Star Wars in the Public Square

Speculative science fiction, with its underlying socio-political dialogue, represents an important intersection of popular culture and public discourse. As a pop culture text, the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars offers critical commentary on contemporary issues, marking a moment of interplay whereby author and audience come together in what Russian philosopher Mikhail Bakhtin called collaborative meaning making. This book critically examines the series as a voice in the political dialogues concerning human cloning, torture, just war theory, peace and drone warfare.

Derek R. Sweet is an associate professor of communication studies at Luther College and writes, primarily, about the intersection of rhetoric, popular culture, and politics. He lives in Decorah, Iowa.