By WILL VRASPIR

Hastings Tribune

HASTINGS, Neb. (AP) -- Combining a childhood love for epic tales with an academic study of culture, John Perlich discovered others were interested in the ways myths have changed between generations.

With help from David Whitt, professor of communication at Nebraska Wesleyan University, Perlich has compiled essays into books discussing contemporary mythical heroes such as Harry Potter and Luke Skywalker.

"Myth and story tell us not only where we've been, but also where we are now, and often where we are going," he said. "That's the role of myth and mythology in our lives. Each tale that's told may be a retelling in some ways of other stories, but things change in those tales, and I think those changes are very telling about where we might be heading as a culture or as society."

Perlich, 42, Hastings College professor of communication arts, is lead editor and contributor for the new book "Millennial Mythmaking: Essays on the Power of Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature, Films and Games." Whitt is co-editor and contributor for the book, the second compiled by the duo.

Their first book, "Sith, Slayers, Stargates and Cyborgs: Modern Mythology in the New Millennium," was published in 2008.

For Perlich, the journey to publication began in 1977 with the release of "Star Wars." Although he thoroughly enjoyed the movie, he was surprised to learn that the basic story wasn't unique.

"I started researching, and I found out it's a classic journey known as the monomyth, or a myth that cuts through a lot of cultures and a lot of places, and Luke Skywalker's tale isn't really that unique," he said. "Once I found that out and started finding other stories like it, I was hooked, and it's been an interest ever since."

Defined by Joseph Campbell in "The Hero with a Thousand Faces" in 1968, the monomyth tells the tale of a hero who leaves his common life and finds a wondrous world. The hero encounters an overwhelming opponent and is victorious against all odds. The hero then returns to bestow boons on his fellow man.

Early stories of Prometheus, Osiris and Moses follow the structure, as well as more recent heroes like Neo, Simba and Harry Potter.

Perlich said the book can be read as a textbook for classes, such as those dealing with storytelling, or by people interested in the topics.

"It's helpful for classes, but we're also getting a lot of interest in folks who have a natural affinity or interest in either some of the chapters, because each one is an analysis of a unique pop culture phenomenon, or (they are) just interested in myth and mythology," he said.

Perlich said new movies and stories have provided inspiration for a third book.

"So as those things continue to come out, we just get so excited and intrigued about new versions of classic tales, new myths and the way that mythology is constantly evolving," he said. "There's so much material that excites us to write about."