Channeling the Future
Essays on Science Fiction and Fantasy Television
Published on 2. April 2009
Book
Hardback
254 pages
978-0-8108-6675-1 (ISBN)
Description
Though science fiction certainly existed prior to the surge of television in the 1950s, the genre quickly established roots in the new medium and flourished in subsequent decades. In Channeling the Future: Essays on Science Fiction and Fantasy Television, Lincoln Geraghty has assembled a collection of essays that focuses on the disparate visions of the past, present, and future offered by science fiction and fantasy television since the 1950s and that continue into the present day.
These essays not only shine new light on often overlooked and forgotten series but also examine the "look" of science fiction and fantasy television, determining how iconography, location and landscape, special effects, set design, props, and costumes contribute to the creation of future and alternate worlds. Contributors to this volume analyze such classic programs as The Twilight Zone, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, and The Man from U.N.C.L.E., as well as contemporary programs, including Star Trek: The Next Generation, Angel, Firefly, Futurama, and the new Battlestar Galactica. These essays provide a much needed look at how science fiction television has had a significant impact on history, culture, and society for the last sixty years.
These essays not only shine new light on often overlooked and forgotten series but also examine the "look" of science fiction and fantasy television, determining how iconography, location and landscape, special effects, set design, props, and costumes contribute to the creation of future and alternate worlds. Contributors to this volume analyze such classic programs as The Twilight Zone, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, and The Man from U.N.C.L.E., as well as contemporary programs, including Star Trek: The Next Generation, Angel, Firefly, Futurama, and the new Battlestar Galactica. These essays provide a much needed look at how science fiction television has had a significant impact on history, culture, and society for the last sixty years.
Reviews / Votes
The twelve essays in this collection examine aspects of sci-fi and fantasy television, from the recurring desert landscape of The Twilight Zone to the gritty aesthetic of the rebooted Battlestar Galactica. For fanboys of one or more, this volume should provide illuminating context. * Publishers Weekly * An anthology of thoughtful essays which re-examine overlooked and forgotten series, as well as exploring the appearance and feel of this genre of television as a whole. A remarkably studious examination of the implications of imaginative popular culture, especially recommended for media studies shelves with a focus on science fiction and fantasy. * Wisconsin Bookwatch * An anthology that brings together intelligent discussions of such varied series as The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Highlander: The Series, Futurama, and Battlestar Galactica has much to offer. ... I found Channeling the Future an interesting collection, one that contributes to the rapidly growing and well-justified body of recent commentary on sf television. * Science Fiction Studies * College-level libraries strong in science fiction and film analysis need this! * Midwest Book Review * This is an eclectic collection that covers a lot of territory. It is an enjoyable read, and will no doubt form a valuable record of television sci-fi at what may prove to be its peak. More than that, it is genuinely thought-provoking in its discussions of what our imagined futures say about us as a society. * Uk Times Higher Education Magazine *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Lanham, MD
United States
Dimensions
Height: 235 mm
Width: 157 mm
Thickness: 18 mm
Weight
524 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-8108-6675-1 (9780810866751)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
04/2009
1st Edition
Scarecrow Press
€94.69
Available for download
E-Book
04/2009
1st Edition
Scarecrow Press
€78.49
Available for download
Person
Lincoln Geraghty is principal lecturer in Film Studies and subject leader for Media Studies in the School of Creative Arts, Film and Media at the University of Portsmouth. He is author of Living with Star Trek: American Culture and the Star Trek and the editor of The Influence of Star Trek on Television, Film and Culture (2008).