Shiny!

By Nicole Fuscia | Books | June 14, 2010 |

By Nicole Fuscia | Books | June 14, 2010 |

Publisher’s Note: Over 2600 folks ended up taking our “Firefly” quiz a few weeks ago with the chance to win Firefly: Still Flying: A Celebration of Joss Whedon’s Acclaimed TV Series. The winners have been notified. The following is Nicole’s review of that book.

To be an objective reviewer, one should be able to evaluate the merits and flaws of a book. That is next to impossible when it comes to the badass Firefly: Still Flying, which I received courtesy of Titan Books. This funstravaganza has everything a Browncoat could possibly want to feed the insatiable hunger that Firefly fans still have for Captain Malcolm Reynolds and crew several years after the good ship Serenity last flew off into the stratosphere.

Seriously, kids, if you want character studies, original short fiction by the show’s writers, step-by-step construction of the various craft and ships, backstories on the many accessories (Jayne’s weaponry, Wash’s dinosaurs), behind-the-scenes looks at the set designs, writing processes, costuming and stunts — it’s all in here. There are even sections on the various conventions, charities, and fan films that have been spawned by the “Firefly” ‘verse, along with segments on each character along with quotes by the actors who played them, plus photos — lots and lots of photos … sorry, I was picturing Mal in those pants and got a little sidetracked.

Still Flying is not so much a book as a must-have for the fan who wants everything, but I can promise you that it delivers on all fronts and will be a perfect addition to your own fan collection. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go pull out my copy of Serenity and pop it in the Blu-Ray.

Nicole Fuscia is a book critic for Pajiba and the director of the Cannonball Read. She lives in Philadelphia, where she spends her days staring at spreadsheets and her nights reading at least two books at a time.