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A review by lanikei
Serenity Found: More Unauthorized Essays on Joss Whedon's Firefly Universe by Jane Espenson
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.