Series
Description
Firefly's early demise left fans with a deep sense of loss and plenty of unanswered questions. From what was wrong with the pilot to what was right with the Reavers, from the use of Chinese to how correspondence between Joss and network executives might have gone, from a philosopher's perspective on "Objects in Space" to a sex therapist's analysis of Inara, Finding Serenity is filled with writing as exciting, funny and enthralling as the show itself.
Language
Original language
English
Publication
Smart Pop (2005), 238 pages
ISBN
1932100431 / 9781932100433
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Fray by Joss Whedon
User reviews
LibraryThing member richardderus
The Book Report: Twenty-one essays on Firefly and its underlying assumptions, pre-Serenity-the-movie, by a motley crew of writers, philosophers, actors, and bon vivants, edited by Whedonesque Goddess Jane Espenson, creatrix of the fine, fine episode "Shindig."
My Review: Unless you're already
Essays treat all, well most, facets of this fascinating and deeply textured fictional reality, from deep philosophical musings that, frankly, I found impenetrably dull and in spite of four separate runs at it have never finished, to Jewel Staite (Kaylee!) musing on her top-five moments of joy making or watching or both each of the 14 episodes. Mercedes Lackey, a favorite author of mine some of the time and a keen observer of humanity all of the time, wrote an excellent meditation on the libertarian overtones of the series, whether that was her stated aim I know not. David Gerrold (he wrote "The Trouble with Tribbles" for ST:TOS, and if any part of that sentence doesn't scan for you, I can't help you) meditates elegantly, since he can't write any other way, on subtext and its many traps and rewards.
But no one takes on some of the cringe-inducing tech flubs, like the universally-accessible Cortex, "waves" that allow real-time conversation, and the explicit **lack** of relativity-bending FTL drives still allowing us to go from place to place in a reasonable facsimile of a blink! EEEUUU But well, what a geeky fan-boy am I, over in fan-fiction-land, I wrote stories treating these very subjects: This is indeed a system, just part of a system in a star cluster (Google it) that's held together by dark matter, which is what the gravity drives on space ships use to get to near-relativistic speeds so get from planet to planet in less than the months it'd take otherwise...wait, this isn't *my* essay in the book! It's a review!
*sigh*
Anyway, I turned to this essay collection because I miss with a starved passion the fixes of the 'verse that I've come to need like I need single-malt Scotch whisky. I truly, passionately, deeply love this vision of humanity's probable future, and wish that I could win one of those super-ultra-mega-big lottery jackpots. I'd put some of it, like Nathan Fillion said, to use buying "Firefly" back from the gorram Reavers at FOX and make as many more episodes as I could afford, netcasting them to my fellow Browncoats. A fine bunch, may I add. I chould know. They helped me get through the lowest ebb of my independent adult life, generously and without making a fuss about it.
But I can't recommend it to any and all comers. It truly is just for the initiates, so I can't rate it higher than I have here. For Browncoats, though, I give it full star marks! If you don't have it already, get it.
My Review: Unless you're already
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familiar with "Firefly," none of this will make one whit of sense. If you've drunk the Kool-Aid, it's a balm in this age to re-immerse yourself in the 'verse. So much richness and challenging freshness were lost when the series was amputated after 14 episodes! A wild-assed solar system, per Joss's insistence, with a zillion and seven terraformable planets and moons. A society made up of solely human inhabitants that still manages to feel alien as all hell and still contains people...oh dear, oh dear, I *meant* characters!...that I know, some well, some not well, some I'd cross the street to avoid. Just like my block. A crew of thieves and whores, plus one bona-fide Companion/geisha/hetaeara as a nod to respectability(!). Essays treat all, well most, facets of this fascinating and deeply textured fictional reality, from deep philosophical musings that, frankly, I found impenetrably dull and in spite of four separate runs at it have never finished, to Jewel Staite (Kaylee!) musing on her top-five moments of joy making or watching or both each of the 14 episodes. Mercedes Lackey, a favorite author of mine some of the time and a keen observer of humanity all of the time, wrote an excellent meditation on the libertarian overtones of the series, whether that was her stated aim I know not. David Gerrold (he wrote "The Trouble with Tribbles" for ST:TOS, and if any part of that sentence doesn't scan for you, I can't help you) meditates elegantly, since he can't write any other way, on subtext and its many traps and rewards.
But no one takes on some of the cringe-inducing tech flubs, like the universally-accessible Cortex, "waves" that allow real-time conversation, and the explicit **lack** of relativity-bending FTL drives still allowing us to go from place to place in a reasonable facsimile of a blink! EEEUUU But well, what a geeky fan-boy am I, over in fan-fiction-land, I wrote stories treating these very subjects: This is indeed a system, just part of a system in a star cluster (Google it) that's held together by dark matter, which is what the gravity drives on space ships use to get to near-relativistic speeds so get from planet to planet in less than the months it'd take otherwise...wait, this isn't *my* essay in the book! It's a review!
*sigh*
Anyway, I turned to this essay collection because I miss with a starved passion the fixes of the 'verse that I've come to need like I need single-malt Scotch whisky. I truly, passionately, deeply love this vision of humanity's probable future, and wish that I could win one of those super-ultra-mega-big lottery jackpots. I'd put some of it, like Nathan Fillion said, to use buying "Firefly" back from the gorram Reavers at FOX and make as many more episodes as I could afford, netcasting them to my fellow Browncoats. A fine bunch, may I add. I chould know. They helped me get through the lowest ebb of my independent adult life, generously and without making a fuss about it.
But I can't recommend it to any and all comers. It truly is just for the initiates, so I can't rate it higher than I have here. For Browncoats, though, I give it full star marks! If you don't have it already, get it.
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LibraryThing member xicanti
A collection of essays about Firefly, Joss Whedon's much-lamented science fiction Western about pirates. (Which, much as I love it, probably tells you a little something about why it's much-lamented).
It's a bit of a mixed bag, all things considered. Some of the essays are excellent; they're
As always, let's focus on the good stuff right up front. And really, there's enough good stuff herein that you Firefly fans are gonna want to get your hands on this. I was particularly taken with the behind the scenes stuff, but I also enjoyed several of the essays that delved deeper into the characters and their motivations. My favourite piece, though, was Jewel Staite's list of her top five favourite moments from each episode. Many them are also mine.
Now, the bad stuff. There's a fair amount in here that falls into the, "I don't want to be branded as a slobbering fanperson, so I'm going to trash an aspect of the show just to prove how serious I am" camp. Many of these essays do raise valid concerns, (ie, where are all the Chinese folks in this American/Chinese future?), but the persistent negativity didn't really fly for me. I wasn't too big on the humorous essays, either, and there were a couple of pieces that were so stylistically awkward that I couldn't read them in their entirity. Social scientists, take note: when you summarize literature--which does include film and television, in this day and age--you always do so in the present tense. It's, "Inara teaches Mal to swordfight," not "Inara taught Mal to swordfight." Past tense summaries are almost always awkward and annoying, and they tend to read like fan fiction. (This is especially true when you try to include dialogue, as many of these writers do).
But, like I said, there's enough good stuff herein that you Firefly fans should try to get your hands on this. It's not a perfect book, but it's worth your time.
(This review originally appeared on my blog, Stella Matutina).
It's a bit of a mixed bag, all things considered. Some of the essays are excellent; they're
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thoughtful, penetrating, and full of good insights about the show's themes and production values. Others are, um, rather less impressive.As always, let's focus on the good stuff right up front. And really, there's enough good stuff herein that you Firefly fans are gonna want to get your hands on this. I was particularly taken with the behind the scenes stuff, but I also enjoyed several of the essays that delved deeper into the characters and their motivations. My favourite piece, though, was Jewel Staite's list of her top five favourite moments from each episode. Many them are also mine.
Now, the bad stuff. There's a fair amount in here that falls into the, "I don't want to be branded as a slobbering fanperson, so I'm going to trash an aspect of the show just to prove how serious I am" camp. Many of these essays do raise valid concerns, (ie, where are all the Chinese folks in this American/Chinese future?), but the persistent negativity didn't really fly for me. I wasn't too big on the humorous essays, either, and there were a couple of pieces that were so stylistically awkward that I couldn't read them in their entirity. Social scientists, take note: when you summarize literature--which does include film and television, in this day and age--you always do so in the present tense. It's, "Inara teaches Mal to swordfight," not "Inara taught Mal to swordfight." Past tense summaries are almost always awkward and annoying, and they tend to read like fan fiction. (This is especially true when you try to include dialogue, as many of these writers do).
But, like I said, there's enough good stuff herein that you Firefly fans should try to get your hands on this. It's not a perfect book, but it's worth your time.
(This review originally appeared on my blog, Stella Matutina).
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LibraryThing member nesum
FINDING SERENITY collects critical essays about the teleivision show FIREFLY. I looked briefly at the book when it first came out, being a Browncoat myself, but thought it was too much complaining that the show got canceled and too little actual criticism.
More recently I borrowed it and read it,
There are outstanding essays here, and more than a few terrible ones. Then there are some silly ones that are entertaining, but do not have any real lasting value. I certainly don't mind humor: FIREFLY had a lot of it, but it was humor with a purpose, and a lot of the humor in the book does not.
So in the end everything averages to a three star rating. The good is very much worth the read; the bad is . . . bad.
More recently I borrowed it and read it,
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and the first part of the book reinforced my original reaction. Getting into the middle of the book though there are some good essays, though nearly every essay is either just complaining or about feminism. That's still disappointing, because the show is so much more than that.There are outstanding essays here, and more than a few terrible ones. Then there are some silly ones that are entertaining, but do not have any real lasting value. I certainly don't mind humor: FIREFLY had a lot of it, but it was humor with a purpose, and a lot of the humor in the book does not.
So in the end everything averages to a three star rating. The good is very much worth the read; the bad is . . . bad.
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LibraryThing member Caro
In this eclectic anthology of essays, former cast member Jewel Staite, "Kaylee," philosopher Lyle Zynda, sex therapist Joy Davidson, and noted science fiction and fantasy authors Mercedes Lackey, David Gerrold, and Lawrence Watt-Evans contribute to a clever and insightful analysis of the
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short-lived cult hit Firefly. From What went wrong with the pilot? to What's right about Reavers? and how the correspondence between the show's creator Joss Whedon and the network executives might have actually played out, the writers interrogate the show's complexity and speculate about what might have been if the show Firefly had not been cancelled. Show Less
LibraryThing member libraryofus
(Amy) An excellent collection of opinions and discussions of Whedon's Firefly-verse.
LibraryThing member szarka
Rather a mixed bag, but still a fun read because the contributors' love of the show comes through. Mercedes Lackey's essay "Serenity and Bobby McGee" is especially good, and who could resist an "Unofficial Glossary of Firefly Chinese"? The biggest surprise for me, though, was Roxanne Longstreet
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Conrad's "Mirror/Mirror: A Parody", which mixes up the Firefly and Star Trek: Enterprise universes in a way that got me thinking about Trek in a new way. [2006-01-05] Show Less
LibraryThing member melwil_2006
Wow. This has to be the best book of essays I've ever read. 20 essays (plus an introduction and a glossary) all about Firefly. The essays cover everything - from music and design, to gender issues, to comparisons with other television shows, to why Firefly was cancelled. Most of the essays are well
The best thing about the essays was that none of them were too long. Some fandom based essays are too long - either taking forever to get to the point, or going off on tangents that have nothing to do with the fandom being discussed. These were shorter, and got to the point, with plenty of references to the source material.
Highlights include More than a Marriage of Convenience discussing Zoe and Wash's marriage, Thanks for the Reenactment, Sir looking at Zoe and Jewel Staite's look back on the television series. The essays were written before the movie came out, and it's interesting to look back and consider how things are the same or different.
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researched, intelligent and funny - only one or two that were more difficult to read for one reason or another.The best thing about the essays was that none of them were too long. Some fandom based essays are too long - either taking forever to get to the point, or going off on tangents that have nothing to do with the fandom being discussed. These were shorter, and got to the point, with plenty of references to the source material.
Highlights include More than a Marriage of Convenience discussing Zoe and Wash's marriage, Thanks for the Reenactment, Sir looking at Zoe and Jewel Staite's look back on the television series. The essays were written before the movie came out, and it's interesting to look back and consider how things are the same or different.
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LibraryThing member paghababian
Firefly is one of those shows that you either love or hate. There's really no in-between. Finding Serenity is a collection of essays devoted to the fantastic show (show only, because this came out before the movie). Some essays were weak, while some I just plain disagreed with. Some I didn't care
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about (I'm not a big Star Trek fan, so the few essays that compared the two shows were off-putting), while others I found fantastic (Firefly vs. The Tick!). This book brought me right back into the 'verse, to the point where I wanted to pull my dvd set off the shelf. Show Less
LibraryThing member middleearthtraveller
Have you seen 'Firefly' and 'Serenity?' If not, drop everything, go rent 'Firefly' (tv show), check out 'Serenity: Those Left Behind' (graphic novel) from your library, and then rent the movie 'Serenity.'
Done? Now you are ready to read this fantabulous book of essays.
Done? Now you are ready to read this fantabulous book of essays.
LibraryThing member cmc
A pretty amazing collection of essays talking about the short-lived, but wonderful, Firefly, Joss Whedon’s “space western”.
The essays range from praise for the powerful female characters through analysis of the western influences on the plots to a detailed glossary of the Chinese used in the
It’s not all completely positive, though—there are some criticisms of Joss and the show’s premise that help to put the show in perspective.
Firefly was an excellent show cancelled far too soon by a short-sighted network known for cancelling intelligent, complex shows in favor of reality TV and vulgar sitcoms. The movie, Serenity, due out from Universal in September, 2005, shows that there’s enough here for other media conglomerates to see. Watch the show. See the movie. Read this book!
The essays range from praise for the powerful female characters through analysis of the western influences on the plots to a detailed glossary of the Chinese used in the
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series. And there’s humor, too—a comparison between The Tick and Firefly, and an especially funny imagined crossover between Enterprise and Firefly.It’s not all completely positive, though—there are some criticisms of Joss and the show’s premise that help to put the show in perspective.
Firefly was an excellent show cancelled far too soon by a short-sighted network known for cancelling intelligent, complex shows in favor of reality TV and vulgar sitcoms. The movie, Serenity, due out from Universal in September, 2005, shows that there’s enough here for other media conglomerates to see. Watch the show. See the movie. Read this book!
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LibraryThing member Nikkles
This is a book for die hard Serenity fans, not for those with a casual interest. In my opinion it is a good book, but not all the essays are equal. Some are quite good and some fall flat. Great for the dedicated. Shiny!
LibraryThing member sarjah
I loved the firefly series even though I came to it after its short run on television. The essays in this book offer a deeper insight into some of the themes of the series and some are critiques about the show and its short run, some are funny some are more serious and some are better than others
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but if you liked firefly or serenity then you should read this book. Show Less
LibraryThing member draconismoi
I admit it, I am a Browncoat. I loved Firefly and was devastated to see it go. For those like myself, the "essay" that outlines various "emails" sent by a fox executive makes this book worth reading. It is hysterical and outlines the many problems Firefly encountered, as a scifi show that pretty
Sociologists may appreciate the more academic views on how Firefly failed/succeeded with various race and gender tropes. And how the successes may have contributed to it's downfall.
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much ignored everything Star Trek taught us about the future.Sociologists may appreciate the more academic views on how Firefly failed/succeeded with various race and gender tropes. And how the successes may have contributed to it's downfall.
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LibraryThing member satyridae
Spotty but almost entirely enjoyable. My favorite essay was Joy Davidson's 'Whores and Goddesses'. Lots of information here, and some amazing analysis of one of my favorite shows ever. If you loved the program and are still sulking about its untimely cancellation, read this book.
LibraryThing member PhoenixTerran
Finding Serenity is a collection of twenty essays, a glossary of Chinese used on the Firefly television series, and an introduction by the editor Jane Espenson, who wrote the episode "Shindig" for the series. Most of the essays, which cover a wide variety of topics, are quite humorous and all of
Essays include: The Reward, the Details, the Devils, the Due; The Heirs of Sawney Beane; Asian Objects in Space; The Rise and Fall (and Rise) of Firefly; Who Killed Firefly?; "The Train Job" Didn't Do the Job; Serenity and Bobby McGee; Firefly vs. The Tick; We're All Just Floating in Space; More Than a Marriage of Convenience; "Thanks for the reenactment, sir"; Whores and Goddesses; The Captain May Wear Tight Pants, but It's the Girls Who Make Serenity Soar; I Want Your Sex; Just Shove Him in the Engine, or The Role of Chivalry in Joss Whedon's Firefly; Mirror/Mirror: A Parody; Star Truck; Chinese Words in the 'Verse; Listening to Firefly; Kaylee Speaks: Jewel Saite on Firefly; Unofficial Glossary of Firefly Chinese.
Experiments in Reading
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them are interesting, especially if one is familiar with Firefly.Essays include: The Reward, the Details, the Devils, the Due; The Heirs of Sawney Beane; Asian Objects in Space; The Rise and Fall (and Rise) of Firefly; Who Killed Firefly?; "The Train Job" Didn't Do the Job; Serenity and Bobby McGee; Firefly vs. The Tick; We're All Just Floating in Space; More Than a Marriage of Convenience; "Thanks for the reenactment, sir"; Whores and Goddesses; The Captain May Wear Tight Pants, but It's the Girls Who Make Serenity Soar; I Want Your Sex; Just Shove Him in the Engine, or The Role of Chivalry in Joss Whedon's Firefly; Mirror/Mirror: A Parody; Star Truck; Chinese Words in the 'Verse; Listening to Firefly; Kaylee Speaks: Jewel Saite on Firefly; Unofficial Glossary of Firefly Chinese.
Experiments in Reading
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