This volume analyzes Jewish tropes in popular science fiction including Star Trek, Marvel, and other top franchises. The essays examine representations of Jewish characters and culture in the genre that range from poignant metaphor to banal tokenism.

This book analyzes Jewish tropes in popular science fiction ranging from Star Trek and Marvel to other prominent franchises. Sometimes the representation is subtle and thought-provoking; other times, it is limited to cliché and oversimplification of characters. The chapters in this collection examine the representation of Jewish characters in films and franchises including Superman, Lord of the Rings, The Mandalorian, The Twilight Zone, and more to shed light on the broad range of representations of the Jewish experience in popular science fiction and fantasy.

Chapter 1. “Discovery Requires Experimentation”: Centering Nazi-Fighting Ideology Without Judaism in Genre Television

Erin Giannini

Chapter 2. Destroyer, Defender, AI, Lover: The Golem in Speculative Fiction Prose and Comics

Fraser Sherman

Chapter 3. “The Golem was Built to go to War”: The Golem in TV Fiction

Mara W. Cohen Ioannides

Chapter 4. The Origins of Superman: An Unlikely Window into the Jewish American Experience

Matthew Diamond

Chapter 5. Bats & Mitzvahs: Judaism in Modern Batman Comics

Jonathan Sexton

Chapter 6. Have Onscreen Superheroes Lost their Faith? Considering Marvel, Magneto, the Arrowverse, and Harley Quinn

Valerie Estelle Frankel

Chapter 7. Making a Jewish Case for Ferengi: Redeeming Star Trek’s Worst Archetypes

Miriam Eve Mora

Chapter 8. Who Brings The Messiah: Klingon Messianism and Anti-messianism in Star Trek: TNG

Ari Elias-Bachrach

Chapter 9. Across Galaxies: How Science Fiction Echoes the Jewish Experience Under Colonization

Sarah Katz

Chapter 10. Mandalorian Midrash: Space Jews and Ancient Exegetical Analysis in Star Wars’ The Mandalorian

Caleb Horowitz

Chapter 11. Zombies and Educating Jewish Brains

Rabbi Matthew Nover and Heather Nover

Chapter 12. The Quest for the Kosher Dragon: Who’s the Mensch in Middle-Earth?

Arthur S. Harrow

Chapter 13. Avatar: The Last Airbender and Judaism: Several Curious Connections

Ellen Levitt

Chapter 14. The Twilight Zone as Jewish Science Fiction

Judy Klass