UCA Professor Dr. Jacob M. Held has worked at the intersection of philosophy and popular culture for over a decade. His recent publications, including Dr. Seuss and Philosophy: Oh, the Thinks You Can Think! (Rowman and Littlefield, 2011) and Roald Dahl and Philosophy: A Little Nonsense Now and Then (Rowman and Littlefield, 2014), were recently spotlighted in The Guardian.
In her article, “Terry Pratchett Rethought As A Philosopher In New Study” Alison Flood discusses the philosophical themes underlying the work of British Fantasy author Terry Pratchett. She also interviews Dr. Held and his co-editor Dr. James B. South about their newest book, Philosophy and Terry Pratchett (Palgrave Macmillan, 2014).
The book is a collection of solicited essays focusing on philosophical aspects of Pratchett’s Discworld series. Essays deal with existential themes, metaphysics, ethics, gender, distributive justice, and rights. Longtime fans of Pratchett, Held and South were excited to finally find a venue to explore the work of Terry Pratchett. The book is slated to be released Dec. 3rd but has already been labeled as the #1 New Release in Philosophy on Amamzon.com.
Held and South are hopeful that the book will reach a wide audience and encourage interest in both Pratchett’s work and philosophy in general.