Book description
Once confined solely to literature and film, science fiction has
emerged to become a firmly established, and wildly popular, television
genre over the last half century. The Essential Science Fiction
Television Reader provides insight into and analyses of the most
important programs in the history of the genre and explores the
breadth of science fiction programming. Editor J. P. Telotte and the
contributors explain the gradual transformation of the genre from
low-budget cinematic knockoffs to an independent and distinct
televisual identity. Their essays track the dramatic evolution of
early hits such as The Twilight Zone and Star Trek into the science
fiction programming of today with its more recent successes such as
Lost and Heroes. They highlight the history, narrative approaches, and
themes of the genre with an inviting and accessible style. In essays
that are as varied as the shows themselves, the contributors address
the full scope of the genre. In his essay "The Politics of Star
Trek: The Original Series," M. Keith Booker examines the ways in
which Star Trek promoted cultural diversity and commented on the
pioneering attitude of the American West. Susan George takes on the
refurbished Battlestar Galactica series, examining how the show
reframes questions of gender. Other essays explore the very attributes
that constitute science fiction television: David Lavery's essay
"The Island's Greatest Mystery: Is Lost Science
Fiction?"calls into question the defining characteristics of the
genre. From anime to action, every form of science fiction television
is given thoughtful analysis enriched with historical perspective.
Placing the genre in a broad context, The Essential Science Fiction
Television Reader outlines where the genre has been, where it is
today, and where it may travel in the future. No longer relegated to
the periphery of television, science fiction now commands a viewership
vast enough to sustain a cable channel devoted to the genre.
""This well-edited collection offers a richly detailed
and critically penetrating overview of science fiction television,
from the plucky adventures of Captain Video to the postmodern
paradoxes of The X-Files and Lost. Sixteen essays by major scholars in
the field address topics ranging from the politics of Star Trek to the
mythic resonances of The Twilight Zone, from the complexities of
adapting material from other media to the science-fictionality of
television itself. Teachers, students, and fans of SFTV will learn
much from this engaging, indispensible volume."--Rob Latham,
coeditor of Science Fiction Studies" --
J. P. Telotte, professor of literature, communication, and culture
at the Georgia Institute of Technology, is the author or editor of
numerous books.
