Saving the World: A Guide to Heroes [Paperback]

Lynnette Porter (Author), David Lavery (Author), Hillary Robson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2007

This insightful collection of essays weighs in on the incredible appeal of the new hit show Heroes and why it has attracted such a diverse and devoted following. Featuring archetypal characters with a twist—including a time traveler, a painter prophet, a schizophrenic stripper, and an evil villain out to steal the others’ powers—the show lures viewers in with its fresh interpretation of classic themes and conspiracy theory plots. By examining the history of comic books in film and television, leading television analysts reveal the show’s multifaceted influences and shed light on how Heroes reflects its comic book ancestors and modern-day kin such as Lost. The creative mastermind behind the show, Tim Kring, and the intense nature of pop culture fandom are also discussed, with brief episode guides serving as a reminder of the complex web the show is weaving.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A smart and useful guide to the intricate plotting on the series' first season."  —The Globe and Mail

About the Author

Lynnette Porter is the author of several books, including Unsung Heroes of The Lord of the Rings: From the Page to the Screen. She is a tenured associated professor in the humanities and social sciences department at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and an editorial board member for the Studies of Popular Culture journal. She is a frequent contributor to the Official Lost Fan Club’s website and Wikia’s Lost website. She lives in Daytona Beach, Florida. David Lavery is a chair in film and television at Brunel University. He is the author of numerous essays and 12 books, the coeditor of Fighting the Forces: What’s at Stake in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and the editor of Full of Secrets: Critical Approaches to Twin Peaks and Reading Deadwood: A Western to Swear By. He is a cofounder of Critical Studies in Television: Scholarly Studies on Small Screen Fictions. Hillary Robson is a frequent speaker at Popular Culture Association conferences and a contributor to Unlocking the Meaning of Lost: An Unauthorized Guide. She lives in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Product Details

• Paperback: 250 pages
• Publisher: Ecw Press; First edition & printing edition (October 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1550228056
• ISBN-13: 978-1550228052
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #578,551 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, shallow, and sloppy, October 13, 2010

By 

Jemiah Jefferson "author and bon vivant" (Portland, OR, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Saving the World: A Guide to Heroes (Paperback)

As a dyed-in-the-wool, hardcore Heroes fan, I would have bought this book even if I'd known it was going to be superficial and incomplete, having been put together while the third season was still being put together and the fourth season still in the future. Unfortunately, as someone who works in publishing, I've become very sensitive to typographical errors, misspellings, inaccuracies, guesswork, and poor quality printing and binding. "Saving The World" features all of these drawbacks. To its credit, it is mostly a good-looking book, and the emphasis was placed on design aesthetics and photographs of the characters, some of them rare. Nonetheless, I was hoping (and I suppose, will continue to hope, until I do it myself) for a book with a greater degree of depth and critical analysis of a series rich in subtext, background, influence, and expertise. This book should not have been inferior to the (very fluffy) official fan magazine, but even the magazine had greater depth. As a series characterized by a nearly endless succession of bungles ranging from the network to the publicity and lack of serious focus, "Saving The World" perfectly encapsulates the levels of staggering incompetence and lack of quality control that characterized so much of the tie-in material. The world may never know exactly what went wrong, and where - I know I'm curious as hell - but this book is just a symptom.

For absolute completists only.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Heroes, February 11, 2009

By 

Mark H. Lynn "Mark Lynn" (Oldsmar, FL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Saving the World: A Guide to Heroes (Paperback)

As someone who had already watched seasons 1, 2, and the first three episodes of 3 I was interested in a little more in depth information into the series. I have enjoyed most of the book. In my case I could have done with out the comparison to the Lost Series, that isn't why I purchased the book. While it may have served a purpose to other readers, I found myself skimming to get through it back to the more detailed Heroes information I sought. Had it not been for that I would have given it a 5 star rating