Book picks similar to
Firefly: A Celebration by Joss Whedon
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science-fiction
firefly
The Book of Alien
Paul Scanlon - 1979
Alien.This exciting book takes you right behind the scenes of Alien and talks to the key people involved, including H. R Giger and director Ridley Scott. It shows every creative stage, through designs and sketches, models and costumes, that went into such a unique vision of the future, and graphically demonstrates why the movie won an Oscar for its visual effects.
The Art of Mass Effect
Dan Birlew - 2007
The challenge of creating a plausible vision for humanity and a galaxy of ancient and exotic alien races was given to BioWare's talented art and design teams. They began in a formless void and shaped their worlds, their races, and their civilizations to finish with a living breathing setting exclusive to the Xbox 360.From a massive space citadel whose origins are lost in time to the utilitarian clothing of frontier colonists, each component, whether small or colossal, anomalous or common, within Mass Effect's universe need to be brought to detailed life.In this stunning volume, take an exclusive step back to when this universe was still forming in this compilation of art, images, and commentary taken directly from the artists' sketchbooks as they created the universe of Mass Effect.
John Winchester's Journal (Supernatural)
Alexander C. Irvine - 2009
Now you can, too.On November 2, 1983, Sam and Dean Winchester lost their mother to a demonic supernatural force. In the wake of the tragedy, their father, John, set out to learn everything he could about the paranormal evil that lives in the dark corners and on the back roads of America . . . and how to kill it. In his personal journal, he not only compiled folklore, legend, and superstition about all manner of otherworldly enemies but he also recorded his experiences—hunting the creature that killed his wife even as he raised his two sons.Part prequel, part resource guide, John Winchester's Journal finally gives fans the ultimate companion book for Supernatural. It's all here: the exorcism Sam and Dean used in "Phantom Traveler," John's notes on everything from shape-shifters to Samuel Colt, Dean's first hunt, Sam's peewee soccer team . . . and John's single-minded pursuit of a growing and deadly evil.
The Doctor: His Lives and Times
James Goss - 2013
I'm a Time Lord. I'm from the planet Gallifrey in the constellation of Kasterborous. And I'm the man who's going to save your life.'He's made a mark on almost every era of history, and he's touched millions of lives across space and time. In these pages you'll find just some of the stories behind those brief encounters, each of them addressing the question that must never, ever be answered: 'Doctor Who?'This is the story of an impossible life - of a man who borrowed a spaceship, travelled through time and continually saved the universe - as told by the Doctor's friends, by his enemies, and by the man himself. Letters, journals, trial records, secret government files and the occasional bit of tabloid journalism reveal the never-before-told story of Gallifrey's last Time Lord.
How to Archer: The Ultimate Guide to Espionage and Style and Women and Also Cocktails Ever Written
Sterling Archer - 2012
But believe me: in this book, I’ll let you know exactly how to become a master spy just like me. Obviously, you won’t be as good at it as I am, but that’s because you’re you, and I’m Sterling Archer. I know, I know, it sucks not being me. But don’t beat yourself up about it, because I’m going to show you all the good stuff—what to wear; what to drink; how to seduce women (and, when necessary, men); how to beat up men (and, when necessary, women); how to tell the difference between call girls and hookers (hint: when they’re dead, they’re just hookers) and everything about weapons, secret devices, lying ex-girlfriends, and turtlenecks. In a word? How to Archer.
Before the Dawn
Max Allan Collins - 2002
Never-before-told tales of action and adventure revealing the early days of Dark Angel!Los Angeles, 2019. Large sections of Tinseltown are in Richter-scale ruins in the aftermath of the Pulse and a devastating earthquake. Surviving among a ragtag pack of street kids, agile as a cat, and an expert thief, Max steals from the rich and gives to Moody, her mentor in crime and leader of the gang. But with no real family to speak of, Max longs for her missing "brothers and sisters" from Manticore, the covert agency with a sinister history of militaristic manipulation and control.By chance, Max sees a news story on TV about a dissident cyberjournalist in Seattle, known to everyone as "Eyes Only." The police are searching for his accomplice, a young rebel whose image flashes on the screen. Max immediately recognizes Seth, one of her Manticore siblings. She mounts her motorcycle and hightails it north. What she rides into is an elaborate web of betrayal, greed, revenge, and selfless heroism that will only further fuel her quest to uncover the secrets of her past—and seize hope for the future....
Inception: The Shooting Script
Christopher J. Nolan - 2010
The story of a group of thieves who specialize in invading the mind through one’s dreams, Inception explores the Nolan’s signature psychological themes of memory, paranoia, and self-doubt as the protagonist, Dom Cobb, is pitted against a hostile subconscious spurred on by personal demons and regrets from the past. In a conversational preface, Nolan discusses with brother and frequent collaborator, Jonah, the genesis of the idea for the film and the decade-long process it took to write it. Detailing the results of Nolan’s efforts, Inception: The Shooting Script includes key storyboard sequences, full-color concept art, and an appendix on the workings of the mysterious Pasiv Device that Cobb and his fellow extractors use to initiate the dream-share. An exclusive exploration of a highly original concept, Inception: The Shooting Script is the record of a writer-director at the height of his craft.
Doctor Who: The TARDIS Handbook
Steve Tribe - 2010
Everything you need to know about the TARDIS is here - where it came from, where it's been, how it works, and how it has changed since we first encountered it in a London junkyard in 1963.Including photos, design drawings, floor plans and instruction manuals from different eras of the series, this handbook explores the ship's endless interior, looking inside its wardrobe and bedrooms, its power rooms and sick bay, its corridors and cloisters, and revealing just how the show's production teams have created the dimensionally transcendental police box, inside and out.The TARDIS Handbook is the essential guide to the best ship in the universe.
Supergods: What Masked Vigilantes, Miraculous Mutants, and a Sun God from Smallville Can Teach Us About Being Human
Grant Morrison - 2011
1 in 1938, introduced the world to something both unprecedented and timeless: Superman, a caped god for the modern age. In a matter of years, the skies of the imaginary world were filled with strange mutants, aliens, and vigilantes: Batman, Wonder Woman, the Fantastic Four, Iron Man, and the X-Men—the list of names as familiar as our own. In less than a century, they’ve gone from not existing at all to being everywhere we look: on our movie and television screens, in our videogames and dreams. But what are they trying to tell us?For Grant Morrison, arguably the greatest of contemporary chroniclers of the “superworld,” these heroes are powerful archetypes whose ongoing, decades-spanning story arcs reflect and predict the course of human existence: Through them we tell the story of ourselves, our troubled history, and our starry aspirations. In this exhilarating work of a lifetime, Morrison draws on art, science, mythology, and his own astonishing journeys through this shadow universe to provide the first true history of the superhero—why they matter, why they will always be with us, and what they tell us about who we are . . . and what we may yet become.
Mad Men: The Illustrated World
Dyna Moe - 2010
Inspired by the artistic styles that defined 1960s advertising, Dyna Moe creates a candy-colored record of the time, exploring such topics as: The office culture, including secretary etiquette and hangover workarounds The cocktail craze, with Sally Draper's cocktail menu Pastimes and fads, such as Pete and Trudy's dancing lessons and Bert Cooper's art '60s icons from Jackie to Marilyn Boardroom and bedroom shenanigans The burgeoning suburban lifestyle Fabulous fashion, including hairstyle how-tos and bonus paper dolls of Joan
Doctor Who: A Celebration - Two Decades Through Time and Space
Peter HainingBarry Letts - 1983
In fact, it had a most inauspicious beginning. Due to the extensive television coverage devoted to the assassination of President John Kennedy the day before, the first episode of Doctor Who went out later than scheduled. Viewing figures were disappointing, but a decision was taken to give the programme a second showing the following week. The response was tremendous and after a shaky start the series was all set to run and run and run...Peter Haining has compiled a fitting tribute to the success of this remarkable programme, to mark its twentieth anniversary. His book reflects the rich diversity of talent and ideas that have invested Doctor Who with its unique appeal to viewers of all ages and made it the vital and popular series it remains to this day- a popularity reinforced by W.H. Allen/Target's novelisations of the stories.In addition to articles on key landmarks in the Doctor Who universe, this celebratory volume contains contributions from Verity Lambert, the first producer of the programme; Barry Letts, one-time director, producer, and executive producer; Terrrance Dicks, ex-script editor, script writer, and author of many of the Doctor Who novelisations; John Nathan-Turner, the current producer; and all five actors who have played the part of the Doctor give their views on this epic phenomenon.For those who first saw the programme in 1963 to those who regularly watch it today, this W.H. Allen special will be a constant source of pleasure and a unique volume to treasure.
The Mystery Science Theater 3000: Amazing Colossal Episode Guide
Trace Beaulieu - 1996
The answer, my friend, is right in this here official, 100%-MST3K-sanctioned book. Or maybe you know all about the adventures of Joel, Mike, and the 'bots in the not-too distant future. Then you can skip those pages. Really. We won't tell. You still need this book. Because it's got more cool stuff from the writers and performers of MST3K. More of what you'll find in the "Mystery Science Theater 3000 Amazing Colossal Episode Guide" * More than 120 synopses of the more than 120 episodes of the Peabody Award-winning show * More fascinating, outrageous facts and tidbits about the making of each episode * More photos than your average issue of "Tiger Beat" * More of the most disgusting things ever seen on-screen by the MST3K writers * More than 49 (50, to be exact) of the most obscure wisecracks * More quizzes, worksheets, and a ten-step plan to help you gain control of your finances and your life (well, not really...) * More about your Area and what it can do for you * More Beverly Garland! Miles and Miles O'Keefe! * And much, much more!
What Makes This Book So Great
Jo Walton - 2014
In 2008, then-new science-fiction mega-site Tor.com asked Walton to blog regularly about her re-reading—about all kinds of older fantasy and SF, ranging from acknowledged classics, to guilty pleasures, to forgotten oddities and gems. These posts have consistently been among the most popular features of Tor.com. Now this volumes presents a selection of the best of them, ranging from short essays to long reassessments of some of the field's most ambitious series.Among Walton's many subjects here are the Zones of Thought novels of Vernor Vinge; the question of what genre readers mean by "mainstream"; the underappreciated SF adventures of C. J. Cherryh; the field's many approaches to time travel; the masterful science fiction of Samuel R. Delany; Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children; the early Hainish novels of Ursula K. Le Guin; and a Robert A. Heinlein novel you have most certainly never read. Over 130 essays in all, What Makes This Book So Great is an immensely readable, engaging collection of provocative, opinionated thoughts about past and present-day fantasy and science fiction, from one of our best writers.
Chicks Dig Time Lords: A Celebration of Doctor Who by the Women Who Love It
Lynne M. ThomasJody Lynn Nye - 2010
These essays will delight male and female readers alike by delving into the extraordinary aspects of being a female Doctor Who enthusiast. Essays include Carole E. Barrowman discussing what it was like to grow up with her brother John (including the fact that he's still afraid of shop-window dummies), columnist Jackie Jenkins providing a Bridget Jones' Diary-style memoir of working on Doctor Who Magazine, novelist Lloyd Rose analyzing Rose's changes between the ninth and tenth Doctors and much more. Other contributors include Elizabeth Bear (Jenny Casey), Lisa Bowerman (Bernice Summerfield), Mary Robinette Kowal (Shades of Milk and Honey), Jody Lynn Nye (Mythology series), Kate Orman (Seeing I), and Catherynne M. Valente (The Orphan's Tales). Also featured is a comic from the Torchwood Babiez creators, plus interviews with Doctor Who companions India Fisher (Charley) and Sophie Aldred (Ace).
X-Men: The Ultimate Guide
Peter Sanderson - 2000
X-Men 3 arrives in theaters May 26th.