New Books in Popular Culture Adrienne Domasin ed., "The Psychgeist of Pop Culture: The Last of Us" (Playstory Press, 2025)
Nov 23, 2025
Adrienne Domasin, editor of "The Psychgeist of Pop Culture: The Last of Us," delves deep into the psychological dimensions of the beloved franchise. She discusses how themes of trauma and grief resonate with audiences in both the video games and HBO series. Domasin offers a Marxist interpretation of the post-apocalyptic setting as a potential utopia and analyzes Joel's morally complex decisions, especially his pivotal choice at the hospital. She even shares her journey of shifting empathy towards Abby, showcasing the emotional depth of character perspectives.
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Post-Apocalyptic Utopia Reimagined
- The Last of Us offers a post-apocalyptic utopian imagination where society can be restructured beyond capitalism and racial hierarchies.
- Adrienne Domasin sees immersion in the game's world as an escape from capitalist alienation that reveals alternative social organization.
Community Governance In Jackson
- The series foregrounds how ordinary people could reorganize society after collapse, exemplified by Jackson's commune-like governance.
- Domasin highlights on-screen dialogue that explicitly frames Jackson as democratic and even communist in practice.
Adaptation Requires Medium Awareness
- Different media forms change which narrative elements are central because of their distinct affordances and constraints.
- Domasin argues adaptations must be judged by medium-specific storytelling possibilities, not purely fidelity to the original game.