Introduction: The highway to hell and back

Abstract

Over nine seasons, the television series Supernatural has inspired a large and still growing fandom-with conventions, fanfic websites and blogs, comic books, an animated series, and a series of novels. At the same time, like similarly fan-centered or cult shows, such as those of the Star Trek franchise, The X-Files (1993-2002), and Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003), throughout its run Supernatural has delved into social, philosophical, literary, and theological themes-as well as issues related to gender, family, capitalism, and postmodernism-that not only contextualize and add depth to the show’s ongoing plots, but also reflect our era’s intellectual concerns and may, in the end, be part of the reason for the program’s popularity.