Steven Kielich is pursuing a PhD in Visual and Cultural Studies at the University of Rochester, USA, and has held Visiting Scholar appointments with the University at Buffalo, USA. His research focuses on representations of violence and the intersections of psychoanalytic thought with 20th-century literature, film, and popular culture. He has published on animated television, the Metal Gear Solid series, and is currently performing research on Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.