The Heroic Shift: Why This Project and Why Now?
We started this project ages ago, back during what was seemingly a simpler time. We were chatting during an academic retreat about Avatar: The Last Airbender and the themes of collectivity and balance the show represents. There was a spark, and we knew we were on a journey together.
But, of course, life happened. We both had to finish our dissertations, navigate life, and sort a few things out about our theory before we could write it down.
What resulted is our theory of the collective hero, and how this hero emerges during periods of social upheaval, discord, and or unrest. The reason for this is the fundamentally human need for social survival, meaning securing our survival through collective efforts.
Our book, The Heroic Shift: The Emergence of the Collective as 21st Century Hero, published by Bloomsbury is landing in the early part of 2026.
The timing is good. Our mythic narrative clearly points to an imbalance, and many of us are feeling it acutely. While global energies are reaching an apex, and while various powers and factions are fighting for dominance, the stories we tell ourselves to entertain and give meaning have been preparing us for this moment. From the utopian collective of Star Trek, to the rebellious collective of Star Wars, to the extensive fandoms that have woven the global community, we look at the emerging messages and calls to action they are telling us.
This blog is the continuation of the dialogues that wrote the book as well as practical applications of the collective hero theory. All of us have a part to play.