books tagged “tv”

Babylon 5 is a rarity among SF TV series in having a thoroughly worked out future history, even if parts of that history are only hinted at on TV. Which is where this novel comes in. Based on an original outline by series creator J. Michael Straczynski and following Dark Genesis: The Birth of the Psi Corps, it is the second novel of a trilogy detailing the history of the Psi Corps. Yet it is sufficiently self-contained to be accessible to readers unfamiliar with B5.

The book chronicles the life of the Psi Corps Alfred Bester from boyhood to the dramatic events that will first take him to the eponymous space station. As befits the show, Deadly Relations is complex and well characterized, aware of SF history, and filled with fascinating background detail. J. Gregory Keyes portrays Bester's paradoxical nature: a man haunted and lonely, able to read the thoughts of others, and capable of betraying those closest to him out of a sense of duty to the greater good. A sinister, ruthless figure becomes a sympathetic, almost tragic antihero as the book ranges from Earth to the Beta Colony and Mars.

The fictional Alfred Bester had a real-life namesake who authored several major SF novels. These include the still extraordinary 1953 thriller of murder and psychic detection, to which Deadly Relations pays due homage. If you enjoy B5, try The Demolished Man by the original Alfred Bester. It's a genuine SF classic. --Gary S. Dalkin, Amazon.co.uk [via]

In his fourth book, Everything Bad Is Good for You, iconoclastic science writer Steven Johnson (who used himself as a test subject for the latest neurological technology in his last book, Mind Wide Open) takes on one of the most widely held preconceptions of the postmodern world--the belief that video games, television shows, and other forms of popular entertainment are detrimental to Americans' cognitive and moral development. Everything Good builds a case to the contrary that is engaging, thorough, and ultimately convincing.

The heart of Johnson's argument is something called the Sleeper Curve--a universe of popular entertainment that trends, intellectually speaking, ever upward, so that today's pop-culture consumer has to do more "cognitive work"--making snap decisions and coming up with long-term strategies in role-playing video games, for example, or mastering new virtual environments on the Internet-- than ever before. Johnson makes a compelling case that even today's least nutritional TV junk foodthe Joe Millionaires and Survivors so commonly derided as evidence of America's cultural decline--is more complex and stimulating, in terms of plot complexity and the amount of external information viewers need to understand them, than the Love Boats and I Love Lucys that preceded it. When it comes to television, even (perhaps especially) crappy television, Johnson argues, "the content is less interesting than the cognitive work the show elicits from your mind."
Johnson's work has been controversial, as befits a writer willing to challenge wisdom so conventional it has ossified into accepted truth. But even the most skeptical readers should be captivated by the intriguing questions Johnson raises, whether or not they choose to accept his answers. --Erica C. Barnett [via]

This book takes a pictorial look at the nation from above, with dazzling full-color photographs of each region of the United States of America. These territories continue to reach out to settlers and travelers, challenging those who would try to conquer its mountains, rivers, and canyons as well as those who try get to know its patchwork quilt of people and regional cultural variations. The reader takes a thrilling journey over mountains, deserts, mighty rivers, swaths of farmland, and the great cities and landmark skyscrapers, all shown from an aerial vantage point. The design of the pages is carefully planned to bring out the panoramic qualities of the exceptionally beautiful photographs. The reduced album format of the book has been chosen to emphasize the wide-angle approach of the pictures. [via]

Buffy, Oz and Angel are Europe-bound, only they're not flying any airlines. They're travelling the 'ghost roads' of limbo in search of Jacques Regnier, sole heir of the dying Gatekeeper whose Boston mansion is the supernatural barrier restraining thousands of the otherworld's most nightmarish monsters. The evil Sons of Entropy will do anything to destroy the gate - even if it means trading the power-laden Spear of Longinus to the vampires who are holding Jacques. Back home, the ghost ship Flying Dutchman has set sail for Sunnydale, determined to shanghai new crewmen - dead or alive. For Willow, Xander, Cordelia and Giles, it's an ocean of trouble; especially when the monstrous Kraken reemerges with a vengeance... [via]

Years before they served together on board the "U.S.S. Enterprise." Commander William Riker and ship's counselor Deanna Troi had a tempestuous love affair on her home planet of Betazed. Now, their passions have cooled and they serve together as friends. Yet the memories of that time linger and Riker and Troi remain "Imzadi" -- a powerful Betazoid term that describes the enduring bond they still share.
During delicate negotiations with an aggressive race called the Sindareen. Deanna Troi mysteriously falls ill...and dies. But her death is only the beginning of the adventure for Commander Riker -- an adventure that will take him across time, pit him against one of his closest friends, and force him to choose between Starfleet's strictest rule and the one he calls "Imzadi." [via]

Go behind the scenes in Kitchen Stadium. Meet Morimoto, Chen Kenichi, and all the IRON CHEFs. Learn the exclusive secrets to their signature creations. Sit down with Kaga and sample his ten favorite dishes of all time-with never-before-published recipes. And it doesn't stop there. Inside you'll find interviews with the tasters; insight from the show's creators and producers; loads of photos; plate-by-plate commentary on every IRON CHEF battle...and much more! [via]

A popular late evening television host presents a collection of his most outrageous Top Ten Lists, arguing that the fourth best reason for reading his material is that the book has been made from criminal trees that deserved to die. Reprint. [via]

For eight years, David Letterman has been a late-night phenomenon. Ever since the first Top Ten List premiered, the feature has consistently been one of the most popular segments of the show. Now 175 of the most outrageous Top Ten Lists have been collected in one hilarious volume. Illustrated with a "surprise" photo insert. [via]

WHEN A YOUNG WRITER named Lorne Michaels talked NBC executives into taking a chance on a new weekend late-night comedy series, nobody really knew what to expect-not even Michaels. But Saturday Night Live, launched in 1975 and still thriving today, would change the face of television. It introduced brash new stars with names like Belushi, Radner, Chase, and Murray; trashed taboos that had inhibited TV for decades; and had such an impact on American life, laughter, and politics that even presidents of the United States had to take notice. Now, Pulitzer Prize-winner Tom Shales and bestselling author James Andrew Miller bring together stars, writers, guest hosts, contributors, and craftsmen for the first-ever oral history of Saturday Night Live, from 1974, when it was just an idea, through 2002, when it has long since become an institution. In their own words, dozens of personalities recall the backstage stories, behind-the-scenes gossip, feuds, foibles, drugs, sex, struggles, and calamities, including personal details never before revealed. Shales and Miller have interviewed a galaxy of stars, including Mike Myers, Chris Rock, Bill Murray, Tom Hanks, Adam Sandler, Chevy Chase, Will Ferrell, Dan Aykroyd, Steve Martin, Jon Lovitz, Jane Curtin, Billy Crystal, Martin Short, Dana Carvey, Tina Fey, Jimmy Fallon, Chris Kattan, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Garrett Morris, Molly Shannon, Damon Wayans, Chris Elliott, Julia Sweeney, Norm Macdonald, and Paul Simon-plus writers like Al Franken, Conan O'Brien, Larry David, Rosie Shuster, Jack Handey, Robert Smigel, Don Novello, and others who got their big breaks as part of the SNL team. The Coneheads, the Blues Brothers, Buck-wheat, Wayne and Garth, Hans and Franz, the Cheerleaders, Todd DiLaMuca and Lisa Loopner, "Cheeseburger cheeseburger," Mango, the Church Lady, Ed Grimley-they're all here. And for every fabulous character on-screen there was an outrageous maverick, misfit, or rebel behind the scenes. Live from New York does what no other book about the show has ever done: It lets the people who were there tell the story in their own words, blunt and loving and uncensored. [via]

Special 30th anniversary edition of the complete unexpurgated scripts of the original television series (except for the animation bits). Contains 358 pages of text plus 16 pages of black & white photos, each of which is a still from various episodes. 5 in [via]

At last, the honest-Injun, 100%-MST3K-sanctioned guide to the 120 episodes of this extremely cool, Peabody Award-winning show. Contains multitudinous synopses, tidbits, photos, wisecracks, and descriptions of some of the most disgusting things ever seen on screen by the MST3K  writers. You know you want it, so get it while it's hot! [via]

Sometimes it seems like every standup comedian worth his or her salt just has to do the book thing, and you might feel that yet another warmed-over stage routine is the last thing you need taking up valuable bookshelf space. Jon Stewart's book will come as an extremely pleasant surprise. He eschews the standard standup patter and instead gives us 18 short comic essays in a variety of styles that recall the prose work of Woody Allen, only with a few more references to genitals. Stewart proves himself a remarkably nimble humorist with a sharp eye for parody, whether he's writing "A Very Hanson Christmas" or "Adolf Hitler: The Larry King Interview."

HITLER: ...Larry, look, I was a bad guy. No question. I hate that Hitler. The yelling, the finger pointing, I don't know ... I was a very angry guy.

KING: And this ... new Hitler?

HITLER: I get up at seven, have half a melon, do the jumble in the morning paper and then let the day take me where it will.... Me!! The inventor of the Blitzkrieg... When you stop having to control everything it's very freeing.

Stewart is not afraid to flirt with bad taste, in fact, some of the pieces in this collection do for "flirting with bad taste" what Bill Clinton did for "not having sexual relations." But it's wonderful to see an edgy comedian taking on the traditionally cozy genre of the humorous essay, creating work that combines the wit of Robert Benchley with the energy and attitude of the best modern standup. Naked Pictures of Famous People proves that Jon Stewart is as comfortable, and accomplished, in front of a word processor as he is in front of an audience. --Simon Leake [via]

A follow-up to the first, best-selling Nitpicker's guide ferrets out the plot inconsistencies, scientific inaccuracies, and other foul-ups in the seventh, final season of the TV series, Star Trek: The Next Generation. [via]

It is called, with deceptive simplicity, The Village. It is the world of tomorrow, or today. A man known only as Number 6 enters its storybook-like confines. He will learn, over and over again, that inside it there is no freedom, and from it there is no escape. He is without defenses, except for one invisible weapon: his uncrushable spirit. [via]

Reading the Vampire Slayer is a very accessible collection of essays, edited by Amazon.co.uk contributor and respected SF and Fantasy reviewer Roz Kaveney, which analyses the first five seasons of the TV show "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and the first two seasons of "Angel". Kaveney's opening article sketches out the territory, providing an insightful introduction to the themes and structures of the two shows. The essays that follow consider a wide range of issues, but a common theme is the complexity and inventiveness of the shows, with their deconstruction of patriarchal authority and highlighting of the ambiguous nature of evil. Variously, the authors consider how Buffy subverts the "male gaze", the ways in which the shows challenge such concepts as established authority and traditional ways of learning and knowing, the use of humour, how the landscape of Southern California plays its part, and how fans have become actively involved in the writing of slash-fan fiction (which pairs characters such as Xander/Spike in sexual relationships). It's an eclectic mix, with some essays more obviously academic than others, but on the whole the style, which includes bibliographies for further reading, means this book should interest both students of cultural and media studies and more general readers. And it's a lot of fun to read, providing many thoughtful insights into two shows that have proved popular television can be both thought provoking and deeply moving. --Elizabeth Sourbut [via]

A novel based on BBC2's cult comedy series written by the writers of the "Spitting Image Book". Its humour features the epic adventures of a huge clapped-out old space ship with an equally clapped-out crew. [via]

Awakening from a drunken spree in a London pub to find himself on one of Saturn's moons, Lister joins the Space Corps and boards the Red Dwarf, determined to return to Earth. Reprint. [via]

Based on the explosive TV series Twin Peaks, this shocking diary reveals the sordid double life of Laura Palmer -- from adolescence up until the time of her murder. At 12 years of age, lovely Laura is already a girl in trouble. Her unexpurgated diary tells of visits by a cruel and evil creature named BOB, who tortures her sexually and whom she tries to control by seducing other men. Poor Laura struggles through a puberty unlike any you can imagine: 40 sexual partners by the age 15, lesbian affairs, orgies in the woods and a cocaine habit that fuels her experimentation. And, as she examines the horrifying details of her tumultuous young life, she finds herself vile beyond redemption. Be prepared for the shock -- for you're about to discover the nightmare version of daddy's little girl... [via]

The electrifying space epic continues as Anna and John Sheridan battle deadly foes at opposite ends of the universe.The dedication of the new Babylon 5 Station is fast approaching, and desperate enemies intend to see it end in catastrophe. The fate of the fledgling space alliance lies in the hands of John Sheridan, newly appointed captain of the spaceship Agamemnon. His orders are to stop the attack. Unless he first gets to the bottom of the near-mutinous behavior of the Agamemnon's unruly crew, Sheridan and his spaceship will share Babylon 5's doom.Time is also running out for his wife Anna, headed to Z'ha'dum aboard the Icarus. Young, beautiful, and brilliant, she was thrilled to be appointed chief science officer of the follow-up mission to this mysterious planet on the edge of the known universe, where artifacts rumored to hold stupendous powers have been discovered. But the offer she could not resist threatens to become a dark destiny she cannot avoid, for an unimaginable horror lies somnolent on Z'ha'dum-and the monstrous consequences of disturbing the sleeping evil will haunt every living thing in the cosmos. . . .Babylon 5 created by J. Michael Straczynski [via]

Nearly a decade into their run, it's clear that The Simpsons is one of the best-loved and most influential television shows to come down the pike in a long while. If the show's attitude was a little less pervasive, this encyclopedic book would be aimed solely at Simpsons addicts. But that's not entirely true--Matt Groening and Ray Richmond have created a book that is essential for anyone interested in where TV is today. That's not to suggest that the book is serious, though--it's not. The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family (that's debatable, but who cares?) is a collection of everything related to the show, from all the "couch gags" during the end of the opening credits, to the complete words to the theme song from The Itchy and Scratchy Show. There are broadcast dates, credits, and hidden jokes for every episode. You'll even find a list of things that make Homer go "Mmm..."

If you're a fan of the show, you'll be hard-pressed to find fault with Ray Richmond's collection. The only glaring one is that the stills often look a little blurry. Oh, and couldn't they have come up with a funnier title? But that's nitpicking. Simpsons fans, you know what to do. [via]

Nearly a decade into their run, it's clear that The Simpsons is one of the best-loved and most influential television shows to come down the pike in a long while. If the show's attitude was a little less pervasive, this encyclopedic book would be aimed solely at Simpsons addicts. But that's not entirely true--Matt Groening and Ray Richmond have created a book that is essential for anyone interested in where TV is today. That's not to suggest that the book is serious, though--it's not. The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family (that's debatable, but who cares?) is a collection of everything related to the show, from all the "couch gags" during the end of the opening credits, to the complete words to the theme song from The Itchy and Scratchy Show. There are broadcast dates, credits, and hidden jokes for every episode. You'll even find a list of things that make Homer go "Mmm..."

If you're a fan of the show, you'll be hard-pressed to find fault with Ray Richmond's collection. The only glaring one is that the stills often look a little blurry. Oh, and couldn't they have come up with a funnier title? But that's nitpicking. Simpsons fans, you know what to do. [via]

Viewers who acknowledge The Simpsons as one of the best shows ever to hit television are doubtless already proud owners of The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family. But since the show is still in production, that guide is no longer complete. And can you really live a second longer without a full list of last season's blackboard inscriptions? Simpsons creator Matt Groening and editor Scott M. Gimple come to the rescue with The Simpsons Forever! A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family--Continued. It's an exhaustive list of all the episodes of the ninth and tenth seasons, including screen shots, dialogue highlights (Moe, packing for Hawaii: "Ukulele, pineapples, beach pistol, scandalously revealing thong"), and "Stuff You May Have Missed," such as the fact that the motto of In 'n' Out Ear Piercing is "If It Dangles, We'll Punch a Hole in It." There are also brief bios of guest characters (Señor Ding Dong hates Chevy vans), song lyrics (Marge and Homer's version of "Those Were the Days"), and a fond-without-being-icky tribute to Troy McClure. The truly obsessed will welcome the lists: every couch gag of the past two seasons, which actors do which voices, and every single time Homer has said "D'Oh!" for the past two years. The Simpsons Forever does a terrific job of catching the humor and spirit of a truly great show. --Ali Davis [via]

In its seven years on television, Buffy the Vampire Slayer has earned critical acclaim and a massive cult following among teen viewers. One of the most distinguishing features of the program is the innovative way the show's writers play with language: fabricating new words, morphing existing ones, and throwing usage on its head. The result has been a strikingly resonant lexicon that reflects the power of both youth culture and television in the evolution of American slang. Using the show to illustrate how new slang is formed, transformed, and transmitted, Slayer Slang is one of those rare books that combines a serious explanation of a pop culture phenomena with an engrossing read for fans of the show, word geeks, and language professionals. Michael Adams begins his book with a synopsis of the program's history and a defense of ephemeral language. He then moves to the main body of the work: a detailed glossary of slayer slang, annotated with actual dialogue and recorded the style accepted by the American Dialect Society. The book concludes with a bibliography and a lengthy index, a guide to sources (novels based on the show, magazine articles about the show, and language culled from the official posting board) and an appendix of slang-making suffixes. Introduced by Jane Espenson, one of the show's most inventive writers (and herself a linguist), Slayer Slang offers a quintessential example of contemporary youth culture serving as a vehicle for slang.
In the tradition of The Physics of Star Trek, Slayer Slang is one of those rare books that offers a serious examination a TV cult phenomenon appealing to fans and thinkers alike.
A few examples from the Slayer Slang glossary:
bitca n [AHD4 bitch n in sense 2.a + a] Bitch 1997 Sep 15 Whedon When She Was Bad "[Willow:] 'I mean, why else would she be acting like such a b-i-t-c-h?' [Giles:] 'Willow, I think we're all a little old to be spelling things out.' [Xander:] 'A bitca?'"
break and enterish adj [AHD4 sv breaking and entering n + -ish suff in sense 2.a] Suitable for crime 1999 Mar 16 Petrie Enemies "I'll go home and stock up on weapons, slip into something a little more break and enterish." [B]
carbon-dated adj [fr. AHD4 carbondating + -ed] Very out of date 1997 Mar 10 Whedon Welcome to the Hellmouth "[Buffy:] 'Deal with that outfit for a moment.' [Giles:] 'It's dated?' [Buffy:] 'It's carbon-dated.'"
cuddle-monkey n [AHD4 cuddle v + monkey n in sense 2, by analogy fr. RHHDAS (also DAS3 and NTC) sv cuddle bunny 'an affectionate, passionate, or sexually attractive young woman'] Male lover 1998 Feb 10 Noxon Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered "Every woman in Sunnydale wants to make me her cuddle-monkey." [X] [via]

This new version of the Star Trek Encyclopedia is a reissue of the 1997 edition, plus a 128-page supplement of additional material that updates Deep Space Nine to the end of its run and Voyager to midway through season five. It also covers the movie Star Trek: Insurrection. The supplement is as meticulously detailed as the rest of the volume, listing such fascinating trivia as chadre kab (Seven of Nine's first meal), 'Kahless and Lukara' (a Klingon opera), and voraxna (a Cardassian poison), as well as all the new characters and species. Appendices include illustrations of starships, cast and crew listings, a historical timeline, and a bibliography. All photographs and illustrations (except for a few historical shots) are in color. The encyclopedia was devised in part to help production staff on the various Star Trek TV series to keep up with the ever-increasing level of detail generated by over 30 years of creative effort. It is an excellent reference volume and, whether you want to settle an argument or write a novel, this book will answer your questions. But beware: the extensive cross-referencing leads to curious time-distortion effects, in which the unwary reader, dipping in to settle a single query, encounters an irresistible urge to browse further, during which hours of normal time can pass in the wink of an eye. --Elizabeth Sourbut [via]

From 'audet IX to Zytchin III, this book covers it all. This is the ultimate reference book for all "Star Trek" fans!Added to this edition are 128 new pages. This addendum highlights the latest episodes of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine(R), Star Trek: Voyager(R)" and the newest feature film, "Star Trek: Insurrection(TM) ."The thousands of photos and hundreds of illustrations place the "Star Trek" universe at your fingertips. Planets and stars, weapons and ships, people and places are just part of the meticulous research and countless cross-reference that fill this book. [via]

"The Star Trek: The Next Generation® Companion" is the complete guide to the series that brought " "Star Trek" ®" ® back to television for seven extremely successful seasons. Episode-by-episode summaries, credits, and behind-the-scenes notes that shed intriguing light on the production of the show. This edition is updated to include information on the film "Star Trek Generations." Indexed by episode number, by writer, guest stars, and directors, it's the one book that brings all this information together between two covers. [via]

As Star Trek: The Next Generation enters its fifth record-breaking season, it remains the #1 syndicated television show. In the tradition of the bestselling Star Trek Compendium, here is the all-new, official guidebook to the Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes. [via]

Ambassador to the alien world of Minbar, former Babylon 5 commander Jeffrey Sinclair, is one of the first to learn the truth about the Shadows, the ancient race pursuing the destruction of the galaxy.  Sinclair also discovers a startling secret: he is the linchpin in the plan to stop them.  Now, Sinclair is asked to revive the legendary Minbari warrior group, the Rangers, but it may cost him his one chance to love...and his life.

Catherine Sakai, a commercial pilot and planetary surveyor, has lost her heart to Jeffrey Sinclair.  Not even an attack by the Shadows can stop her from going to Minbar to join him...and the Rangers.  As she trains with other pilots, including the mysterious Marcus Cole, the time is coming when their skills will be tested on their first mission.  Led by Sinclair, they will venture into deepest space, into a battle of stealth and might, and toward a fate that none but the bravest can face...and none but the luckiest will survive. [via]

Fans of TV's hottest cult show will find this compendium of facts and figures about The X-Files essential. Contains complete episode guide, photos, the story of the show's origin, interviews with X-Files creator Chris Carter and actors David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, plus a detailed look at the extraordinary special effects and a wealth of intriguing trivia. [via]

The Twilight Zone Companion is one of the finest examinations of a television series. Author Marc Scott Zicree spent five years researching and writing what is without a doubt the definitive look at this classic horror-fantasy-science fiction show. (The series originally ran from 1959 to 1965, but is still seen in syndication around the world.) Not only is the book an exhaustive episode-by-episode guide, but the author apparently interviewed every living soul who was ever associated with the show. It's quite likely that creator Rod Serling, who died before the book saw publication in 1982, would have been suitably impressed by the respect and dedication that clearly went into this labor of love. Zicree later revised and expanded The Twilight Zone Companion for a second edition in 1989, and discusses both the briefly revived series and the feature film based on the show. --Stanley Wiater [via]

A comprehensive fan's guide to the provocative television show provides detailed background information on the program's subject matter, scripts, characters, and more. 75,000 first printing. [via]

Dr Gregory, a renowned nuclear weapons researcher is not only dead - he's been charred to a radioactive cinder. Mulder and Scully are hastily called in to investigate. [via]