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Reviews |
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Science Fiction Television Series: Episode Guides, Histories, and Casts and Credits for 62 Prime Time Shows, 1959 - 1989"This excellent guide to U.S. SF series serves up a cornucopia of information with descriptive episode guides, fascinating narratives and behind the scenes glimpses....much of the material is unique...extremely readable..." - Anthony J. Adam, The Library Journal "An all encompassing guide to 40 years of science fiction television...the authors have accumulated a lifetime's worth of wacky and weird anecdotes..." - Alex Strachan, The Vancouver Sun "An indispensable book that you should have in your collection. It's a whopping 691 pages and has photos through-out. Each series is given a historical overview, with interviews with writers, producers, directors, actors, cameramen and more! Plus you get episode guides with correct titles, complete guest star information and trivia. There is also appendixes covering unsold pilots and Emmy Award nominees and winners. It costs $75 dollars but it is well worth it. My highest recommendation." - Andy Mangels, Hollywood Heroes "Fact-filled entries in this enjoyable and useful book...interesting for fans, with more than enough information to be valuable as a reference source..." - Choice "It delivers more than its sub-title suggests...a massive work...." - Classic Images "Truly impressive...it's one of those reference books that you just can't put down...a heavy yet awesome achievement." - David McDonnell, Editor - STARLOG "A fantastic job...a godsend to science fiction fans." - Diane Albert, The TV Collector "A book this rich extends its function beyond occasionally consulting. It becomes a companion to discovery...All of this is conveyed via extensive research, as well as 250 interviews, with many telling their stories for the first time...each series entry has a full history and the most comprehensive episode guides I have ever seen." - Paul Holbrook, The Big Reel "This huge book details every episode with credits and plots of 62 prime time shows....it is a valuable reference work....an extensive index." - PsychOtroniC "A meticulously crafted work by authors with an awesome knowledge of the field. Of particular interest are the actors' observations about their roles, which are woven into the series' introductory essays. Rounding out this excellent work is an extensive index...Science Fiction Television Series will become the definitive guide in the field." - Richard Grefrath, Performing Arts "If there was a series that you just can't think of the title, grab a copy of this book and never feel alone in the universe again." - Sci-Fi Channel, The "This volume is a godsend. This is one of the most comprehensive reference guides ever...we're treated to a meticulously researched overview of each entry, packed with quotes and background information. There's new info about the most familiar of series and detailed background on the obscurities is astonishing. It costs a bomb but it's worth it." - SFX Magazine (United Kingdom) "As a first cut, Science Fiction Television Series is first-rate. Its scope is fairly thorough while the synopses are terrific...some quotes are rudely interesting....it's fun, it's unpretentious and it's as close as this genre will probably get to serious, scholarly attention." - Tamara Hladik, Sci-Fi Weekly "Science Fiction Television Series sets a new standard for comprehensive coverage, surpassing the most recent contender, Roger Fulton's exemplary but inconsistent, Encyclopedia of TV Science Fiction...although not inexpensive, Phillips' and Garcia's book should be the cornerstone of anyone serious about building a reference library on science fiction television. Given the amount and quality of material presented, it's a bargain." - Television Chronicles #7 "Paging through this book will cause a memory cascade which has to be experienced to be believed...it covers its subject in splendid detail, with 62 series handled thoroughly, while 30 more receive abbreviated coverage. It's entertaining and informative...the essays are not puff pieces - sometimes the series' participants have unpleasant memories of one another (see the Lost in Space profile for a great example)...public libraries need this book...I guarantee it will fly off the shelf....Highly recommended." - Tom Pearson, VOYA "The title tells it all and it's all here...the complete scoop on 30 years worth of TV science fiction." - Videoscope |
Science Fiction Television Series: Histories, Casts and Credits for 58 Prime Time Shows, 1990 - 2004"Packed with fascinating behind-the-scenes info on shows both celebrated and obscure, this is an invaluable guide for anyone interested in science fiction and modern media. It's going to occupy a prized spot on my bookshelf forever." "Frank Garcia and Mark Phillips' Science Fiction Television Series, 1990-2004 -- the Golden Age of SF TV-- is the most comprehensive and well-informed look at the subject I could ever hope to see. It is smart, thorough and, when necessary, opinionated and filled with surprises. I worked on many of these series, and I learned things I hadn't known. No collection of books on television is definitive without it." - Michael Cassutt was a writer-producer on the revival of The Outer Limits and Twilight Zone. He is an author of thriller novels (Missing Man) and non-fiction biographies (Deke! From Mercury to the Shuttle). His monthly column, "The Cassutt Files" appears on SciFi.com. "Science Fiction Television Series 1990-2004 is actually a fascinating book...Highlights of the book must surely be interview material with series creators revealing 'what might have been' had some fondly remembered shows such as Odyssey 5 continued beyond their actual episode count. Writers Garcia and Phillips, both contributors to magazines such as Starlog and Cinefantastique, who previously wrote Science Fiction Television Series 1959-1989, pull no punches in offering analysis on the reasons shows failed, highlighting the uphill struggles TV series, particularly SF TV series, face in trying to secure a longer run. Ratings and network interference - nowhere more obvious than with shows such as J. Michael Straczynski's Babylon 5 follow-up, Crusade - are the prime reasons for a show's failure, while long-running shows such as Star Trek: The Next Generation simply run their course, but were, it's revealed, in danger of creative fatigue toward their end...This book is a useful primer for a wide range of SF TV shows, offering an excellent 'offline' guide to their making and what might have been, had some secured longer runs. Well worth tracking down." - John Freeman, SciFiPulse.Net "With two columns to a page and roughly ten pages to each of the fifty-eight Science Fiction TV series, this book is a monster of a read. The sub-heading on the cover says it all really: 'Histories, Casts And Credits For 58 Shows'. This is not a book you want for episode guides but as a complete guide for a show as a whole then its ideal...this is a very informative book and if you ever had problems naming all the SF TV series that appeared in this fourteen year period, you can confound everyone with your knowledge here. One thing I was amazed at was how many of them began with the letter 'S', a sure sign clue to either popularity or not enough use of the alphabet...If you're a fan of SF TV shows, then you're bound to find most of your favourites from that time period here without me having to mention them. There is an earlier book covering 1959-1989 that I'll see if I can wrangle to give comment on but as it spawned this quality book then it must share equally good standards. There are far too few books of this sort around and if you have any interest in the subject, then this is an excellent reference book to own." - Geoff Willmetts, SFCrowsnest.com "...This is an essential tool for any science fiction fan..." "...This book will entertain the fans of the shows it covers; purchase if enough of those fans use your library..."
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