JOURNAL ARTICLE

Circulating Superheroes in City Mystery Novels: Prefigurations of a Popular Serial Figure.

  • Published In: Anglia: Journal of English Philology / Zeitschrift für Englische Philologie, 2025, v. 143, n. 1. P. 136 1 of 3

  • Database: Humanities Source Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Stein, Daniel 3 of 3

Abstract

This article develops a notion of "serial prefiguration" that connects the evolutionary dynamics of popular serial narrative with a multi-level understanding of circulation as a) the extent to and means through which certain stories reach large audiences and foster reading communities that verbalize their responses to these stories; b) the travelling of narrative forms, content, and concepts of superhero crimefighting through genre narratives that transcend regional and national borders; c) the constitution of networks of print cultures through which these narratives create a "circulatory matrix" (Gaonkar and Povinelli 2003) or "cultures of circulation" (Lee and LiPuma 2002) that function as the foundation for modern entertainment and have delivered the blueprint for popular serial storytelling since the mid-nineteenth century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additional Information

  • Source:Anglia: Journal of English Philology / Zeitschrift für Englische Philologie. 2025/03, Vol. 143, Issue 1, p136
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Literature and Writing
  • Publication Date:2025
  • ISSN:03405222
  • DOI:10.1515/ang-2025-0008
  • Accession Number:184528275
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of Anglia: Journal of English Philology / Zeitschrift für Englische Philologie is the property of De Gruyter and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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