Biskind began as a radical journalist and film critic, excavating the likes of Rocky and Thunderbolt and Lightfoot for their hidden political subtexts in small lefty rags. Now he can legitimately describe himself - as he does in his autobiographical introduction to this book - as a "recovering celebrity journalist."" The ghosts of McCarthyism and the blacklist haunt Gods and Monsters as do the casualties of the counterculture and the New Hollywood. At the heart of the book are the likes of Martin Scorsese, Robert Redford, Terrence Malick, Sue Mengers, and uber-producer Don Simpson, all of whom Biskind portrays in great Dickensian detail, charting how they have had a simultaneously strangulating and liberating effect on the industry.

    It's the linguistic equivalent of a four-wheel drive to navigate through German, Austrian, and Swiss culture.

    The Fangirl’s Guide to the Galaxy is the ultimate handbook for ladies living the nerdy life, a fun and feminist take on the often male-dominated world of geekdom. With delightful illustrations and an unabashed love for all the in(ternet)s and outs of geek culture, this book is packed with tips, playthroughs, and cheat codes for everything from starting an online fan community to planning a convention visit to supporting fellow female geeks in the wild.

    A behind-the-scenes look at his home, family and reviews on his fictional novels. Numerous illustrations.

    Broadcasting into family living rooms from the 1960s to the 1990s, this wildly creative art form wrought a beloved rite of passage. From the hours of 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., parents could sleep in while their children plopped on the couch to consume cartoons galore. From The Bugs Bunny Show, The Jetsons, and Jonny Quest to The Smurfs, He-Man, and Animaniacs, this window of time promised pure entertainment and an experience that united generations. With concept art, archival images, and all-new interviews, this collection is a celebration and exploration of the shows, characters, songs, and TV commercials that made Saturday morning cartoons a pop culture event. This highly produced package is perfect for artists and illustrators, pop culture fanatics, or anyone who loves a heaping portion of nostalgia.

    Tolkien written by Lin Carter. It was 1st published in paper by Ballantine in 3/69 & went thru numerous additional printings. It was among the earliest full-length critical works devoted to Tolkien's fantasies, the 1st to set his writings in their proper context in the history of fantasy. It was the earliest of three studies by Carter devoted to fantasy/horror writers & the history of fantasy, being followed by Lovecraft: A Look Behind the Cthulhu Mythos ('72) & Imaginary Worlds: The Art of Fantasy ('73), establishing him as an authority on the genre, indirectly leading to his editorial guidance of the Ballantine Adult Fantasy series. Gollancz published a cloth edition updated by Adam Roberts in 8/03. The study serves as an introduction for those unfamiliar with Tolkien's work. An introduction briefly reviews the publishing phenomenon of The Lord of the Rings & its popularity in the wake of the 1st paper editions in the '60s, after which he devotes three chapters to a short biography of the author thru the late '60s, including an account of how it was written. Four chapters explaining Middle-earth & summarizing the stories of The Hobbit & the three volumes of The Lord of the Rings follow, for the benefit of readers who may not have actually read the works. Carter next turns to the question of what the works are, a point of some confusion at the time. The then-current vogue for realistic fiction provided critics with few tools for evaluating an out-&-out fantasy on its own terms. Attempts to deconstruct it as a satire or allegory were rife. Carter firmly debunks these efforts, supporting his argument by drawing on Tolkien's own published ruminations on fantasy's functions & purposes. He then contextualizes the works by sketching the history of written fantasy from its earliest appearance in the epic poetry of the ancient world thru the heroic poetry of the Dark & the prose romances of the Middle Ages, down to the fairy tales, ghost stories & gothic novels of the early modern era & the rediscovery of the genre by writers of the 19-20th centuries prior to & contemporary with Tolkien. The origins of the modern genre are discovered in the writings of Wm Morris, Lord Dunsany & E.R. Eddison & followed thru the works of authors they influenced, including H.P. Lovecraft, Fletcher Pratt, L. Sprague de Camp & Mervyn Peake. Carter next highlights some of Tolkien's particular debts to his predecessors, tracing the motifs & names he utilizes back to their beginnings in Norse mythology & highlighting other echoes in his work deriving from legend & history. Finally noted is Tolkien's influence on contemporary fantasy, which was just beginning to make itself felt, primarily in the juvenile fantasies of Carol Kendall, Alan Garner & Lloyd Alexander.

    Filled with concept art, sketches, and interviews with key crew and creatives, including executive producer/showrunner/writer Jon Favreau (Iron Man, The Lion King) and executive producer/director Dave Filoni (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars: Rebels), The Art of Star Wars: The Mandalorian will provide readers with an exclusive and definitive look at a whole new universe of Star Wars characters, locations, and vehicles.The Mandalorian follows the adventures of galactic gunslinger Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and the Child (affectionately nick-named "Baby Yoda" by fans) as they traverse the outer systems of the galaxy and form unlikely partnerships with a ragtag group of mercenaries and outsiders – including Alliance shock trooper Cara Dune (Gina Carano), Ugnaught scavenger Kuil (Nick Nolte), and reprogrammed bounty droid IG-11 (Taika Waititi) as they're put on a collision course with the villainous Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito). In The Art of Star Wars: The Mandalorian, readers will encounter early visual and conceptual ideas for these new characters and unexplored frontiers filled with crime syndicates, bounty hunters, and smugglers.Led by executive creative director Doug Chiang (Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), the incomparable group of artists, designers, and dreamers known as the Lucasfilm art department "visualists" came together on this years-in-the-making Disney+ series to develop fresh takes on the iconic visual language of Star Wars. The Art of Star Wars: The Mandalorian is the only book to explore the artistic vision for this groundbreaking series, taking readers on a deep dive into the development of ineredible new worlds. Exclusive interviews with the filmmakers and the Lucasfilm visualists provide a running commentary on The Mandalorian's innovative art and design, revealing the inspiration behind the look and feel of the series.

    With new entries on several films, it also revisits, revises and expands the commentary on every film in the 1982 and 1986 two-volume edition. In addition to a detailed plot synopsis, cast and credit listings, and an overview of each film's critical reception, Warren delivers richly informative assessments of the films and a wealth of insights and anecdotes about their making, often drawing on remarks by the filmmakers that have emerged in the quarter century since the original edition. The book is arranged by film title, contains 273 photographs (many rare, some in color), has seven useful appendices, and concludes with an enormous index.

    

    * Specific chapters on how to create your character and maximize your abilities and skills. * Over 300 full-color pages packed with information on everything you need to know about the massive gameworld of Oblivion. * Walkthroughs for every quest in the game, including the main quest, all faction quests, as well as miscellaneous and freeform quests. * Sections on various gameplay systems including stealth, combat, magic, enchanting, alchemy, and more. * Detailed bestiary chapter to help you best deal with the denizens of Tamriel and Oblivion.

    To explore, to seek out what lay beyond the close and comfortable, every explorer had to embrace danger. And as they did so, what arose was a mystical bond, a passion for the ships that carried them. From the very first time humans dared to warp the fabric of space, escaping from the ashes of the third World War, they also created ships. These vessels have become the icons of mankind's desire to rise above the everyday, to seek out and make the unknown known. And these ships that travel the stellar seas have stirred the same passions as the ones that floated in the oceans. While every captain has wished that their starship could be outfitted in the same manner as the sailing ship H.M.S. Beagle -- without weapons -- that proved untenable. From the start, Starfleet realized that each vessel, due to the limited range of the early warp engines, must be able to stand alone against any attack. Thus arose the idea, taken from the days of wooden sailing ships, that every Starfleet vessel must stand as a ship of the line. Through the actions of their captains and crews, countless starships have taken on that role. Here we remember some of those ships and their heroic crews. In celebration of the fortieth anniversary of Star Trek, here for the very first time collected together are the spectacular images from the highly successful and acclaimed Star Trek: Ships of the Line calendars. Gloriously rendered, each of these illustrations was created exclusively for Pocket Books. With text by Michael Okuda (The Star Trek Encyclopedia), the story of each of these valiant starships comes to life.

    It is a vast universe that provides the setting for Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi; strange creatures known as Jawas deal in used droids, while moisture farmers eke out a living on a harsh and arid desert planet. Rebel forces use whatever material they can muster, bringing it to bear against a vast and technologically advanced Empire that possesses weaponry capable of destroying an entire world in the space of a heartbeat.The Star Wars Technical Journal takes an in-depth look at the many and varied elements that comprise the rich Star Wars tapestry, including:-- The spacecraft, from TIE Series fighters to Star Destroyers-- The exotic locales, including Tatooine, Hoth, and Cloud City-- Histories of the Empire and the Rebel forces...and much, much more.Through comprehensive entries, extensive photographs, detailed schematics, rare production artwork, character designs, and six eight-page fold-out blueprints, the secrets of the species, the technologies, and the inner-workings of the Rebel and Imperial forces unfold.Through months of meticulous research, Texas author Shane Johnson reviewed hours of film and radio drama, hundreds of pages of technical material and media materials, roleplaying rules, production art, and everything else available covering the Star Wars canon. A talented technical illustrator as well, he also produced the schematics needed to properly cover the technical details that went into producing the adventure of a lifetime. His other credits include Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Journal and Mr. Scott's Guide to the Enterprise.Based on Starlog magazine's Star Wars Technical Journals.

    But TrueSome Sample chapters from the book are:Was Atlantis a legend or fact?The building of the Great Pyramid of CheopsHistory of the can opener

    That's why a guide to the world of uglies has been requisitioned from the hole in the wall. Inside you'll find: A rundown on all the cliques, from Crims and Cutters to tech-heads and surge-monkeys The complete history, starting with the destruction of the oil bug to the launch of Extras in space How all those awesome gadgets came to be: hoverboards, eyescreens, skintennas, sneak suits... PLUS an exclusive look at Scott Westerfeld's first draft of Extras -- starring Hiro, not Aya. And so much more, it's mind-wrecking.

    McLain began to answer each and every question—attracting national attention from MSNBC, CNN, and People—and the result, collected in Do Fish Drink Water?, is a surprising, funny, and informative collection of facts. McLain's answers can often be as wild as the questions and prompt entertaining anecdotes about where he found them. McLain explains how magnets are made, what caused the Great Depression of 1922, and even explains why cats purr. Also included is an extensive list of websites where he conducts research, offering an informative guide to making the most of the Internet.