X-Treme Possibilities: A Comprehensively Expanded Rummage Through Five Years of the X-Files [Paperback]

Paul Cornell (Author), Martin Day (Author), Keith Topping (Author)

Book Description

Series: X Files | Publication Date: December 1998

Fully revised to include seasons four and five, this text presents an analysis of "The X-Files". While sometimes witty and lighthearted, the book aims to be a serious study of the elements that have made the show what it is. As well as a detailed episode-by-episode guide, the book pieces together the nature of the series' conspiracy and attempts to discover just what the "truth" is. The book also contains a special feature on the X-Files film and reveals such information as Deep Throat's first name, what "chinga" means and the connection between the conspiracy and a famous line of home-baked dough products.

Product Details

• Paperback: 474 pages
• Publisher: Virgin Pub; 2nd edition (December 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0753502283
• ISBN-13: 978-0753502280
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.3 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,283,429 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is by far the best X-Files ressource available, June 17, 2000

By 

Gabor Lake (Berlin) - See all my reviews

This review is from: X-Treme Possibilities: A Comprehensively Expanded Rummage Through Five Years of the X-Files (Paperback)

Together with the "X-Files and Conspircay Timeline" (availalable online), is this without doubt the most ressourceful collection of information ever published about the X-Files.

This book covers the first 5 seasons and the motion picture:

Every episodes is shortly described, it is put in relation with the series in general, and in more detail with the Conspiracy going on. We do get some nice soundbites of characteristic X-Files elements, ranging from "Dialogue triumphs" to "x-files politico-babble" as the authors liked to put it out. And of course, we can also read about the personal opinion of each of the three members to each episode.

Their analysis of the X-Files and especially of the conspiracy is extremely accurate and detailed and revealed a lot of new elements to me and gave me a much better picture of the whole series.

All in all, this book should be part of every library of an X-phile! It's much better than the official guides. Unfortunately, the authors announced in the book that there wont be a new edition to include future seasons... I still hope that they will change their opinion about that...

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good but a little bit petty in places, September 4, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: X-Treme Possibilities: A Comprehensively Expanded Rummage Through Five Years of the X-Files (Paperback)

When I started to read this book I thought "Great! This is just the sort of X-Files book I've been waiting for." However the more I read the more I became disillusioned. Yes, this is one of the few books that actually tries to explain the conspiracy, and they haven't added lots of useless trivia. But some of the author's comments leave a lot to be desired - they are often shallow and petty in the extreme.

A few mistakes showed that while the authors obviously know a lot about the show, they don't know too much about real-life FBI, police or forensic matters. For example, in the Continuity section of the movie they say: "We discover that Skinner is not _the_, but _an_ Assistant Director of the FBI, as we meet another, Jana Cassidy." Come one guys, anybody that knows anything about the FBI knows that the FBI is headed by a Director, who is supported by a Deputy Director, and an Assistant Director heads each of the nine HQ divisions. You didn't do your homework on this one!

But apart from these niggles I was quite happy with this book. It certainly made me go back and review some episodes.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the best and cheapest episode guide ever!, August 16, 1999

By 

Derek Beebe - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: X-Treme Possibilities: A Comprehensively Expanded Rummage Through Five Years of the X-Files (Paperback)

if you ever want a cheap paperback high quality in content episode review/anaylsis book, get it from the UK! the Brits have all the best episode guides for Red Dwarf, Doctor Who, Babylon 5, the X-files, etc. this covers Seasons 1-5 AND the Movie! It reviews each episode with lots of fun facts, and it is the ONLY XF book out there that tries to explain and analyze the mythology episodes! so many reasons to buy this book!