., 256 pages, Text Only. Cover price $17.95.

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Popular Culture and Philosophy: Book 2 - 2nd and later printings. "The D'oh! of Homer!" Edited by William Irwin, Mark T. Conrad and Aeon J. Skoble. An unconventional and lighthearted look into the ideas of the major Western philosophers. The authors look beyond the jokes, the crudeness, the attacks on society?and see a clever display of irony, social criticism, and philosophical thought. The book also examines the ethics and themes of the show, and concludes with discussions on how the series reflects the work of Aristotle, Marx, Camus, Sartre, and other thinkers. Softcover, 6-in. x 9-in., 256 pages, Text Only. Cover price $17.95.

Popular Culture and Philosophy: Book 3 - 1st printing. "Welcome to the Desert of the Real!" Edited by William Irwin. Welcome to the desert of the real! This fascinating exploration features thought-provoking essays by a select team of young philosophers discussing different facets of the primary philosophical puzzle and mind-bending implications introduced in the feature film, The Matrix. Softcover, 6-in. x 9-in., 320 pages, Text Only. Cover price $17.95.

Popular Culture and Philosophy: Book 4 - 1st printing. "Fear and Trembling in Sunnydale!" Edited by James B. South. How can Buffy's religious symbolism be squared with creator Joss Whedon's professed atheism? Is Buffy truly a Kierkegaardian knight of faith? What does the show's treatment of vampires, demons, and other entities say about ethical attitudes toward nonhumans? These are some of the questions asked and answered in this lively collection of compelling essays that link classic philosophy to the long-running series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Softcover, 6-in. x 9-in., 288 pages, Text Only. Cover price $17.95.

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Popular Culture and Philosophy: Book 5 - 1st printing. "One Book to Rule Them All!" Edited by Gregory Bassham and Eric Bronson. Whether it's Twilight, True Blood, Buffy, Blade or 30 Days of Night; movies, TV, books, or comics; vampires are everywhere! There are more zombie books, zombie movies, and zombie games than ever before. About the only thing vampires and zombies have in common is that they both want to bite us and put us at risk of becoming one of them. However, they both confront us with moral and metaphysical issues of life and death. Twenty-two leading thinkers present lessons we can learn from the various forms of Undeath! Softcover, 6-in. x 9-in., 304 pages, Text Only. Cover price $17.95.

Popular Culture and Philosophy: Book 6 - 1st printing. "Thinking Outside the Batter's Box!" Edited by Eric Bronson. Professor Bronson asked nineteen intrepid philosophers who are also baseball fans to turn their penetrating gaze on this most American of games. The result has been described as a "philosophical home run." Chapters include: "The Zen of Hitting," "There are No Ties at First Base," Baseball and the Search for an American Moral Identity," "Damn Yankees: Why America Needs Reggie Jackson," "The Ethics of the Intentional Walk," "Saving the Twins with Rawlsian Justice," "Wait 'til Next Year: The Faith of a Cubs Fan," "Taking Umpiring Seriously," "He Missed the Tag!: The Ethics of Deception," and "The Asterisk in the Record Book: Roger Maris and Normative Assessments." Softcover, 6-in. x 9-in., 368 pages, Text Only. Cover price $17.95.

Popular Culture and Philosophy: Book 7 - 1st printing. "I Kill Therefore, I am!" Edited by Richard Greene and Peter Vernezze. Tony Soprano and the gang meet classic and modern philosophy in these witty, provocative essays. Covering everything from Aristotle to ziti, 17 wiseguys (three of them gals) explore such irresistible topics as: Is Tony Soprano a good man? Is Carmela a feminist? Morally speaking, who is the worst person on The Sopranos? Is watching the show harmful to one's moral health? And what if Tony had read Machiavelli instead of Sun Tzu? This collection of essays by philosophers who are also fans does a deep probe of the Sopranos, analyzing the adventures—and personalities—of Tony, Carmela, Livia, and the rest of television's most irresistible Mafia family for their metaphysical, epistemological, value theory, Eastern philosophical, and contemporary postmodern possibilities. No prior philosophical ualifications or mob connections are required to enjoy these musings, which are presented with the same vibrancy and wit that have made the show such a hit! Softcover, 6-in. x 9-in., 240 pages, Text Only. Cover price $17.95.

Popular Culture and Philosophy: Book 8 - 1st printing. "You Mean My Whole Fallacy Is Wrong?" Edited by Mark T. Conard and Aeon J. Skoble. Comedian, writer, director, actor, musician, and deep thinker, Woody Allen is clearly trying to say something, but what? And why should anyone care? Fifteen philosophers representing different schools of thought answer these questions, focusing on different works and varied aspects of Allen's multifaceted output. These essays explore such topics as how Schopenhauer's theory of humor emerges in Annie Hall; why, for all his apparent pessimism, Allen gives a brighter alternative to the Bogartian nihilism of film noir; the importance of integrity for the Good Life, as found in Manhattan; and the fact that just because the universe is meaningless and life is pointless is no reason to commit suicide. Also here are droll, probing essays on why hedonism is a health hazard, and why, despite the fact that Earth may be swallowed by a black hole and crushed to the size of a peanut, the toilet continues to overflow! Softcover, 6-in. x 9-in., 288 pages, Text Only. Cover price $17.95.

Popular Culture and Philosophy: Book 9 - 1st printing. "If Aristotle Ran Hogwarts!" Edited by David Baggett and Shawn Klein. Among the occult lore here revealed, behold the best recipe for true courage, proof that self-deception does not yield happiness, how ethics can be applied to the branch of technology known as magic, why the Mirror of Erised isn't adequate for real life, whether prophecy rules out free choice, and what dementors and boggarts can teach us about joy, fear, and the soul! Softcover, 6-in. x 9-in., 256 pages, Text Only. Cover price $17.95.

Popular Culture and Philosophy: Book 10 - 1st printing. "The Cross, The Questions, The Controversy!" Edited by Jorge J. E. Gracia. The Passion of the Christ, Mel Gibsons spectacular, disturbing, and unusually violent film about the death of Jesus, has quickly become one of the most widely-viewed movies of all time—and one of the most fiercely vilified. It is more loved and simultaneously more loathed than any previous work of cinematographic art. While some maintain that this film has brought them to a new faith in Christ or a deeper understanding of the faith they already had, others criticize the work for its supposedly gratuitous gore, its alleged historical inaccuracy, or its debatable theological assumptions. In Mel Gibsons Passion and Philosophy, twenty philosophers with widely varying religious and philosophical backgrounds examine all the most important issues raised by the movie, without ridicule or rancor. How can we decide what God intended to tell us? Why do Christians and Jews apparently report seeing two very different Mel Gibson movies? Was Christ a pacifist? Does the film truly follow the gospels? How can we blame Judas for doing what God wanted him to do? Did Georg Hegel answer Mel Gibson 200 years ahead of time? Softcover, 6-in. x 9-in., 288 pages, Text Only. Cover price $17.95.

Popular Culture and Philosophy: Book 11 - 1st printing. "Revolutions and Reloaded Decoded!" Edited by William Irwin. We're going in. One more time. And this time we're facing some pretty mean programs. Cynicism. Obfuscation. Postmodern despair. Plus, the usual obnoxious bunch of totally ruthless Agents, who always insist upon Conformity or Deletion. And just in case you were hoping to make it back, they've reconfigured the culture so there are hardly any phone booths left! Softcover, 6-in. x 9-in., 240 pages, Text Only. Cover price $17.95.

Popular Culture and Philosophy: Book 12 - 1st printing. "More Powerful Than You Can Possibly Imagine!" Edited by Kevin S. Decker and Jason T. Eberl. Sensed a disturbance in The Force lately? This is whats been setting your midi-chlorians tingling. Seventeen Jedi adepts got together to probe the deeper reaches of the Star Wars epic. A hazardous quest—philosophy is more risky than not letting a Wookiee win. Now their wisdom has been imprinted on sheets of extruded wood pulp and conveyed across hyperspace into our galaxy. Why do bad Sith nearly always tell the truth and good Jedi often tell lies? When is it justified to raise an army by breeding clones? If the Force must have a Dark Side, how can the Dark Side be evil? Why and how did the tyrannical Empire emerge from the free Republic? Are droids persons, entitled to civil rights? Is Yoda a Stoic or a Zen master? This is the Jedis most precious possession. The answers are all here. You may want to go home and rethink your life! Softcover, 246 pages, Text Only. Cover price $17.95.

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Popular Culture and Philosophy: Book 13 - 1st printing. "Truth, Justice and the Socratic Way!" Edited by Tom Morris and Matt Morris. The comic book superheroes — Superman, Batman, the Incredible Hulk, the Fantastic Four, X-Men, and many others — have proved to be a powerful and enduring thread in popular culture, a rich source of ideas for movie makers, novelists, and philosophers. Superheroes and Philosophy brings together 16 leading philosophers and some of the most creative people in the world of comics, from storywriters to editors to critics, to examine the deeper issues that resonate from the hyperbolic narratives and superhuman actions of this heroic world. The comic book narratives of superheroes wrestle with profound and disturbing issues in original ways: the definitions of good and evil, the limits of violence as an efficacious means, the perils of enforcing justice outside the law, the metaphysics of personal identity, and the definition of humanity. The book also features original artwork specially commissioned from some of the most popular of today's comic book artists. Softcover, 294 pages, Text only. Cover price $17.95.

Popular Culture and Philosophy: Book 14 - 1st printing. "Chewing the Fat with Kant and Nietzsche!" Edited by Lisa Heldke, Kerri Mommer, and Cynthia Pineo. Dr. Robert Atkins, a New York cardiologist, unleashed his low-carb revolution upon an unsuspecting and increasingly pudgy world in 1972. Atkins quickly recruited millions of converts and eventually spawned a legion of imitators, including the Zone, Protein Power, and South Beach diets. Conventional dietary opinion, funded by the farming lobby, was scandalized. Then the dietary world was shaken to its foundations when the New York Times proclaimed that the latest medical research demonstrated the efficacy of Atkins. While the Great Diet War rages on with undiminished ferocity, the broader philosophical questions raised by Atkins have yet to be explored. What does the low-carb revolution mean for our lives, our most fundamental values, and our place in the cosmos? Now, for the first time, these big fat conceptual issues are attacked with gusto by sixteen keen, well-rounded philosophical intellects. The Atkins Diet and Philosophy offers a balanced fare of sympathy and criticism for Atkins, garnished by piquant wit and topped off with fragrant aperçus! Softcover, 274 pages, Text only. Cover price $17.95.

Popular Culture and Philosophy: Book 15 - 1st printing. "The Lion, the Witch, and the Worldview!" Edited by Gregory Bassham and Jerry L. Walls. Pushing through some mothballed fur coats in a wardrobe in a disused room of an old London house, Lucy and the other Pevensie children found themselves in a strange and wonderful country, populated by creatures unknown in our world. Philosophy, too, can take us into a magical new place with its own peculiar delights and dangers. Here twenty-four philosophers and Narnia fans relate some of the things they have witnessed in the weird world of Narnia and the even weirder world of philosophy. Philosophy, it turns out, can be as addictive as the White Witchs turkish delight, though hopefully not always so frustrating. Under what conditions should we believe a story that runs counter to all our experience? Does might make right or are there objective moral rules? Would Albert Einstein have made any sense of the claim that time can flow at different rates in different worlds? If a boy is turned into a dragon, is the dragon still the same person as the boy? Can salvation be found in many religions or only in one? Do animals—even the ones that dont talk—have souls? Softcover, 288 pages, Text Only Cover price $17.95.

Popular Culture and Philosophy: Book 16 - 1st printing. "Rhyme 2 Reason!" Edited by Derrick Darby and Tommie Shelby. Find it hard to believe that rap classics by Lauryn Hill, OutKast, and the Notorious B.I.G. can help us uncover the meanings of love articulated in Plato's Symposium? We'll see how Run-D.M.C., Snoop Dogg, and Jay-Z can teach us about self-consciousness and the dialectic in Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit. And we'll learn that Rakim, 2Pac, and Nas can shed light on the conception of God's essence expressed in Aquinas's Summa Theologica. These philosophers delight in showing how a love for rhymes over beats and for pure reason, far from being incompatible, can be mastered and mixed to contemplate life's most profound mysteries! Softcover, 320 pages, Text Only Cover price $17.95.

Popular Culture and Philosophy: Book 17 - 1st printing. "It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Thinking)!" Edited by Carl Porter and Peter Vernezze. The troubador who has given English more phrases than any poet since Shakespeare has also warned us that "Counterfeit philosophies have polluted all of your thoughts." So heres the genuine article: pure philosophy applied to the provocative, mercurial thoughts of Bob Dylan! Softcover, 6-in. x 9-in., 226 pages, Text Only. Cover price $17.95.

Popular Culture and Philosophy: Book 18 - 1st printing. "Full-Throttle Aristotle!" Edited by Bernard E. Rollin, Carolyn M. Gray, Kerri Mommer, and Cynthia Pineo. Beyond the chrome and the leather, beyond the wind in the face, beyond the harmonious yin and yang of Top Dead Center and Bottom Dead Center, there lies the open road of philosophical exploration, the endless hurtling of the intellect into fresh vistas of understanding! Softcover, 226 pages, Text Only Cover price $17.95.

Popular Culture and Philosophy: Book 19 - 1st printing. "Nudge Nudge, Think Think!" Edited by Gary L. Hardcastle and George A. Reisch. With its logical paradoxes, clever wordplay, and focus on the absurdities of life, the work of Monty Python appeals to everyone with a philosophical bent, the more bent the better. Twenty-one surprising chapters by professional philosophers and amateur Python fans celebrate the intersection of rigorous, profound TV comedy and zany, madcap metaphysics. Surprise is the chief quality of this book. Surprise, provocation, and a fanatical devotion to the enlightenment of the masses . . . Softcover, 6-in. x 9-in., 316 pages, Text Only. Cover price $19.95.

Popular Culture and Philosophy: Book 20 - 1st printing. "Pocket Rockets and Philosopher Kings!" Edited by Eric Bronson. Theres more to poker than life, yet life, for what thats worth, can be enriched by the philosophical lessons of poker, and—more to the point—youll pick up more pots if you stretch your mind to encompass the vital lessons of philosophy! Softcover, 6-in. x 9-in., 288 pages, Text Only. Cover price $17.95.

Popular Culture and Philosophy: Book 21 - 1st printing. "How to Decipher an Atomic Band!" Edited by Mark A. Wrathall. What do U2 have to do with Heidegger, theodicy, Plato, existentialism, Kierkegaard, eschatology, and Nietzsche? A lot more than you might think, particularly as the bands popularity reflects on temporary society. This book puts U2 into a philosophical context in the same way that The U2 Reader found them a historical and cultural milieu! Softcover, 6-in. x 9-in., 244 pages, Text Only. Cover price $17.95.

Popular Culture and Philosophy: Book 22 - 1st printing. "Chicken Soup for the Soulless!" Edited by Richard Greene and K. Silem Mohammad. Ever since Bram Stoker dug up the word "Undead" for his 1897 novel Dracula, the Undead have stalked the human imagination. They now swarm across our TV and movie screens in ever-increasing numbers, and we must ask ourselves, are some of the people we know really Undead—and how could we tell? If the Undead have been programmed to hunt the living, can we blame them? Are vampires more morally responsible than zombies? Is an Undead individual the same person as before his Undeath? Do zombies have minds? Do the Undead have a right to Undeath under the Ninth Amendment, or would it be murder to Un-kill them? Softcover, 288 pages, Text Only. Cover price $17.95.

Popular Culture and Philosophy: Book 23 - 1st printing. "Questions Are Forever!" Edited by James B. South and Jacob M. Held. In James Bond and Philosophy, seventeen scholars examine hidden philosophical issues in the hazardous, deceptive, glamorous world of Double-0 Seven. Is Bond a Nietzschean hero who graduates "beyond good and evil"? Does Bond paradoxically break the law in order, ultimately, to uphold it like any "stupid policeman"? What can Bonds razor-sharp reasoning powers tell us about the scientific pursuit of truth? Does 007s license to kill help us understand the ethics of counterterrorism? What motivates all those despicable Bond villains—could it be a Hegelian quest for recognition? Softcover, 6-in. x 9-in., 320 pages, Text Only Cover price $17.95.

Popular Culture and Philosophy: Book 25 - 1st printing. "Nothing You Can Think That Can't Be Thunk!" Edited by Michael Baur and Steven Baur. The Beatles rapidly evolved from producing innocent teenage love lyrics to posing profound and disturbing questions about reality. They revolutionized popular songs intellectually as well as musically. Their work and their influence distilled all the enthusiasms and disquiets of the Sixties: the longing for more authentic relationships, the skepticism about radical leaders both spiritual and political, the eager yet critical embrace of consumer culture, the chemically assisted lift-off into inner space! Softcover, 320 pages, Text Only. Cover price $17.95.

Popular Culture and Philosophy: Book 26 - 1st printing. "Bigger, Longer, and More Penetrating!" Edited by Richard Hanley. Trey Parker and Matt Stone's long-running Comedy Central hit cartoon South Park has been equally cheered and reviled for its edgy humor, pointed satire of current events and celebrities, and all-around obnoxiousness. But is there more to Kyle, the lonely Jew, Timmy and the Crips, Cartman's bitchiness, Chef's inappropriate advice, and Kenny's continued violent deaths than meets the eye? This collection of essays affirms that possibility, presenting new and thoughtful approaches to understanding this surprisingly meaningful show. Softcover, 6-in. x 9-in., 304 pages, Text Only. Cover price $17.95.

Popular Culture and Philosophy: Book 27 - 1st printing. "Dial M for Metaphysics!" Edited by David Baggett and William A. Drumin. Alfred Hitchcock is the cinematic genius who took over popular consciousness and won't let it go. More than any other popular director, Hitchcock confronts his audience with disturbing ideas, concepts, and ethical issues! Softcover, 288 pages, Text Only Cover price $17.95.

Popular Culture and Philosophy: Book 28 - 1st printing. "Getting High Minded about Love and Haight!" Edited by Steven Gimbel. Once in a while, you get shown the light, in the strangest of places, if you look at it right. The "technicians of ecstasy," the beloved "band beyond description," have already transfigured the collective consciousness; their harmonies continue to reverberate through all the corridors of the mind. Here, twenty-one philosophers and devoted Deadheads ponder some of the implications of the Dead Experience, for art, ethics, conflict, community, and cosmos. Many philosophical traditions, Eastern and Western, help to illuminate the achievements and the importance of the Grateful Dead! Softcover, 6-in. x 9-in., Text Only. Cover price $17.95.

Popular Culture and Philosophy: Book 29 - 1st printing. Edited by Richard Greene and K. Silem Mohammad. The films of Quentin Tarantino are ripe for philosophical speculation, raising compelling questions about justice and ethics, violence and aggression, the nature of causality, and the flow of time. In this witty collection of articles, no subject is too taboo for the writers to tackle. From an aesthetic meditation on the use of spraying blood in Kill Bill to the conundrum of translation and reference in Vincent and Jules' discussion about French Big Macs in Pulp Fiction, Quentin Tarantino and Philosophy shies away from nothing! Softcover, 6-in. x 9-in., 288 pages, Text Only. Cover price $17.95.

Popular Culture and Philosophy: Book 30 - 1st printing. "Careful with that Axiom, Eugene!" Edited by George A. Reisch. What does the power of great art have to do with madness? Should psychedelic drugs make us doubt the evidence of our senses? How did power, sadism, and conformity turn education into mind control (not that we need either)? Can a rock band keep its identity as its members change? What can we learn from the synchronicities between The Dark Side of the Moon and The Wizard of Oz? Did Friedrich Nietzsche foreshadow Syd Barrett? When did you realize that you are the hole in reality? How can you have any pudding if you don't eat yer meat? Softcover, 6-in. x 9-in., 318 pages, Text Only. Cover price $17.95.

Popular Culture and Philosophy: Book 27 - 1st printing. "The Burning Ring of Truth!" Edited by John Huss and David Werther. Johnny Cash contained multitudes. The Man in Black has the most diverse following of any popular musician. He gave a voice to the poor and beaten down, and posed disturbing questions about violence, addiction, love, self-destruction, and meaning. In Johnny Cash and Philosophy, twenty-one philosophers explore the implications of the Johnny Cash myth and the Johnny Cash message. Their investigations uncover the distinctive relevance of Johnny Cash for moral responsibility, social justice, patriotism, romantic love, artistic creativity, class oppression, and individual identity! Softcover, 6-in. x 9-in., 288 pages, Text Only. Cover price $17.95.

Popular Culture and Philosophy: Book 32 - 1st printing. "Darkness on the Edge of Truth!" Edited by Randall E. Auxier and Doug Anderson. The working man's poet, the Boardwalk prophet, or simply, the Boss. If "love is a banquet at which we feed," Bruce Springsteen has provided much food for thought. Ponder love, madness, and mansions of glory. In this collection of metaphysical probes, a gang of E-street philosophers will undress Bruce's deeper mysteries like irresistible Jersey girls. So, drop those brats at your mom's, come down to the river, and learn how to step in it twice. Fourteen philosophers examine everything Springsteen. Can Springsteen settle the nature-nurture debate through his song "Born to Run"? What do the famous philosopher Ricoeur and Springsteen have in common in their depiction of time? These die-hard Springsteen fans, who just happen to be philosophers, compile an entertaining handbook to the field of Springsteen studies, covering topics like Springsteen's connection to Marx and the proletariat, Springsteen's concept of the soul, and his status as a poet. Sure to delight any fan of Bruce Springsteen, Bruce Springsteen and Philosophy takes the reader to a new, deeper understanding of Springsteen, his music, and his place in American culture! Softcover, 6-in. x 9-in., 318 pages, Text only. Cover price $18.95.

Popular Culture and Philosophy: Book 33 - 1st printing. Edited by Josef Steiff andTristan D. Tamplin. In attempting to retain her "human" side, does Sharon really have free will? Is killing a Cylon murder or garbage disposal? These are some of the questions addressed in this thoughtful collection of writings on the philosophical underpinnings of the new Battlestar Galactica. Softcover, 6-in. x 9-in., 288 pages, Text Only. Cover price $18.95.

Popular Culture and Philosophy: Book 42 - 1st prinitng. Edited by Ben Dyer. "Sometimes Evil is its own reward!" Supervillains and Philosophy divulges the essentials one would need to become a successful supervillain, and aggressively confronts the oustanding philosophical problems of supervillainy. Softcover, 6 1/2-in. x 9-in., 212 pages, Text Only. Cover price $19.95.

Popular Culture and Philosophy: Book 47 - 1st printing. Edited by Josef Steiff and Tristan D. Tamplin. From Akira, Astro Boy, Cowboy Bebop, Death Note, and Dragon Ball Z, to Full Metal Alchemist, Ghost in the Shell, Grave of the Fireflies, Gundam, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Robotech, and Spirited Away, this book examines some of the most loved, best-known, and intriguing anime films and series to find what lies at their core, underneath the typical but by no means ubiquitous visual elements of big eyes, big hair, and bright colors. Softcover, 6-in. x 9-in., 288 pages, Text Only. Cover price $19.95.

Popular Culture and Philosophy: Book 49 - 1st printing. "New Life for the Undead!" Edited by Richard Greene and K. Silem Mohammad. Whether it's Twilight, True Blood, Buffy, Blade or 30 Days of Night; movies, TV, books, or comics; vampires are everywhere! There are more zombie books, zombie movies, and zombie games than ever before. About the only thing vampires and zombies have in common is that they both want to bite us and put us at risk of becoming one of them. However, they both confront us with moral and metaphysical issues of life and death. Twenty-two leading thinkers present lessons we can learn from the various forms of Undeath! Softcover, 6-in. x 9-in., 304 pages, Text Only. Cover price $19.95.

Popular Culture and Philosophy: Book 52 - 1st printing. Edited by Josef Steiff and Adam Barkman. Arguably the most important pop culture import from the East to the West, manga is a phenomenon that can no longer be ignored. Yet just as much as it is a source of visual splendor and riveting storylines, manga stimulates intense philosophical interest. This, coupled with the incredible-but-true fact that no complete book in the West has yet engaged with manga's philosophical side, makes this book, Manga and Philosophy, all but indispensable for fans and scholars alike. Because manga isn't restricted to a single genre much less to a single series or a single author, the possibility for stories and ideas are endless. Softcover, 6-in. x 9-in., 288 pages, Text Only. Cover price $19.95.

1st printing. Halo is one of the greatest, most successful First Person Shooter (FPS) videogames ever to grace the world of gaming. While critics primarily lampoon FPSs for their aggressiveness and on-screen violence, gamers see something else. Although Halo is an FPS, it has a science-fiction storyline that draws from previous award-winning science fiction literature. It employs a game mechanic that limits the amount of weapons a player can carry to two, and a multiplayer element that has spawned websites like Red vs. Blue and games within the game created by players themselves. Halo's unique and extraordinary features raise serious questions. Are campers really doing anything wrong? Does Halo's music match the experience of the gamer? Would Plato have used Halo to train citizens to live an ethical life? What sort of Artificial Intelligence exists in Halo and how is it used? Can the player's experience of war tell us anything about actual war? Is there meaning to Master Chief's rough existence? How does it affect the player's ego if she identifies too strongly with an aggressive character like Master Chief? Is Halo really science fiction? Can Halo be used for enlightenment-oriented thinking in the Buddhist sense? Does Halo's weapon limitation actually contribute to the depth of the gameplay? When we willingly play Halo only to die again and again, are we engaging in some sort of self-injurious behavior? What is expansive gameplay and how can it be informed by the philosophy of Michel Foucault? In what way does Halo's post-apocalyptic paradigm force gamers to see themselves as agents of divine deliverance? What can Red vs. Blue teach us about personal identity? These questions are tackled by writers who are both Halo cognoscenti and active philosophers, with a foreword by renowned Halo fiction author Fred Van Lente and an afterword by leading games scholar and artist Roger Ngim. Softcover, 6-in. x 9-in., 220 pages, Text Only. Cover price $12.99.

1st printing. Neil Gaiman is the imaginative wizard behind the best-selling novels American Gods and Anansi Boys, the series The Sandman, and popular children's books like Coraline and The Graveyard Book. Neil Gaiman and Philosophy looks at Gaiman's work through a philosophical lens. How does fantasy interact with reality and what can each tell us about the other? Do we each have other selves who embody different personal qualities? If the unknown influences the known, is the unknown just as real as the known? In Neil Gaiman and Philosophy, eighteen philosophers explore Gaiman's best-loved and unforgettable worlds. Softcover, 6-in.x 9-in., 288 pages, text. Cover price $19.95.

1st printing. By Robert Kirkman and Jay Bonansinga. From the creator of The Walking Dead comes the first in a trilogy of original novels set in the same apocalyptic universe: The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor. Fans of Kirkman's award-winning zombie series and the groundbreaking television show will flock to this intense, exciting story featuring none other than The Governor. For the first time, fans will discover how The Governor became the man he is, and what drove him to such extremes. Softcover, 5-in. x 8-in., 320 pages, Text Only. Cover price $14.99.