2008 TITLES

The Science of Michael Crichton

Psychology of Superheroes

Batman Unauthorized

The Science of Dune

2007 TITLES

Jack Bauer for President

The Psychology of Joss Whedon

House Unauthorized

Serenity Found

This is My Funniest 2 (SF)

The Psychology of Survivor

Grey's Anatomy 101

Perfectly Plum

Coffee at Luke's

Neptune Noir

The Psychology of Harry Potter

Halo Effect

Webslinger

2006 TITLES

Don't Chew Jesus!

This is My Funniest (SF)

So Say We All (Battlestar Galactica)

Investigating CSI

"My Ox is Broken!"

James Bond in the 21st Century

This is Chick-Lit

Getting Lost

Boarding the Enterprise

This Is Burning Man

The Battle for Azeroth

Star Wars on Trial

Welcome to Wisteria Lane

The Man from Krypton

The Da Vinci Mole

The Unauthorized X-Men

Psychology of the Simpsons

Mapping the World of Harry Potter

2005 TITLES

Totally Charmed

King Kong Is Back!

Two-Faced

Revisiting Narnia

Wonder's Child

Flirting with Pride and Prejudice

Farscape Forever!

Science in Science Fiction

Navigating the Golden Compass

Alias Assumed

The War of the Worlds

The Anthology at the End of the Universe

Finding Serenity

What Would Sipowicz Do?

2003/2004

The Crazy Years

Stepping Through the Stargate

Five Seasons of Angel

Diana Rigg

Backstreet Mom

Seven Seasons of Buffy

Joss Whedon

Taking the Red Pill

Totally Charmed: Demons, Whitelighters and the Power of Three

November 2005

Edited by New York Times Bestselling Author Jennifer Crusie

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Charmed is a television phenomenon: three gorgeous, kick-ass witches committed to protecting innocents and cursed at finding love. In Totally Charmed, romance novelists, science fiction and fantasy writers and more celebrate the hit WB show that has changed the face of the fight against evil forever.

Contributors include:

 

Peg Aloi C.J. Barry Kate Donovan Jennifer Dunne Richard Garfinkle Ruth Glick ("Rebecca York") John Hemry

Tanya Huff Nick Mamatas Bob Metzger Vera Nazarian Jody Lyn Nye Anne Perry Laura Resnick

Maggie Shayne Catherine Spangler Mica Stone ("Alison Kent") Valerie Taylor Evelyn Vaughn Debbie Viguie Leigh Adams Wright

Jennifer Crusie is a New York Times bestselling author whose novels include Bet Me, Faking It, Fast Women and Welcome to Temptation. She is a frequent contributor to the BenBella Books Smart Pop series and editor of Totally Charmed: Whitelighters, Demons and the Power of the Three. She holds an MA in feminist criticism and an MA in fiction. For more information visit www.jennycrusie.com.

King Kong Is Back! An Unauthorized Look at One Humongous Ape!

November 2005

Edited by New York Times Bestselling Author David Brin

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“(The essays) range from informative to wise-ass; all entertain … If not something for everyone, it’s darn close.” – Ray Olson, Booklist

"There is a boom of new Kong books ... My favorite … is the savvy collection of essays King Kong is Back!" - DeWitt Henry, The Boston Globe

King Kong—love story, horror film, exotic adventure tale—is back on the big screen after an almost thirty-year absence, just in time for the King of Skull Island to influence another generation.
 

From the 1933 black and white Cooper/Schoedsack classic to the badly-received 1976 De Laurentiis remake, to the new vision brought to life by Peter Jackson, the contributors to King Kong is Back! explore the great ape’s unprecedented appeal and the film’s impact on our cultural imagination.

Contributors include:

Bruce Bethke Adam-Troy Castro Don Debrant Keith R.A. DeCandido Bob Eggelton David Gerrold Natasha Giardina

Jim Gunn Robert Hood Paul Levinson James Lowder Dario Maestripieri Nick Mamatas Robert A. Metzger

Joe Miller Adam Roberts Steven Rubio Charlie Starr Rick Whitten-Klaw John Wright

David Brin is The New York Times bestselling author of The Postman and Kiln People.

Two-Faced: Confessions of a Soap Opera Make-up Artist
November 2005

Timothy Alan

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“Simply put, Timothy Alan is the Monet of make-up; each face is his canvas, each photo his masterpiece. Had he been born at another time, his works of art would have been hung in museums instead of published in magazines.” —Michael Ausiello, TV Guide

“This book is an absolute joy for the soap opera enthusiast, featuring soap stars from (the) all networks … Full color, glossy and generous head shots adorn nearly every page.” – eyeonsoaps.com

“(Two-Faced) is about more than how to accentuate one’s beauty through the simple, easy and common sense application of the basics in make-up. It’s really on a deeper level a celebration of women in all their various facets, styles and make-ups of beauty, written with sensitivity, compassion and cheeky humor by the professional make-up artist soap opera magazine editors turned to for their cover and interview shots.” Carol Banks Weber, soapzone.com (read the full review here)

“I wanted to share with you just how great a book this is. The book is helpful, beautifully photographed, and extremely funny. For anyone who has ever wondered...how do they get the soap stars looking so beautiful every day and I wonder if I could do that at home...this book has your answers!” – Deborah Horton, allsoapscoops.com (read the full review here)

When Timothy Alan says that his life is a soap opera, he means it. For more than 20 years, the award-winning make-up artist has glamorized daytime television's biggest stars— from Susan Lucci, Kelly Ripa and Sarah Michelle Gellar, to Yasmine Bleeth and Katherine Kelly Lang—he's done them all.

Now, in his new book, Two-Faced: Confessions of a Soap Opera Make-Up Artist, Tim along with some of today's hottest soap opera actresses (and some of his closest friends), are dishing up everything from great skin, hair and make-up tips, to soap insider scoop, even tackling some tougher (and juicier) topics such as career aspirations, family, love and sex.

You’ll be privy to conversations that have, until now, been confined to the sets of All My Children, Days of Our Lives, Guiding Light, Passions and other great soaps. Tim’s intimate one-on-one conversations include great stars including Judi Evans, Crystal Hunt, Eva La Rue, Amelia Marshall and Hillary B. Smith.

A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Gilda’s Club NYC.

Revisiting Narnia: Fantasy, Myth and Religion in C. S. Lewis’ Chronicles

October 2005

Edited by Shanna Caughey

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“A fascinating collection of twenty-five essays … If you want a book that will provide a variety of new ideas to think about, this book should be on your short list.”

Robert Trexler, editor of CSL: The Bulletin of the New York C.S. Lewis Society

C. S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia have stimulated imaginations for more than half a century, inspiring childhood wonder, earnest faith and spirited debate regarding Christian doctrine.

Widely studied and revered, Lewis' Chronicles are structured around deep paradigms and resounding questions: How do the books form such an intimate, personal bond with readers both young and old? Does Narnia betray some hidden Universalism in Lewis' theology? What are we to think of the evil dark-skinned Calormenes from the South who seem to represent the Arab race? What really prevented Susan from entering Narnia? What does Aslan's characterization as a "tame lion" say about Lewis' thoughts on providence?

Contributors include:

Wonder's Child: My Life in Science Fiction
September 2005

The Hugo Award-Winning Autobiography

Jack Williamson

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“Nobody now can feel the thrill of finding science fiction the way we did then, because then it was new, its wonder not yet worn thin with repetition or tarnished with mistrust in the whole human enterprise.”

—Jack Williamson, Wonder’s Child

Science fiction legend Jack Williamson’s classic autobiography is much more than the story of a single man’s life and work; it is an amazing look at the entire 20th century from the perspective of a man on a “long search for endurable compromise with society.” 

Born in 1908, Williamson often felt at odds with the world around him and began writing science fiction as a method of escape. His tentative entrance into the field—his first story was published in 1928 in Hugo Gernsbach’s legendary Amazing Stories—soon transformed him from a pulp writer into one of the Grand Masters of science fiction.

First published in 1984, this new version has been updated with 20 years of new material, plus a portion of Williamson’s diary from World War II.

Flirting with Pride and Prejudice: Fresh Perspectives on the Original Chick-Lit Masterpiece

September 2005

Edited by New York Times Bestselling Author Jennifer Crusie

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(STARRED REVIEW) "Each contribution to this smart and entertaining collection is a pure delight, adding up to an unusually enjoyable work of literary criticism...This is one book about Austen's novels that teens will actually enjoy reading."

John Charles, Booklist

“Readable and interesting … the selections reflect some current thinking on the topic and add another much-needed volume to the general literature of the field. Provocative and entertaining … this makes for fascinating, sometimes hilarious, reading and should find a home in collections focusing on the popular romance genre.”

Kristin Ramsdell, Library Journal

“... pop culture has never had a tastier harvest. ... Funny and full of smart ideas, Flirting with Pride and Prejudice is a chick lit feast, complete with saucy appetizers before every bite by the queen of romantic comedy, Jennifer Crusie.”

Cindy Harrison, Romantic Times Book Club magazine

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is one of the most beloved novels of our time, transcending the literary world to earn a spot on every woman’s nightstand. Now, Flirting with Pride and Prejudice takes a fresh and humorous look at Austen’s classic tale of looking for Mr. Right, marrying rich and finding true love in the process. 

Flirtatious interludes include:

• Karen Joy Fowler, bestselling author of The Jane Austen Book Club, explores the genius of Austen’s work, its appeal to the truly feminine and compares them to comic books, teen magazines and fairytales

• Renowned historical romance author Cheryl Sawyer tells the little known tale of Jane Austen’s chance encounter with the infamous Lord Byron

• New York Times bestselling author Teresa Medeiros explains the unfathomable allure of the ever-stoic Mr. Darcy

• Popular Salon.com television critic Joyce Millman ponders the implications of a new reality show: Pride and Prejudice

• Bestselling fantasy writer Mercedes Lackey puts a fantastical twist on the matchmaking ploys of the newly married Elizabeth

• Acclaimed Buffy and Firefly screenwriter Jane Espenson sheds light on one of the most lightly drawn characters of Pride and Prejudice: Mr. Darcy’s enigmatic little sister, Georgiana

• Bestselling romance author Jill Winters retells Pride and Prejudice to reveal the untold story of Mary’s secret life

• Celebrated chick-lit, romance and comedic novelist Michelle Cunnah considers how cell phones would have drastically changed the courtship of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy

Other contributors include (in order of appearance):

Jennifer Crusie is a New York Times bestselling author whose novels include Bet Me, Faking It, Fast Women and Welcome to Temptation. She is a frequent contributor to the BenBella Books Smart Pop series and editor of Totally Charmed: Whitelighters, Demons and the Power of the Three. She holds an MA in feminist criticism and an MA in fiction. For more information visit www.jennycrusie.com.

Farscape Forever! Sex, Drugs and Killer Muppets
September 2005

Edited by Glenn Yeffeth

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Wanted:

For crossing boundaries,

breaking new ground

and inspiring fervent devotion in its viewers.

The most innovative science fiction program to hit television in decades, Farscape was the show that fans wouldn’t let die. In Farscape Forever! SF authors, scientists and critics celebrate the show’s uniqueness, honesty and willingness to take risks, including:

• SF reviewer and author Justina Robson on fetishism, post-imperialism and the pleasure principle

• Novelist Tee Morris on what would have happened if NASA had been in charge of Project Farscape

• Scientist and author Thomas Easton on how to design your own Moya

• Acclaimed novelist Jim Butcher on why crackers really don’t matter

• Author Roxanne Longstreet Conrad on the best vacation spots in the Uncharted Territories

• Critic Michael Marano on the reason for the show’s remarkable realism: the puppets

• Writer Jeanne Cavelos on the show’s penchant to confound expectations and raise the stakes—and why it just may be the smartest thing any show has ever done

Other contributors include:

The Science in Science Fiction: 83 SF Predictions That Became Scientific Reality
September 2005

Robert W. Bly
Contributing Editor James Gunn

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"Science fiction writers have been making predictions for generations now, and because the accuracy of the forecast is only as good as the quality of the information being used, the predictions have generally been better than those of anyone else’s ..."

—Ben Bova

Many of the most fascinating ideas in science originated not in the laboratory but in the minds of some of the world’s most famous and imaginative science fiction writers. From Robert Heinlein’s prediction of nuclear war to Aldous Huxley’s description of cloning years before Dolly the sheep, science fiction at its most fantastic has served to open the minds of modern-day scientists and continually expand the limits of the field.   

The Science in Science Fiction is the ultimate reference guide to inventions and discoveries that first appeared in science fiction and were later conceived or pursued by the scientific community. From antigravity to parallel universes, from satellites to X-ray vision, The Science in Science Fiction examines these notions, pinpoints their fictional origins and explains how scientists are turning fantasy into reality.

About the Author 

Robert W. Bly is the author of more than 50 books, including The Ultimate Unauthorized Star Trek Quiz Book, Comic Book Heroes: 1,001 Trivia Questions About America’s Favorite Superheroes and The Copywriter’s Handbook: A Step-by-Step Guide to Writing that Sells.

Navigating the Golden Compass: Religion, Science and Daemonology in Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials

August 2005

Edited by Glenn Yeffeth

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About Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials

“Fit for bonfire.” - The Catholic Herald

“This is after all an alternative world, or set of worlds ... What would the church look like, what would it inevitably be, if it believed only in a God who could be rendered powerless and killed and needed unceasing protection? It would be a desperate, repressive tyranny. Pullman’s views are clear; but he is a good enough writer to leave some spaces. This is a church without creation, or redemption, certainly without Christ.”

- Dr. Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury

About Navigating the Golden Compass

From the streets of Lyra’s Oxford to Dr. Mary Malone’s lab, from the Republic of Heaven to the harpy-ruled pit of hell, Navigating the Golden Compass examines every aspect of Pullman’s brilliant fantasy:

• Michael Chabon on truth and lies, literature that lives in the borderlands, and Pullman’s two great inventions: daemons and Dust

• Harry Turtledove considers Occam’s Razor and The Subtle Knife

• Jean Rabe extols the virtues of Mrs. Coulter

• Justin Leiber weighs in on the “Christian Fatwa” heading Pullman’s way ... and volunteers to be his bodyguard

• Dan Moloney asks if Pullman’s atheist agenda gets in the way of his story

• Don DeBrandt makes the case that Pullman’s dark materials are actually psychedelic drugs

• Karen Traviss explores the practical implications of introducing daemons to our world

• Natasha Giardina shows that Pullman breaks the rules by writing a book that isn’t about the superiority of grown-ups

• Gregory Maguire asks if there can be such a thing as temptation in a world where sin has lost its meaning

Other contributors include:

Alias Assumed: Sex, Lies and SD-6
August 2005

Edited by Kevin "Marshall J. Flinkman" Weisman

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From SD-6 to the CIA, from kick-ass costumes and multi-colored wigs to dysfunctional family relationships and undercover office romance, the hit spy drama Alias has won the hearts of savvy viewers everywhere.  With its smart writing, adrenaline fueled plotlines and intricate story arcs, Alias has a complexity well-worth a little government-style interrogation.

Alias Assumed takes a deeper look at the show that’s redefining the spy genre. Topics include:

• Parenting guru Britta Coleman on why shooting your first born just may be the best parenting decision you’ll ever make

• Critic Catherine Tunnacliffe on television’s most provocative love-triangle: Sydney, Vaughn ... and Jack

• Novelist Jody Lynn Nye on the training of a secret agent, a.k.a. why Sydney needs better time management skills

• Television Without Pity’s Erin Dailey on what every girl needs to find romance: subterfuge, brainwashing and an AK-47

• Ex-spook Robert Stokes on how Alias’ CIA measures up to the real thing

• And science writer David Harris on quantum entanglement, the veracity of truth serums and the real likelihood of discovering that your roommate has been replaced by a clone

Other contributors include:

The War of the Worlds: Fresh Perspectives on the H. G. Wells Classic

Includes Original The War of the Worlds Novella

May 2005

Edited by Glenn Yeffeth

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Introduction by Robert Silverberg

H. G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds, one of the great classics of science fiction, is as vivid and powerful today as the day it was written. In this collection, fourteen of science fiction’s greatest talents come together to discuss, with insight and humor, one of science fiction’s most important works.

Essays include:

• “H. G. Wells’ Enduring Mythos of Mars,” in which Stephen Baxter provides the history of man’s investigations of Mars and explains why Wells was right after all 

• “Just Who Were Those Martians, Anyway?” in which Lawrence Watt-Evans explains how ridiculously incompetent the Martians were as interplanetary invaders, and why

• “In Woking’s Image,” in which Mercedes Lackey takes us to a different alien world: Wells’ hometown of Woking during the late 19^th century

• “The Tiniest Assassins,” in which Mike Resnick suggests that Wells gets one tiny thing wrong

• The Hugo-winning “The Soul Selects Her Own Society” (the only reprint in this anthology), in which Connie Willis describes the unfortunate encounter between Emily Dickinson and Wells’ Martians

H. G. Wells is considered by many to be the originator of science fiction as we know it today. A novelist, journalist, sociologist and historian, Wells’ best known works include The Time Machine (1895), The Island of Dr. Moreau (1896), The Invisible Man (1897) and The War of the Worlds (1898).

The Anthology at the End of the Universe: Leading Science Fiction Authors on Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

April 2005

Edited by Glenn Yeffeth

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Douglas Adams’ classic series seems to explain everything there is to know about our universe. But it still leaves some of the most critical questions unanswered…

What is the real meaning of the towel? Why is sanity such a galactic disadvantage? What do Douglas Adams and Margaret Thatcher have in common? Why can’t you program your VCR and how did Adams predict this? What qualities do Ford and Arthur share with Laurel & Hardy?

…until now. The Anthology at the End of the Universe finally answers all of your Hitchhiker’s questions, and probably quite a few that you never even considered.

Contributors include:

• Cory Doctorow on how the Guide really exists, how it works and where to find it

• Lawrence Watt-Evans, who finally provides a satisfactory explanation of Vogon poetry and outlines a history of the truly inept purveyors of art

• Don DeBrandt, who proves that God exists in Adams’ universe, identifies who He is, explains what His plans are and reveals once and for all why He is obsessed with fish

• Jacqueline Carey on the Hitchhiker’s Guide, British humor and “getting it”

• Stephen Baxter on how Adams borrowed the classic tropes of science fiction, returning them twisted, inverted and mangled … so we can never quite view them the same way again

• Mike Byrne, who describes Adams’ almost uncanny foresight of computer design (and mis-design)

• Adam Roberts, who explains the real meaning of 42 and how it answers the pesky question of life, the universe and everything

Other contributors include:

Finding Serenity: Anti-heroes, Lost Shepherds and Space Hookers in Joss Whedon’s Firefly

April 2005

Edited by "Mutant Enemy" screenwriter Jane Espenson

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Firefly’s early demise left fans with a deep sense of loss and plenty of unanswered questions.  From what was wrong with the pilot to what was right with the Reavers, from the use of Chinese to how correspondence between Joss and network executives might have gone, from a philosopher’s perspective on “Objects in Space” to a sex therapist’s analysis of Inara, Finding Serenity is filled with writing as exciting, funny and enthralling as the show itself.

Finding Serenity includes:

• Mercedes Lackey on the nature of freedom in Firefly

• Roxanne Longstreet Conrad on how the crew of Serenity could kick the Enterprise crew’s butts any day

• Leigh Adams Wright on the fate of the ’verse’s Chinese people

• Tanya Huff on Zoe as the ultimate warrior woman

• Michelle Sagara West on television finally getting marriage right

• Kevin M. Sullivan's unofficial glossary of Firefly Chinese

• And Jewel Staite (“Kaylee”) offers a behind-the-scenes insider look and talks about her favorite episodes

Other contributors include:

Jane Espenson wrote the script for the Firefly episode “Shindig,” in addition to the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episodes “Band Candy,” “Earshot,” “Superstar,” “Storytellers” and “Conversations with Dead People.” She has also written for Angel, Deep Space Nine, Ellen, Gilmore Girls, Tru Calling and Star Trek. Espenson has a development deal with 20^th Century Fox Productions writing pilots and dreaming of her own show. She lives in Los Angeles.

What Would Sipowicz Do? Race, Rights and Redemption in NYPD Blue
January 2005

Edited by Glenn Yeffeth

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Taking an entertaining, intelligent look at the culturally influential eleven-year run of NYPD Blue, this examination includes a collection of essays on topics ranging from the series' portrayal of race relations in New York City to Sipowicz's famously thorny demeanor. A media critic, two police psychologists and addiction, interrogation and sex experts (among others!) contribute essays that take an accessible, intelligent look at a show that has redefined the police drama genre.

From insightful analysis of the show's evolution to light-hearted jabs at its quirks, this is a work that will deepen any fan's Blue experience.

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