WSU Professor Looks at Impact of “the Bomb” on Pop Culture

PULLMAN, Wash. — Washington State University faculty member Paul Brians will discuss and present images of “Nuke Pop,” his research on Cold War nuclear images of nuclear war, at 7 p.m. Aug. 6 in the JBL Theater inside the Experience Music Project in Seattle.

“Nuke Pop” is sponsored by the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame. Admission is $4 and free for EMP members. “Those who attend,” said Brians, “will see an amazing array of comic books, games and other ephemera reflecting the failure of people to come to grips with the threats posed by the arms race.”

Brians has gathered a collection images in popular culture that reflected prevailing attitudes about the threat of nuclear war after the U.S. attack on Hiroshima, Japan, and before the collapse of the communist world. The Aug. 6 presentation marks the anniversary of the United States’ nuclear bombing of Hiroshima.

A professor of English, Brians is internationally known for his published science fiction research. He is the author of the book “Nuclear Holocausts: Atomic War in Fiction 1895-1984” (Kent State University Press) and numerous articles on nuclear war in fiction and popular culture. His research explores representations of the bomb in novels, short stories, plays, comic books, games and other popular media.

“During the Cold War, the threat of nuclear war was treated much like the thought of death itself — to be ignored or trivialized as much as possible,” Brians said. “Seldom was it seriously contemplated in American popular culture.”

Brians is also slated to present an Aug.7 workshop for teachers on how to use science fiction in the classroom. “Young people are more and more reluctant to read, but many of them are fascinated by science fiction,” he said. “Teachers can use this interest to lead them to literarily sophisticated examples of science fiction to develop their reading and critical skills.”

The workshop, part of SFM’s Teacher Institute, will be in the JBL Theatre at EMP and is open to the public. The cost to attend is $30. Teacher credit may be available. For more information on the workshop, contact Leslie Howle, education and outreach manager at the SFM and Hall of Fame, at (206) 262-3496.