University of Michigan professor Eric S. Rabkin discusses the fantastic in its most important modern variety, science fiction, as part of the entire course on fantasy literature.

This book explores the history of superheroes, tracing their development from their beginning in 2100 B.C.E. with the Epic of Gilgamesh to their status today in modern pop culture and the comic book and graphic novel worlds. It documents how the two modern superhero archetypes--the Costumed Avengers and the superhuman Supermen--can be traced back more than 200 years and how modern superheroes were created and influenced by biblical heroes, medieval...