Retcon Game

Retroactive Continuity and the Hyperlinking of America

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Cultural Studies, Popular Culture, Fiction & Literature, Literary Theory & Criticism
Cover of the book Retcon Game by Andrew J. Friedenthal, University Press of Mississippi
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Andrew J. Friedenthal ISBN: 9781496811332
Publisher: University Press of Mississippi Publication: April 3, 2017
Imprint: University Press of Mississippi Language: English
Author: Andrew J. Friedenthal
ISBN: 9781496811332
Publisher: University Press of Mississippi
Publication: April 3, 2017
Imprint: University Press of Mississippi
Language: English

The superhero Wolverine time travels and changes storylines. On Torchwood, there's a pill popped to alter memories of the past. The narrative technique of retroactive continuity seems rife lately, given all the world-building in comics. Andrew J. Friedenthal deems retroactive continuity, or "retconning," as a force with many implications for how Americans view history and culture.

Friedenthal examines this phenomenon in a range of media, from its beginnings in comic books and now its widespread shift into television, film, and digital media. Retconning has reached its present form as a result of the complicated workings of superhero comics. In comic books and other narratives, retconning often seems utilized to literally rewrite some aspect of a character's past, either to keep that character more contemporary, to erase stories from continuity that no longer fit, or to create future story potential.

From comics, retconning has spread extensively, to long-form, continuity-rich dramas on television, such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Lost, and beyond. Friedenthal explains that in a culture saturated by editable media, where interest groups argue over Wikipedia pages and politicians can immediately delete questionable tweets, the retcon serves as a perfect metaphor for the ways in which history, and our access to information overall, has become endlessly malleable.

In the first book to focus on this subject, Friedenthal regards the editable Internet hyperlink, rather than the stable printed footnote, as the de facto source of information in America today. To embrace retroactive continuity in fictional media means accepting that the past itself is not a stable element, but rather something constantly in contentious flux. Due to retconning's ubiquity within our media, we have grown familiar with narratives as inherently unstable, a realization that deeply affects how we understand the world.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The superhero Wolverine time travels and changes storylines. On Torchwood, there's a pill popped to alter memories of the past. The narrative technique of retroactive continuity seems rife lately, given all the world-building in comics. Andrew J. Friedenthal deems retroactive continuity, or "retconning," as a force with many implications for how Americans view history and culture.

Friedenthal examines this phenomenon in a range of media, from its beginnings in comic books and now its widespread shift into television, film, and digital media. Retconning has reached its present form as a result of the complicated workings of superhero comics. In comic books and other narratives, retconning often seems utilized to literally rewrite some aspect of a character's past, either to keep that character more contemporary, to erase stories from continuity that no longer fit, or to create future story potential.

From comics, retconning has spread extensively, to long-form, continuity-rich dramas on television, such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Lost, and beyond. Friedenthal explains that in a culture saturated by editable media, where interest groups argue over Wikipedia pages and politicians can immediately delete questionable tweets, the retcon serves as a perfect metaphor for the ways in which history, and our access to information overall, has become endlessly malleable.

In the first book to focus on this subject, Friedenthal regards the editable Internet hyperlink, rather than the stable printed footnote, as the de facto source of information in America today. To embrace retroactive continuity in fictional media means accepting that the past itself is not a stable element, but rather something constantly in contentious flux. Due to retconning's ubiquity within our media, we have grown familiar with narratives as inherently unstable, a realization that deeply affects how we understand the world.

More books from University Press of Mississippi

Cover of the book Conversations with Jonathan Lethem by Andrew J. Friedenthal
Cover of the book Downhome Gospel by Andrew J. Friedenthal
Cover of the book Tell about Night Flowers by Andrew J. Friedenthal
Cover of the book Desegregating Desire by Andrew J. Friedenthal
Cover of the book Postcolonial Theory and the United States by Andrew J. Friedenthal
Cover of the book The Land of Rowan Oak by Andrew J. Friedenthal
Cover of the book Reconsidering Laura Ingalls Wilder by Andrew J. Friedenthal
Cover of the book Richard Wright Writing America at Home and from Abroad by Andrew J. Friedenthal
Cover of the book Eleanor Cameron by Andrew J. Friedenthal
Cover of the book The Comics of Hergé by Andrew J. Friedenthal
Cover of the book The Films of Douglas Sirk by Andrew J. Friedenthal
Cover of the book Conversations with Andre Dubus by Andrew J. Friedenthal
Cover of the book Graphic Novels as Philosophy by Andrew J. Friedenthal
Cover of the book Making and Remaking Horror in the 1970s and 2000s by Andrew J. Friedenthal
Cover of the book Dictionary of Louisiana French by Andrew J. Friedenthal
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy