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Time Travel Storytelling in the 21st Century: Essays on Narrative Complexity in Film and Television
Paperback
ISBN13: 9781476695174
Publisher: McFarland & Company
Published: Nov 27 2026
Pages: 120
Height: 0.38 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
Time travel narratives often draw on tropes and structures that have become predictable, giving the impression that this genre is stuck in a loop. However, many 21st century entries to the canon are evolving toward more complicated storytelling and innovate narrative strategies that challenge the ways contemporary audiences understand time travel media. This narrative shift parallels the development of our increasingly complex world that is undergoing processes of globalization and time-space compression--a form of sociocultural time travel in itself.
This collection of original essays explores the captivating phenomenon of the growing complexity of time travel narratives, adding to ongoing studies by drawing on interdisciplinary research in narratology, philosophy, politics, temporality, and popular culture. Through examinations of films ranging from Happy Death Day, Scarlet Heart, and installments from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, each essay reveals another angle of this shift toward more nuanced explorations of socio-political dynamics, identity and cultural concerns, and metatextual engagements. This collection provides readers with insight into how each time travel narrative requires greater audience attention to be fully understood, highlighting how these stories reflect on and critique aspects of our increasingly globalized society.
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