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Investigating Firefly and Serenity: Science Fiction on the Frontier (Investigating Cult TV) [Paperback]

Rhonda V. Wilcox , Tanya R. Cochran
4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)

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Book Description

October 14, 2008 Investigating Cult TV

Joss Whedon's Firefly is one of the most popular TV shows ever. Serenity was the wildly successful follow-up to the series. Here is a definitive guide to the series and the movie, offering an in-depth and comprehensive look at the TV phenomenon kept alive by the fans.

The brain child of Joss Whedon--of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel fame--Firefly ran for twelve hour-long episodes before being cancelled by the network. But this premature burial had a remarkable outcome: resurrection. The fans--self-named Browncoats--kept multiplying, the DVDs kept selling and the show forged a new life on the internet, sustained by blogs, fan-fics and podcasts. Films, meetings and conferences ensured their numbers increased, as did the release of the major Firefly motion picture Serenity.   

From detailed chapters on scenes and themes, through to explorations of the characters, actors, music, and, of course, the fans, Investigating Firefly and Serenity tells readers everything they need to know about the show and more. With contributions from over twenty of the best international Whedon scholars, TV & film critics, and writers, it will become the must-have book for followers of the series/film, for fans of Joss Whedon and his work, and anyone with an interest in the modern phenomenon of cult TV and the remarkable power of the internet.


Frequently Bought Together

Investigating Firefly and Serenity: Science Fiction on the Frontier (Investigating Cult TV) + Finding Serenity: Anti-heroes, Lost Shepherds and Space Hookers in Joss Whedon's Firefly (Smart Pop series) + Serenity Found: More Unauthorized Essays on Joss Whedon's Firefly Universe (Smart Pop series)
Price for all three: $48.37

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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Rhonda V. Wilcox is Professor of English, Gordon College, Barnesville, GA and author of Why Buffy Matters: The Art of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (I.B. Tauris, 2005). She is co-editor, with David Lavery, of Fighting the Forces: What's at Stake in 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ and online editor of the International Journal of Buffy Studies, Slayage.

Tanya Cochran is both a doctoral candidate at Georgia State University and Assistant Professor of English at Union College, Lincoln, NE.  She is currently Vice Chair of Science Fiction and Fantasy for the American Popular Culture Association.


Product Details

  • Paperback: 304 pages
  • Publisher: I. B. Tauris (October 14, 2008)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1845116542
  • ISBN-13: 978-1845116545
  • Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 1 x 8.5 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #803,667 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
44 of 45 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Another perspective, to counter the last review February 4, 2009
Format:Paperback
The last (and only other) reviewer who commented on Investigating Firefly and Serenity called this book "trash" simply because it was "meant for PhDs." I have to disagree--I think that just because this book was intended for a different audience than he or she expected doesn't automatically make it trash. This is a book with a particular audience, though-- it is geared toward those who enjoy academic film and/or literary analysis.

Read with this perspective in mind, it is an excellent addition to the academic work that is being done on Joss Whedon's television and film productions--and there is a significant audience for such texts and the academic analysis that they offer. Apparently the reviewer is unaware of this particular (but very active) part of Whedon's fan base. If, however, you are familiar with Lorna Jowett's Sex and the Slayer, Rhonda Wilcox's Why Buffy Matters, Stacey Abbott's Reading Angel, Levine and Park's Undead TV, Matthew Pateman's Aesthetics of Culture in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, etc., you will enjoy this book as well.

I, in fact, enjoyed very much the chapter "The Good Wife: Feminism, Post-Feminism, and Third Wave Feminism in Firefly," as well as the wide range of topics that the other chapters cover. There are some excellent essays that discuss the racial implications of Whedon's work, the role that the musical score plays in setting up certain aspects of Firefly and Serenity, the differences between the series and the film based on the differences of the mediums of television and cinema, and connections between the show/movie and the current post-9/11 socio-political context.

I would say this book is not for every fan, but I think that any fan who is interested in examining Joss Whedon's work more in-depth will be rewarded when they pick up this book.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Investigating Firefly August 17, 2009
By Myc
Format:Paperback
Overall this is an excellent collection of academic essays that explore Joss Whedon's amazing 'Verse. It is good to see new pop studies works that are serious academic works, and not just fan fodder like some other collections; eventually essays like these will become the foundation of future academic understanding of culture.

The essays are enlightening, and well written but may not be for everybody - one must have a willingness to understand what the authors are attempting to accomplish with their respective essays and what the editors are attempting to do with this collection.

I highly recommend this for any fan of film studies, pop culture studies, contemporary folklore, and of course most fans of the show Firefly and film Serenity.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Well written essays September 2, 2009
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a good series of essays on the Firefly universe. I also like all things Firefly, but I found many of the other essay books to only touch on a point without fully exploring all areas and aspects of the points with which they are trying to get across. As for being deep, I understand as some of the essays required me to look up some of the referenced work, but I think that is what makes this such a great book. These essays were written with a college level understanding in mind. If you are looking for something to make you think and at times think hard, and you actually want to broaden your horizons or learn new thoughts and ideas, then this is a great Firefly book.
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