Win A Copy Of ‘True Blood and Philosophy’

True Blood is one of those shows that can be enjoyed purely on the surface, yet should the viewer be inclined to dive deeper they are rewarded with a myriad of metaphors, similes, and analogies. The folks behind the And Philosophy series of books have taken the latter approach in their new book, True Blood and Philosophy, presenting a collection of philosophical essays that relate to True Blood.

Philosophy not your strong suit? It’s not mine, either. I took a philosophy class as an undergrad and another literature-based theory class in grad school, but Kant and Nietzsche and Descartes aren’t my BFFs. Fortunately, you don’t need a PhD in philosophy to enjoy these essays and begin considering the deeper themes running through True Blood. I am endlessly fascinated with pop culture (of any era) and how it reflects the issues the masses are dealing with at a given time, so this collection was right up my alley. True Blood and Philosophy posits that True Blood and Charlaine Harris’s novels are representations of many of the moral, ethical and physical issues we’re dealing with in the 21st century and therefore worth examining through the philosophical prism. Some essays are more successful at finding insights than others, but at the very least each one is accessible and provides a solid jumping off point should the reader wish to explore more on their own.  The philosophers’ works, True Blood episodes and the Southern Vampire novels are meticulously cited, providing a map for said exploration.

Curious about what, specifically, is covered in this volume? It’s a wide range, from the moral implications of consent (e.g. Bill turning Jessica) to Sookie’s often conflicted feministic outlook on independence, sex and equality to the role of the state in establishing and protecting civil rights (e.g. do vampires have civil rights?) to the very question of identity in a world populated with supernatural beings. Politics, sex, feminism, morality, ethics, equality, desire, greed, power – True Blood and Philosophy is full of questions and answers about a myriad of juicy topics. While we wait for the third season to debut, it’s worth your time to pick up this book and gain insight into the layers of meaning we see on screen and in the pages of the novels. As the editors say in the introduction, “We wanna think bad things with you.”

Win An Advance Copy

True Blood and Philosophy isn’t due for release until June 2010, but we’ve joined with And Philosophy to provide three (3) lucky winners advance copies of the book. Here’s how to enter:

• Fill out the form below and click submit.
• Be sure to use a valid email address!
• Entries must be received no later than 11:59PM Pacific on Thursday, May 20, 2010, to be eligible.
• Three (3) winners will be randomly selected from eligible entries and notified via email.

Good luck!

**This contest is concluded. Congratulations to our winners: Anna-Karen, Torie, and Barbara!**

Related posts:

1. Win A Signed Copy of True Blood Comic #1
2. Win a Copy of A Touch of Dead!
3. Win a Copy of A Taste of True Blood: The Fangbanger’s Guide