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gasoline_allie's review against another edition
3.0
Not quite as good as the original Finding Serenity, but there are several entertaining essays here. Probably better suited for the diehard Browncoat than for the casual fan.
I might have given it 4 stars if not for the all-too-frequent Trek bashing. It's a big 'verse, folks. There's room for everyone.
I might have given it 4 stars if not for the all-too-frequent Trek bashing. It's a big 'verse, folks. There's room for everyone.
kevinhendricks's review against another edition
3.0
Because one collection of essays about a TV show canceled after half a season is not enough. There are some interesting takes in this collection. A few veer a little too deeply into academia, but overall it's an interesting read for a Firefly/Serenity fan.
rosenectur's review against another edition
4.0
There is just so much to enjoy about the short lived television series by Joss Whedon. And that is why there is not 1 but 2 books of essay’s about the show. Examining everything from it’s connections to the Civil War, Libertarianism, Media messages, and the strong female character of the Whedonverse. Really a great read if you are a flan of Firefly. (Kind made me want to write my own essay on the show.)
lanikei's review against another edition
3.0
I always want these 'essays on pop culture' books to read like intelligent conversations you have on the couch with your friend after drinking and watching an episode or two. Instead they often lean more towards the academically dry and pompous. I felt like this book struck a better balance than others I've read, with a few exceptions.
I found the interview/essay from the special effects designer was particularly enlightening, and some of the analysis was well-argued without getting hung up in trendy philosophical babble. I learned things about the series, and realized just how smart it sometimes was. I liked the analysis of scifi tropes found in Firefly, complete with an explanation for the history of classic scifi versus the Space Western.
Overall, reading the book made me want to rewatch the series, so I suppose it was a win.
I found the interview/essay from the special effects designer was particularly enlightening, and some of the analysis was well-argued without getting hung up in trendy philosophical babble. I learned things about the series, and realized just how smart it sometimes was. I liked the analysis of scifi tropes found in Firefly, complete with an explanation for the history of classic scifi versus the Space Western.
Overall, reading the book made me want to rewatch the series, so I suppose it was a win.
leahjanespeare's review
5.0
The essays in this one weren't quite as awesome as the first collection, but they're still super fun and there were a handful of really good ones. I definitely only recommend to someone who absolutely loves Firefly, (like me.) ;)
expendablemudge's review
4.0
The Book Report: Eighteen more essays about the moral, political, and ethical underpinnings, implications, and effects of the late, lamented "Firefly" TV series.
My Review: Last collection had yummy-yummy Jewel Staite, aka Kaylee, writing about her favorite things in each episode; this collection has the slurpsome Nathan Fillion reflecting on being the Captain! For that alone, it's worth the price of admission!
But wait! There's more! Loni Peristere (also a beauteous hunk of man-flesh, maybe Joss is a switch-hitter? All the men in the 'verse are so toothsome!), the f/x wizard behind the whole Whedonesque world, talks about the amazing and exacting Creator in terms of inspiring the best work from Loni and his minions, an essay that made me even angrier at the business-sound-but-aesthetically-idiotic cancellation of "Firefly". Then one Geoff Klock pulls apart and analyzes the brilliant, brilliant episode "Out of Gas", in search of storytelling genius and its telltale markers; there are many, and they are important for anyone interested in storytelling craft to study in depth. This essay makes that process almost easy, which is in itself a feat of storytelling.
Bruce Bethke's essay, "Cut 'Em Off At The Horsehead Nebula!", goes into the whys and wherefores of the SFnal aversion to Western tropes invading "its" territory, rooted in the pulp origins of SF, and its early competition with Western pulps for writers and readers. One can still hear nasty, condescending echoes of the war, which SF **won** and could and should drop, in the covert critical reception of "Firefly" as a damned Bat Durston story. Read the essay, I ain't explainin' that one. Too long, and also it pisses me the hell off.
My personal favorite essay is "The Bonnie Brown Flag", relating the "Firefly" underpinnings to the American Civil War's myth of the Noble Losers, the Gentleman Planters following the Bonnie Blue Flag. It's poignant, it's well crafted, and it's quite nicely argued.
The only essay that's a real flop is "The Virtual 'Verse", which was a waaay premature ad for the dead-in-the-water MMORPG of "Firefly" that was, at that time, being touted as forthcoming. Well, it never forthcame, and the essay looks like what it was: Blatant product placement. Ptui.
But then comes what I think is the most important essay: "The Alliance's War on Science" by Ken Wharton. Ten pages of keen observation on the nature of political propaganda masquerading as science. Again, if all you read is this one essay, your purchase price will be fully amortized. The subject is ever-more important, and this essay will sensitize you to the issue like never before.
Just like "Firefly" would have, had it survived intact to this good day. Next best thing is buying BenBella Books's essay collections. And, of course, reading them with the starved passion of a jilted lover. Or is it just me...?
My Review: Last collection had yummy-yummy Jewel Staite, aka Kaylee, writing about her favorite things in each episode; this collection has the slurpsome Nathan Fillion reflecting on being the Captain! For that alone, it's worth the price of admission!
But wait! There's more! Loni Peristere (also a beauteous hunk of man-flesh, maybe Joss is a switch-hitter? All the men in the 'verse are so toothsome!), the f/x wizard behind the whole Whedonesque world, talks about the amazing and exacting Creator in terms of inspiring the best work from Loni and his minions, an essay that made me even angrier at the business-sound-but-aesthetically-idiotic cancellation of "Firefly". Then one Geoff Klock pulls apart and analyzes the brilliant, brilliant episode "Out of Gas", in search of storytelling genius and its telltale markers; there are many, and they are important for anyone interested in storytelling craft to study in depth. This essay makes that process almost easy, which is in itself a feat of storytelling.
Bruce Bethke's essay, "Cut 'Em Off At The Horsehead Nebula!", goes into the whys and wherefores of the SFnal aversion to Western tropes invading "its" territory, rooted in the pulp origins of SF, and its early competition with Western pulps for writers and readers. One can still hear nasty, condescending echoes of the war, which SF **won** and could and should drop, in the covert critical reception of "Firefly" as a damned Bat Durston story. Read the essay, I ain't explainin' that one. Too long, and also it pisses me the hell off.
My personal favorite essay is "The Bonnie Brown Flag", relating the "Firefly" underpinnings to the American Civil War's myth of the Noble Losers, the Gentleman Planters following the Bonnie Blue Flag. It's poignant, it's well crafted, and it's quite nicely argued.
The only essay that's a real flop is "The Virtual 'Verse", which was a waaay premature ad for the dead-in-the-water MMORPG of "Firefly" that was, at that time, being touted as forthcoming. Well, it never forthcame, and the essay looks like what it was: Blatant product placement. Ptui.
But then comes what I think is the most important essay: "The Alliance's War on Science" by Ken Wharton. Ten pages of keen observation on the nature of political propaganda masquerading as science. Again, if all you read is this one essay, your purchase price will be fully amortized. The subject is ever-more important, and this essay will sensitize you to the issue like never before.
Just like "Firefly" would have, had it survived intact to this good day. Next best thing is buying BenBella Books's essay collections. And, of course, reading them with the starved passion of a jilted lover. Or is it just me...?
babelbard's review
4.0
Some of these essays were actually 5-stars-worthy for me, in particular: "Mars needs women", "Girls, Guns and Gags". "Firefly and story structure" and "Signal to noise". Some just told me nothing, which is a pity and the sole reason I couldn't bring myself to give the book top marks. Despite this, I still really enjoyed it as a whole: good job!
bohowallflower's review
2.0
I liked a lot of these essays, but I feel as though the essays were analyzing things that many Serenity or Firefly fans had already considered.
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