The Hooded Man Reborn

The Post-Apocalyptic Robin Hood of Paul Kane’s Hooded Man Novels

Abstract

This article explores Robin Hood as reimagined in a dystopian future through author Paul Kane's Hooded Man novels. Kane’s protagonist, Robert Stokes, emerges as the new Robin Hood, donning a hood and using a bow to fight against the tyranny and injustice of a new, self-styled Sheriff of Nottingham. Set in a post-apocalyptic Britain, the novels explore themes of survival, heroism, and the enduring power of Robin Hood as a mythic template. Kane's narrative intertwines the familiar elements of the Robin Hood legend with a return to a neomedieval society after a viral plague. The Hooded Man battles against the corrupt authority of invader de Falaise and protects the people of Nottingham. The novels contain allusions to the Robin Hood of Howard Pyle and Richard Carpenter while also reinventing the character of Robin Hood, highlighting the timeless appeal of the Robin Hood archetype. By using Mark Wolf’s analysis on the structure and creation of imaginary worlds, combined with Julie Sanders’ definition of appropriation and its relation to Linda Hutcheon’s work with adaptation, this article shows the narrative thread that is utilized by Kane to link his Hooded Man with Robin Hood. It is through Stephen Knight’s framework of the “Rhizomatic Robin Hood” that this study examines the reinvention of Robin Hood and its effectiveness and usefulness in a contemporary series of science-fantasy post-apocalyptic fiction. The novels not only pay homage to the classic Robin Hood tales of Howard Pyle and Richard Carpenter, but they also reinvent them for a new generation, emphasizing the relevance of the legend in contemporary popular fiction.