I just received my contributor copies of Open Court's new book, Dexter and Philosophy.
I've had a chance to leaf through the text this morning, and thus far the book, edited by Richard Greene, George A. Reisch, and Rachel Robison-Greene looks mighty impressive.
My entry, "The Killing Joke" (comparing Dexter Morgan to a superhero) is the first article following the introduction ("Knowing Thyself") and is found under the section called "Maiming and Necessity."
My essay is followed by a really intriguing piece that explicitly compares Dexter to Star Trek's Mr. Spock. It's called "Dexter's Pointy Ears" and was penned by Abrol Fairweather, a Philosophy professor at the University of San Francisco.
Other sections in Dexter and Philosophy include "The Cut of Dexter's Jib," "What Would Dexter Do?," "Bad Blood and Bad Behavior" and "Dexter's Bloodline."
So far, I've only had the chance to read four essays in the collection, but they're all very good. I maintain Dexter is the finest genre show on television right now, and while reading this book, you can really see how the TV series has inspired a number of authors and professors to consider some basic life issues. What does it mean to be human? What value -- if any -- are emotions? And can a man who is a serial killer actually be...a hero? Is murder ever a social good?
You can pre-order Dexter and Philosophy: Mind over Spatter at Amazon.com, here, today. It's widely available on June 1st, in both paperback and Kindle editions.
John
ReplyDeleteThe book sounds great. I'll definitely look for it.
Your premise sounds fantastic. I love the series and I certainly could see why your idea works beautifully or why the question of Dexter as a hero is fascinating.
It's an amazing series. I've watched The Walking Dead, True Blood Season 1 and Dexter is indeed my favorite show hands down.
It's a killer series.
By the way, I wonder how much my love for that series stands on the perfomance of Michael C. Hall and the surrounding cast.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure it begins and ends with the writing, but Hall is perfect as Dexter. One of the best castings ever for television.
Hi Sci-Fi Fanatic,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your excellent comment. I'm also an admirer of The Walking Dead, and still have to acquaint myself with True Blood, but Dexter's got the goods. I've watched the first five seasons of the show and have rarely, if ever been disappointed. I also agree with you about Hall's performance. He's stellar in the role.
I wonder if we're both drawn to the series because of the echoes we detect in it; Dexter as superhero; Dexter as Spock. Or, if shows like Star Trek have just conditioned us to like these musings -- even the dark ones -- about the nature of the human race.
All my best,
John
Excellent follow-up.
ReplyDeleteLike the aforementioned characters and the ruminations you mentioned, these are creations we love.
Iconic, perhaps, because they are infused with such depth on pondering the nature of man [not bad from a vulcan and a killer]. Spock and Dexter. I look forward to seeing that one too.