Monograph Reviewed in Fandom/Cultures/Research

Dr. Hammonds' book, Interpreting and Transmitting Kynicism in Joker, has been reviewed in Fandom/Cultures/Research: Online Journal for Fan and Audience Studies. The review, by independent scholar and journalist Enoe Lopes Pontes, features both a summary of major arguments from the book and highlights of contributions to the field of fan studies. Pontes writes that the book expresses why "the author's fear is palpable that the far right will dominate a space [superhero and film fandom] that, for him, is one of love and adoration. The book is filled with warnings... asking readers to pay attention to the political landscape and the intentions of directors." Indeed, Dr. Hammonds makes the argument that "landscape" or "context" is part of the form that shapes content - it is a vital area of interpretation. The thrust of the book is to identify how film content becomes vulnerable to malicious poaching and re-interpretation through selective attention to elements of context. Interpreting and Transmitting Kynicism in Joker is now published through Bloomsbury and available in both hardcover and eBook formats.