Kong Unbound: The Cultural Impact, Pop Mythos, and Scientific Plausibility of a Cinematic Legend

In 1933, Merian C. Cooper, Ernest Schoedsack, and Willis O’Brien created more than movie magic. King Kong is a pop-cultural icon and a central part of American mythology. But more than just another ＂Beauty and the Beast＂ tale, Kong Unbound also allows us to examine such themes as:

• The Great Depression and America’s place in the world
• Kong as Avatar of Repressed Sexual Energy
• Kong as a Symbol of Slavery and Racism
• Kong as Alternate Paleontology
• The Triumph of Technology over the Natural World

These themes and more are explored in this wonderful collection of insightful essays by:

Ray Harryhausen
Ray Bradbury
Karen Haber
Richard A. Lupoff
Christopher Priest
Robert Silverberg
Jack Williamson
Harry Harrison
William Stout
Paul Di Filippo
Esther M. Friesner
Howard Waldrop
Frank M. Robinson
Pat Cadigan
David Gerrold
Philip J. Currie
Joe DeVito
Alan Dean Foster
William Joyce
Michael Chabon
Maurice Sendak

Karen Haber is the author of nine novels, including the Star Trek tie-in novel Bless the Beasts, as well as several nonfiction titles.