Biff Bam Pop’s Holiday Gift Guide – Firefly: A Celebration

Firefly: A Celebration

“A big damn book for big damn heroes.” This book’s back blurb says it all. Okay, my piece here would be pretty short if that was exactly true, so please indulge me and let me tell you why this book makes an ideal gift for that special geek in your life.

In 2002, Joss Whedon’s space-western opera Firefly made its debut on television. Unfortunately, the show was canceled by the powers that be at Fox after eleven of the fourteen produced episodes were aired. Impressive DVD package sales and relentless fan support gave Whedon the opportunity to revist the ‘Verse with the film Serenity in 2005. Unfortunately it didn’t do well enough to garner a sequel. However, the show’s loyal fans, called Browncoats (in honour of the main character’s former allegiances), have done their best over the years to keep the spirit of the show alive.

To be honest, I never saw the show when it first aired. However, I did pick up the DVD set several years ago and tore through them, stunned at the quality of this show. It was a great idea and had a wonderful cast and Fox was too narrow-minded to see its true potential. And seeing the garbage that’s been produced since, you really have to give your head a shake as you wonder why this series was never green-lighted for a second season.

Firefly: A Celebration from Titan Books is a lovely way to revist the show in the wake of its 10th anniversary. Flipping through its 544 glossy pages, it’s a painful reminder of what might have been with a second season. Titans books spared no expense in producing this volume with its eye-catching, foil-stamped faux-leather cover and its sewn binding. It collects the three published Firefly companion books: the official Firefly companions volumes 1 and 2, and Joss Whedon’s Keep Flying.

This book walks you through the entire TV series, including the scripts plus those for the final two unaired episodes. The rare photos, production art, unused story ideas, costume and prop designs, and cast and crew interviews were all nice touches that really added depth to the insight these companions volumes provided. As an exclusive bonus for this edition, there are 9 photo prints of the crew of Serenity, and a facsimile of a banknotes used in the show.

If there’s a sci-fi geek in your life, Firefly: A Celebration will be a treasured gift that they’ll enjoy for years. To close the book, and this article, Josh Whedon leaves his fans with a bit of hope (especially with his recent success on The Avengers movie): “I would never rule it out [on a possible return to Firefly], I love these people.”