About the Book:

This collection of essays is the first book to examine the trilogy as a whole — as well as related products such as The Animatrix and the computer game.

The Matrix films, along with the video games, animé and toys inspired by them, are rich with philosophical, religious and social references that cry out for interpretation. Here these ideas are examined in the context of the history of thought and cinema. The variety of applications in this study is remarkable, engaging thinkers ranging from conservative Christians to postmodernist critics. Feminist issues meet cyberpunk, cosmological perspectives meet mythological and literary analysis. Violence in society, American values, politics, heroic models — all are called into question in Jacking In To the Matrix as several esteemed scholars decode the entire world of the Matrix franchise.

What people say:

"…a collection of meaty essays on The Matrix's cultural meaning. Hailing from a range of scholarly disciplines, the contributors speak to the innumerable interpretations the films have inspired. By provoking such passionate and thoughtful responses, from academics and water-cooler philosophers alike, the series has embodied the cyborg dreams, the fears and desires, of Americans at the turn of the millennium. And that's something worth reading about." — The Boston Phoenix

"a grand tour of all the subjects that matter in film studies: gender and degenderization, race and multiraciality and embedded political values, postmodern deconstruction and reconstruction of hope. Doty and Kapell's collection of articles … will become a classic in film studies." — Ginette Paris, Pacifica Graduate Institute

"Two things distinguish this useful mapping of the Wachowski brothers' Matrix film trilogy … First, its range of contributors … second, the editors' insistence on conversational writing makes for an uncommon accessibility … Recommended." — Choice

About the Editors:

Matthew Kapell is an historian and anthropologist best best known for three edited academic volumes on popular culture, film, and television, including Jacking In to the Matrix. He teaches in the Departments of Political and Cultural Studies at Swansea University, Wales, UK.

William G. Doty is a retired Professor of Humanities and Religious Studies at the University of Alabama. He has published 16 books and over 70 essays in a wide range of academic journals.