Tales of explorers and adventurers often blur the line between science and fiction, with chronicles of the exotic and the unknown becoming the stuff of legends and the building blocks of history. Explorer’s tales spin heroic stories of adventures that cross borders, shatter boundaries, develop new knowledge, and, in so doing, depict the causes and consequences of seeking dominion over people and places.
Films of explorers and exploration have taken many forms, from early adventure-ethnographies to historical illuminations and recreations, to CGI-infused fictional spectacle. But whether drama, action, comedy, or parody, these tales of exotic adventure, danger, and romance help craft our identities, both personal and national, through their complex cultural messages about power and morality, values and fears, heroes and villains. As we conduct our own explorations of these narratives, we learn not only about our fictional adventurers but also about ourselves and our constructions of gender, history, heroism, physical and intellectual challenge, borders and boundaries, and so much more.
The volume editors welcome proposals for previously unpublished essays that map out new territory in fiction films on explorers, adventurers, and exploration. Possibilities include, but are not limited to:
- Mockumentaries and hybrids (such as Forbidden Quest, First on the Moon)
- Adventure/exploration fiction (such as Indiana Jones, Lara Croft, King Kong)
- Classical Antiquity (such as Jason and the Argonauts, The Odyssey)
- Science Fiction (such as Astronaut Farmer, The Martian, Solaris, Ad Astra)
- Comedies (such as Abbott and Costello in Africa Screams, Sahara, The Road to El Dorado)
- Exploitation films (such as Africa Uncensored, Cannibal Holocaust)
- Historical Dramas (such as The New World, Queen of the Desert)
Please submit your 500-word abstracts and brief bios to both editors by November 15, 2022.
