On Mon, Feb 23, 2015 at 9:11 AM, L.A. Alexander <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
-- To manage your subscription or unsubscribe from the Film-Philosophy list, please visit: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/film-philosophy.html -- Film-Philosophy Journal: http://www.film-philosophy.com/ Film-Philosophy Conference 2014 (University of Glasgow 2-4 July): http://www.film-philosophy.com/conference/ --Dear All,
As you know, fictional world-building is a new developing field, encompassing cinema/media studies, narratology, literary studies, game design, studies of the audience, philosophy, theory of culture, etc. More and more stimulating books appear these days, representing a chorus of diverse scholarly voices and insightful ideas.I am pleased to announce that courtesy of the Apple company we are able to offer a limited number of free copies of FICTIONAL WORDS, a new transmedia, interactive and illustrated edition available on iTunes.Please request one off list by replying to this email or:The new interactive, illustrated, and significantly expanded edition is a follow-up to the print edition (October 2013). See links below.The available free copies of Fictional Worlds are meant for the leading scholars, department chairs, potential reviewers, the educators interested in using it in a classroom, as well as for those of you who are supporters/enthusiasts of fictional world-building -- an exciting developing new field of knowledge, which overlaps with both film and philosophy.Please note that we have only a LIMITED number of free copies, as part of the Apple promotion.However, intact with Steve Jobs' vision of the accessible educational materials, the price of this iBook on iTunes is only $12.99 - intentionally affordable for educators and students. (It is currently employed as a textbook at several departments in New York. This iBook has information enough for a semester study and can be projected on-screen as a visual lecture series, empowering an instructor and stimulating student discussions. All keypoints are highlighted, and 100+ images are interactive).Fictional Worlds I has the following segments/topics:Chapter 1:* (screen) narrative and/as symbolic communication* optimization of society via storytelling* bonding, empathy, collaboration - why intrinsic to story* biosemiotics and storytelling* family as a language of culture and the debates on family roles in symbolic narratives* the birth of visual culture, mass society and propaganda* the protagonists and antagonists of symbolic community* storytelling and/as political propaganda; dystopias/utopias* fictional world as essentially a "journey world"* the themes of The Odyssey from Homer to Joyce, SciFi* a forum on the meaning of masculinity and gender (continues in Books 2-4 also including the women's themes running thru 4 books)Chapter 2:An anthropological theory of genres (film, media, narrative) as a behavioral frameworkChapters 3-4: The Symbolic Journey (the Journey-World)The Masterplot: steps in creating/examining action-adventure, fantasy, SciFi, coming of age stories of magical realism, videogames, and beyond - for the artists, writers, as well as story analysts, educators and film scholars.A detailed analysis of the journey steps (action), journey entities (a spectrum, and importantly, functions, of fantastic beings from talking animals to dragons and aliens), and the question of hierarchy/dynamics of knowledge, with an emphasis on breakthrough ideas as a journey goal.The discussion of what this particular book offers to the field of fictional world-building is addressed in detail on henryjenkins.org, plz see links below.For the content of the forthcoming three Fictional Worlds interactive books (Drama; Mystery & Tragedy; and Comedy / Poetics of Tomorrow) please see website.Best regards,Lily Alexander, Ph.D.NYU/CUNY
