One myth to rule them all and in the darkness bind them: a critical examination of Joseph Campbell's The Hero's Journey

ABSTRACT

This special edition embarks on a critical exploration of Joseph Campbell's The Hero's Journey, challenging its dominance as a universal narrative framework and its implications for contemporary storytelling, particularly in the context of evolving media landscapes. Drawing on C.P. Nield's critique of Campbell's monomyth as a "Hollywood McMyth," the collection of articles within this edition seeks to unravel the monomyth by advocating for a narrative plurality that reflects a more inclusive and diverse spectrum of stories. Contributors to this edition engage with alternative narrative paradigms that emphasise community, companionship, and commonality, moving beyond the individualistic focus of Campbell's framework. This shift is underscored by the rise of interactive and immersive storytelling technologies, such as VR, AR, and XR, which demand a re-evaluation of narrative structures to accommodate the dynamic and fluid nature of contemporary storytelling. Through a decolonial lens, the articles collectively argue for a decentring of narrative meaning, proposing new approaches that embrace the complexities of global challenges and the multiplicity of human experiences. Setting the stage for a critical examination of The Hero's Journey, inviting readers to consider the ethical implications of narratives in shaping socio-cultural values and norms in an era of immersive and participatory media.

KEYWORDS:

• Monomyth
• collectivism
• individualism
• story
• narrative
• experiential

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 https://evolutionofstory.info/

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Roy Hanney

Roy Hanney is employed an associate professor at Solent University and is Course Leader for their Media Production programme. With over 20 years of higher education teaching experience, he specialises in story, documentary, drama and transmedia production. His research interests include project-based learning and live projects, which formed the basis for his PhD thesis at Portsmouth University. As founder of DVMISSION 48 h Film Challenge and director of Making Waves Film Festival he works collaboratively with other organisations in the Solent region in talent development for the creative sector and to promote opportunities for engagement with media practices. As a creative producer he stages immersive audio-visual installations and explores experience design as an emerging storytelling practice.