Firefly lasted but a double handful of episodes and one film, but it created a huge number of Browncoats, fans of the series who were so named for the coat that Firefly a Captain Malcolm Reynolds wore. Oh and Steven Brust, a well- known fantasy writer, wrote the only novel based in this ‘verse, My Own Kind of Freedom: A Firefly Novel. Other than fanfic of which there’s copious amounts, that’s it.
Firefly: A Celebration is massive, nearly five hundred and fifty page book bound in a faux leather covers. It includes uncut scripts of every episodes, production stills, photos, lots of promotional photos not seen before, loving photos of props and costumes, development sketches, interviews with many of the participants including of Joss Whedon, and even a piece of the currency used in that ‘verse.
The publisher says this is ‘nothing short of the Browncoast Bible’ and I’d be hard press to disagree as it’s definitely the only book that fans will need.
I must say the most illuminating aspect this tome are the interviews with cast, crew, and Whedon himself as they give diverse perspectives on the show that you don’t usually get, something one of my favorite sf shows, Farscape, never got. It’s amazing how much everyone remembers fondly their time with Firefly.
(Farscape dud get The Creatures of Farscape book which made me notice that this show has no odd creatures.)
There’s lots more here (not surprising given its size) such as the section on costume design which covers both costumes and the reasons they look like they do; an excellent section on the design of the Serenity spaceship; a nifty look at the weapons used by Jayne including Vera, his knife; and… Oh you get the idea. If there’s something about Firefly that you’re interested in, there’s a good chance that you’ll find it here as there’s hours upon hours of fascinating material here.
If you really like Firefly, than you need this book. It’s that good. And if you’ve got a birthday coming up for a Firefly fan who know, this is the perfect gift.
(Titan Books, 2013)
