Lee (film, media, and creative writing; U. of Derby) recycles and augments some of his earlier writings about the darker corners of society to discuss how mainstream culture deals with taboo topics, particularly violence and abuse. He draws on a large stable of modern thinkers--among them Nietzsche, Freud, Lacan, Heidegger, Foucault, Kristeva, and Levinas--to examine such issues as celebrity, observational culture, technology, memory, and the culture of death. Michael Jackson, Oprah Winfrey, Lolita, Chinatown, The Exorcist, messianic discourse and science fiction, and killing for fame all make appearances. Annotation 2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
