This book sets out to write nothing short of a new theory of the heroic for today's world. It delves into the "why" of the hero as a natural companion piece to the "how" of the hero as written by Northrop Frye and Joseph Campbell over half a century ago. The novels of Saul Bellow and Don DeLillo serve as an anchor to the theory as it challenges our notions of what is heroic about nymphomaniacs, Holocaust survivors, spurious academics, cult followers, terrorists, celebrities, photographers and writers of novels who all attempt to claim the right to be "hero."

Defining the Hero: Form * Defining the American Hero: Story * Henderson the Rain King : The Hero Surrendered * Mr. Sammler's Planet : The Hero Accused * White Noise : The Hero Defended * Mao II : The Hero Returned

Stephanie S. Halldorson is an independent scholar.