The 28th of October 1994 marked the beginning of one of the most successful franchises in television history. It was the day Roland Emmerich released the first Stargate movie to the cinemas. Little did he know that was laying the foundation for one of TV’s longest and most successful TV shows. Only three years later Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner decided to create a TV show that would pick up exactly where the movie blockbuster ended. Stargate SG-1 was born and ran for ten successful seasons. Moreover, two spinoffs originated from Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis which ran for five seasons, as well as Stargate Universe which ran for two seasons. After the end of Stargate SG-1 it became clear that the audience was not ready to part with their favourite TV show and two more movies were released. The Stargate franchise was even further enriched by the incorporation of books, video games, an animated series, audio plays, and graphic novels.
The Stargate universe covers an enormous range of academic topics. Starting with aspects of slavery (most Jaffa seem to be of non-Caucasian origin), and the importance of free will, to the implications of multiple personality disorders, fundamental ethical questions (if a body is inhabited by a symbiote, which is unable to live without it, would extracting it be murder? Can an individual host body be responsible for the acts of the symbiote? Would it be morally justified to sacrifice a few thousand people in order to save billions? Is there some kind of ethical and moral obligation to help other species? What gives humans the right to boycott and overthrow other cultures?), to mankind’s own fears (What would we do if we actually encountered alien beings? What gives the U.S. military the right to act as ambassadors for all of mankind? Should the SGC have started an intergalactic war and kept the rest of mankind in the dark about it? Will the nations of the world ever life in harmony?). The range of topics covered in the Stargate franchise seems to be almost limitless. And the success of this franchise demonstrates that many of the topics must have resonated with the audience.
This publication aims to examine Stargate in literature, art, and other media to questions concerning sexuality, gender, identity, social change and feminism. It will provide an interdisciplinary stage for the development of innovative and creative research and examine this vital and complex American production in all their various manifestations and cultural meanings.
The following categories suggest possibilities but are by no means exhaustive:
• Fandom and/or Reception
• Transformation and/or Adaptation
• Gender
• Culture and Cultural Adaptations/Appropriations
• Race
• Sexuality
• Romance and Desire
• Power
• Monstrosity
• Heroism
• Villainy
• Identify
• Visual Style and practices
What to Send:
300 – 500 word abstracts (or complete articles, if available) and CVs should be submitted by June 1, 2013. If an abstract is accepted for the collection, a full draft of the essay (5000 – 8000 words) will be required by December 1, 2013.
Abstracts and final articles should be submitted to: [email protected] (Martina Kress) and [email protected] receipt of the abstracts will be send within one week. In case you do not receive an email, please resend your proposal.
[email protected] (Martina Kress) [email protected]
Email: [email protected]
from H-net