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2025 Rainbow Reads Brochures

star wars

May the Fourth Be With You

While most of these listings link by default to a print copy, many are available in other formats (eBook and eAudiobook). Don't forget to check the catalog by title or author if you prefer digital!

From a Certain Point of View: Return of the Jedi (Star Wars) by Olivie Blake; Saladin Ahmed; Charlie Jane Anders; Fran Wilde; Mary Kenney; Mike Chen NATIONAL BESTSELLER * Celebrate the lasting impact of Return of the Jedi with this exciting reimagining of the timeless Star Wars film featuring new perspectives from forty contributors.   On May 25, 1983, Star Wars cemented its legacy as the greatest movie franchise of all time with the release of Return of the Jedi. In honor of its fortieth anniversary, forty storytellers re-create an iconic scene from Return of the Jedi through the eyes of a supporting character, from heroes and villains to droids and creatures. From a Certain Point of View features contributions by bestselling authors and trendsetting artists:   * Olivie Blake provides a chilling glimpse into the mind of Emperor Palpatine. * Saladin Ahmed recounts the tragic history of the rancor trainer. * Charlie Jane Anders explores the life and times of the Sarlacc. * Fran Wilde reveals Mon Mothma's secret mission to save the Rebel Alliance. * Mary Kenney chronicles Wicket the Ewok's quest for one quiet day on the forest moon of Endor. * Anakin Skywalker becomes one with the Force in a gripping tale by Mike Chen.   Plus more hilarious, heartbreaking, and astonishing tales from: Tom Angleberger, K Arsenault Rivera, Kristin Baver, Akemi Dawn Bowman, Emma Mieko Candon, Olivia Chadha, Gloria Chao, Adam Christopher, Paul Crilley, Amal El-Mohtar, M. K. England, Jason Fry, Adam Lance Garcia, Lamar Giles, Max Gladstone, Thea Guanzon, Ali Hazelwood, Patricia A. Jackson, Alex Jennings, Jarrett J. Krosoczka, Sarah Kuhn, Danny Lore, Sarah Glenn Marsh, Kwame Mbalia, Marieke Nijkamp, Danielle Paige, Laura Pohl, Dana Schwartz, Tara Sim, Phil Szostak, Suzanne Walker, Hannah Whitten, Sean Williams, Alyssa Wong   To celebrate the launch of this book, Penguin Random House and Disney/Lucasfilm will each make donations to First Book--a leading nonprofit that provides new books, learning materials, and other essentials to educators and organizations serving children in need. In recognition of both companies' longstanding relationships with First Book, Penguin Random House will donate at least $100,000 worth of books to First Book and Disney/Lucasfilm will donate 100,000 children's books to support First Book and their mission of providing equal access to quality education.
Star Wars Timelines by Kristin Baver; Clayton Sandell; Jason Fry; Cole Horton; Amy Richau Chart the history of Star Wars in this stunning guide, from the time before the High Republic to the end of the First Order. An indispensable companion for all Star Wars fans, this premium quality book displays visual timelines that chronologically map key events, characters, and developments, and mark their significance. Track crucial conflicts across the years that affect the galaxy in profound ways. Follow the Skywalker lightsaber as it passes through the generations and witness the evolution of the iconic TIE fighter across different eras. Trace the movement of the Death Star plans over the years and uncover multiple branching timelines that break down important battles.  See essential events at a glance arranged by era and drill down into details to discover major and minor events, key dates, and fascinating insights all chronologically arranged. Pore over intricate timelines on nearly every page. Soar into Star Wars Timelines to explore: Chronological approach that divides Star Wars history into seven eras: * Early History, The High Republic, The Fall of the Jedi, The Reign of the Empire, The Age of Rebellion, The New Republic, and The Rise of the First Order A must-have addition to the library of all fans of Star Wars, Star Wars Timelines is sure to thrill.
Star Wars Skywalker a Family at War by Kristin Baver
Call Number: 791.4375 Baver
ISBN: 9780744027310
Publication Date: 2021-04-06
William Shakespeare's Star Wars [Series] by Ian Doescher
ISBN: 9781594747137
The first three volumes in this series are parodies of the original Star Wars films. Volume 4 and onward parody the prequel films.
Star Wars Bestiary, Vol. 1 by S. T. Bende; Iris Compiet (Illustrator) Explore the creatures of Star Wars in the first of two books, this one featuring beautiful illustrations of the wondrous non-sentient species from a galaxy far, far away. From Naboo to Hoth, Tatooine to Kashyyyk, and beyond, Star Wars is packed with otherworldly species and monstrous creatures. Dive into the lives, habitats, and behaviors of the non-sentient inhabitants from across the galaxy through original, detailed illustrations and insightful text, to include wampas, banthas, porgs, the fearsome Mythosaur, and so much more. This is a must-have comprehensive compendium for any Star Wars fan who wants a closer look at the fascinating lifeforms from the beloved franchise. ALL-NEW ART: Experience Star Wars in a new way through stunning, original artwork from acclaimed artist Iris Compiet (The Dark Crystal Bestiary: The Definitive Guide to the Creatures of Thra, and Labyrinth: Bestiary - A Definitive Guide to the Creatures of the Goblin King's Realm), featuring your favorite creatures and their habitats. DISCOVER CREATURES FROM ACROSS THE GALAXY: This book includes an in-depth look at the myriad species from the Star Wars galaxy and their habitats, covering creatures from the films, shows, comics, novels, and more. AN IDEAL GIFT: A perfect gift for the Star Wars fans of all ages! AN EPIC ADDITION TO YOUR STAR WARS LIBRARY: A gorgeous volume filled with incredible artwork, Star Wars Bestiary, Vol. 1: Non-sentient Species is an exhaustive exploration of the fantastical creatures of this much-loved galaxy.
The Odyssey of Star Wars by Jack Mitchell A thrilling retelling of the Star Wars saga in the style of classic epic poetry "I look not to myself but to the Force, In which all things arise and fall away." Journey to a galaxy far, far away like never before-through lyrical verse and meter. Like the tales of Odysseus and Beowulf, the adventures of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, Jyn Erso, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Vader, and the Emperor are fraught with legendary battles, iconic heroes, fearsome warriors, sleek ships, and dangerous monsters. Beginning with Rogue One's rebel heist on Scarif to secure the plans to the Death Star and continuing through the climax of Return of the Jedi, author Jack Mitchell uses the ancient literary form of epic poetry to put a new spin on the Star Wars saga. Punctuated with stunning illustrations inspired by the terracotta art of Greek antiquity, The Odyssey of Star Wars: An Epic Poem presents the greatest myth of the 20th century as it would have been told nearly 3,000 years ago.
Star Wars: Knitting the Galaxy by Tanis Gray Featuring 28 projects based on George Lucas's epic film saga, Star Wars: Knitting the Galaxy is the ultimate guide to creating stunning projects inspired by Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Rey, and a whole host of droids, ships, and aliens from a galaxy far, far away.  Bring the power of the Force to your needles with the first official Star Wars knitting pattern book. Featuring 28 knits pictured in gorgeous full-color photography, Star Wars: Knitting the Galaxy includes patterns for toys, apparel, and home decor inspired by your favorite movie moments, characters (both human and alien), droids, ships, and more. Projects range from simple patterns like the Ewok Hood (sized for both children and adults!) to more complex projects like the Darth Vader Pullover. It even includes patterns for knitted replicas of a few iconic costume pieces, such as Luke Skywalker's cropped flight vest from Episode IV A New Hope and Rey's vest and arm warmers from Episode VIII The Last Jedi. With projects for knitters at all levels and a variety of techniques to practice--including stranded colorwork, double-knitting, and lace knitting--Star Wars: Knitting the Galaxy is the perfect book for knitting fans across the galaxy.
Star Wars: the Life Day Cookbook by Jenn Fujikawa; Marc Sumerak Celebrate every Wookiee's favorite holiday--Life Day--with this collection of 50 recipes and crafts inspired by the galaxy's holiday traditions! In this follow-up to Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge: The Official Black Spire Outpost Cookbook, the acclaimed chef Strono "Cookie" Tuggs returns to bring you authentic Life Day recipes from the Wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyk. Guaranteed to help you spread Life Day's message of fellowship and love, this cookbook will be a scrumptious and festive mainstay in your kitchen! * CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAYS WITH STAR WARS: Whether your family is celebrating Life Day at the Tree of Life, or in the comfort of your home, this Life Day cookbook will be the most scrumptious and festive addition to your Star Wars library!  * GREAT FOR ALL SKILL LEVELS: This cookbook will teach chefs of any skill level to prepare delicious appetizers, main courses, beverages, and desserts from planets such as Kashyyyk, Endor, Mon Cala, Alderaan, and beyond. * 50 HOLIDAY RECIPES AND CLEVER CRAFTS: Dozens of mouthwatering recipes, including Bantha Surprise, Wroshyr Bramble, Jelly Life Day Orbs, and Mudhorn Eggnog. Cookie will also show you how to create family-friendly crafts, from your very own Life Day Orbs to Wookiee Robes, that will help you celebrate Life Day, even if you're not on Kashyyyk! * BUILD YOUR STAR WARS COLLECTION: This holiday cookbook stands alongside fan-favorite Star Wars books including Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge: The Official Black Spire Outpost Cookbook, Star Wars: Galactic Baking, and Star Wars: The Lightsaber Collection.
I Find Your Lack of Faith Disturbing by A. D. Jameson A. D. Jameson celebrates the triumph of geekdom in I Find Your Lack of Faith Disturbing, an insightful and irreverent journey through the science fiction, fantasy, and superhero pop-culture cinematic icons whose legions of fans have put them at the top of the box office over and over. Star Wars, Marvel superheroes, The Lord of the Rings--properties that were once supposedly the domain of socially maladroit youth have become mainstream entertainment, enjoyed by enormous audiences and by more than a few film critics too. But there are those commentators who have decried the way in which serious adult cinema has seemingly vanished, with Hollywood dominated by mindless kiddie fare such as tent-pole-event movies, franchises, and endless remakes and reboots.As a lifelong geek, A. D. Jameson blasts through the clichés that have always surrounded pop-culture phenomena: that fans are mindless followers who will embrace all things Spider-Man, regardless of quality; or that the popularity and financial success of nerd cinema represents the death of ambitious film-making. Instead, he makes a case for why genre films are worthy of serious critical attention--and shares his thoughts on where their true flaws lie.Shining a new light on beloved classics, and exploding misconceptions as to their historical and intellectual value, I Find Your Lack of Faith Disturbing explores how the geek inherited the earth.
Strategy Strikes Back by Max Brooks (Editor); John Amble (Editor); M. L. Cavanaugh (Editor); Jaym Gates (Editor); Stanley McChrystal (Foreword by) The most successful film franchise of all time, Star Wars thrillingly depicts an epic multigenerational conflict fought a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. But the Star Wars saga has as much to say about successful strategies and real-life warfare waged in our own time and place. Strategy Strikes Back brings together over thirty of today's top military and strategic experts, including generals, policy advisors, seasoned diplomats, counterinsurgency strategists, science fiction writers, war journalists, and ground‑level military officers, to explain the strategy and the art of war by way of the Star Wars films. Each chapter of Strategy Strikes Back provides a relatable, outside‑the‑box way to simplify and clarify the complexities of modern military conflict. A chapter on the case for planet building on the forest moon of Endor by World War Z author Max Brooks offers a unique way to understand our own sustained engagement in war-ravaged societies such as Afghanistan. Another chapter on the counterinsurgency waged by Darth Vader against the Rebellion sheds light on the logic behind past military incursions in Iraq. Whether using the destruction of Alderaan as a means to explore the political implications of targeting civilians, examining the pivotal decisions made by Yoda and the Jedi Council to differentiate strategic leadership in theory and in practice, or considering the ruthlessness of Imperial leaders to explain the toxicity of top-down leadership in times of war and battle, Strategy Strikes Back gives fans of Star Wars and aspiring military minds alike an inspiring and entertaining means of understanding many facets of modern warfare. It is a book as captivating and enthralling as Star Wars itself.    
The Art of Star Wars: the Last Jedi by Phil Szostak; Rian Johnson (Foreword by) Star Wars: The Force Awakens shattered box-office records as one of the highest-grossing films of all time, and its eagerly awaited sequel, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, is sure to do the same. Written and directed by Rian Johnson (Looper, The Brothers Bloom, Brick) and production designed by Rick Heinrichs (Fargo, The Big Lebowski, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Captain America: The First Avenger), this chapter, like every chapter before it, owes its visual language and fully imagined cinematic landscape to an incomparable art department: the Lucasfilm "visualists." The Art of Star Wars: The Last Jedi explores their vision and illuminates their creative process in stunning detail. Featuring concept art and costume sketches, storyboards, and blueprints, fans will take a deep dive into the development of the fantastic worlds, characters, and creatures - both old and new - of The Last Jedi. Featuring unforgettable art and exclusive interviews with the filmmakers, this visual archive highlights moviemaking magic at its finest.
Star Wars - on the Front Lines by Daniel Wallace OFFICIAL STAR WARS IN-UNIVERSE BOOK FEATURING NOTES ON TACTICS, ARMOR, AND VALOR FROM GALACTIC CONFLICTS IN THE STAR WARS UNIVERSE From the Clone Wars and the Rebellion to the clashes with the First Order, the galaxy is defined by war. Star Wars: On the Front Lines chronicles the tactics, weapons, and armor used in pivotal battles along with acts of valor achieved during the campaign. By focusing on elements of the battles that occurred "off screen," this collection brings the struggles faced by ground soldiers and starfighter pilots to life like never before, placing the reader on the battlelines. With full-spread, classic illustrations that capture the sweeping scale of these historical battles, On the Front Lines brings a fresh look at the forces who fought on the front lines.
The World According to Star Wars by Cass R. Sunstein "Irresistibly charming, acclaimed legal scholar Sunstein writes partly as a rigorous academic and partly as a helpless fanboy as he explores our fascination with Star Wars and what the series can teach us about the law, behavioral economics, history, and even fatherhood. This book is fun, brilliant, and deeply original."--Lee Child The New York Times and Washington Post bestseller, fully revised and updated. There's Santa Claus, Shakespeare, Mickey Mouse, the Bible, and then there's Star Wars. Nothing quite compares to sitting down with a young child and hearing the sound of John Williams's score as those beloved golden letters fill the screen. In this fun, erudite, and often moving book, Cass R. Sunstein explores the lessons of Star Wars as they relate to childhood, fathers, the Dark Side, rebellion, and redemption. As it turns out, Star Wars also has a lot to teach us about constitutional law, economics, and political uprisings. In rich detail, Sunstein tells the story of the films' wildly unanticipated success and explores why some things succeed while others fail. Ultimately, Sunstein argues, Star Wars is about freedom of choice and our never-ending ability to make the right decision when the chips are down. Written with buoyant prose and considerable heart, The World According to Star Wars shines a bright new light on the most beloved story of our time.
The Art of Rogue One by Josh Kushins; Lucasfilm Ltd; Doug Chiang (Foreword by); Neil Lamont (Foreword by); Gareth Edwards (Foreword by) This book is a visual chronicle of the Lucasfilm art department's creation of new worlds, unforgettable characters, and newly imagined droids, vehicles, and weapons for the first movie in the Star Wars Story series - Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. In the same format and style as Abrams' The Art of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the book gives readers unprecedented access to hundreds of concept paintings, sketches, storyboards, matte paintings, and character, costume, and vehicle designs. The Art of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story will stand as the definitive guide to the artwork and imagination behind the newest chapter in the Star Wars franchise and will delight Star Wars fans and cineastes for decades to come. Directed by Gareth Edwards (Godzilla, Monsters), with production design by Doug Chiang and Neil Lamont, Rogue One chronicles the adventures of a Rebel cell tasked with a desperate mission: to steal the plans for the Death Star before it can be used to enforce the Emperor's rule. The all-star cast includes Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Forest Whitaker, Mads Mikkelsen, Alan Tudyk, Riz Ahmed, Ben Mendelsohn, Jiang Wen, and Donnie Yen.
Obsessed with Star Wars by Benjamin Harper In what detention block was Princess Leia held? What was the diameter of the Death Star? Who retrieved C-3P0's head in the Battle of Geonosis? These questions and more will challenge even the most die-hard Star Wars® fans. Now available in paperback, this bestselling trivia book of 2,500 original questions covering little-known facts, entertaining quotes, and tough trivia from Star Wars® Episodes I-VI is the ultimate test for the true Star Wars® devotee. © and TM Lucasfilm Ltd. Used Under Authorization
Star Wars®: Imperial Handbook by Daniel Wallace The exciting next book in the bestselling Jedi/Sith/Bounty Hunter series has arrived! The Empire has taken hold of the galaxy, and high-ranking officials from each branch of the military have created an Imperial Handbook, compiling tactical guidelines and procedures as well as mission reports and classified documents for all newly ascending commanders. This comprehensive manual details secrets of Imperial battle tactics, acceptable actions for bringing swift justice to traitors, and the Emperor's long-term plan for galactic military domination. After the Battle of Endor, this copy of the Imperial Handbook fell into the hands of the Rebel Alliance. Well-known rebels provide a humorous running counter-commentary to the official Imperial propaganda in the form of handwritten annotations in the margins of the pages. © and TM Lucasfilm Ltd. Used Under Authorization
Picker's Pocket Guide - Star Wars Toys by Mark Bellomo Use The Force! Released in 1977, the movie Star Wars: A New Hope changed pop culture forever. The accompanying toys became a global phenomenon and are now the most hotly pursued toys in the galaxy. How hot? A Boba Fett action figure or Cloud City Playset in mint condition can be worth thousands of dollars to collectors. Learn the secrets of the universe with this hands-on, how-to guide to picking Star Wars toys. Fun, informative and easy to use, this indispensable pocket guide is more powerful than a fully operational Death Star. You'll Uncover:    * Professional and practical strategies for finding valuable Star Wars toys    * Coverage of action figures, vehicles, accessories, and playsets    * Hundreds of detailed and beautiful color images to enhance your experience    * How to price and evaluate Star Wars items Whether for pleasure or profit, the Picker's Pocket Guide is a real find.
How Star Wars Conquered the Universe by Chris Taylor In 1973, a young filmmaker named George Lucas scribbled some notes for a far-fetched space-fantasy epic. Some forty years and 37 billion later,Star Wars-related products outnumber human beings, a growing stormtrooper army spans the globe, and "Jediism" has become a religion in its own right. Lucas's creation has grown into far more than a cinematic classic; it is, quite simply, one of the most lucrative, influential, and interactive franchises of all time. Yet incredibly, until now the complete history ofStar Wars--its influences and impact, the controversies it has spawned, its financial growth and long-term prospects--has never been told. InHow Star Wars Conquered the Universe, veteran journalist Chris Taylor traces the series from the difficult birth of the original film through its sequels, the franchise's death and rebirth, the prequels, and the preparations for a new trilogy. Providing portraits of the friends, writers, artists, producers, and marketers who labored behind the scenes to turn Lucas's idea into a legend, Taylor also jousts with modern-day Jedi, tinkers with droid builders, and gets inside Boba Fett's helmet, all to find out howStar Wars has attracted and inspired so many fans for so long. Since the first film's release in 1977, Taylor shows,Star Wars has conquered our culture with a sense of lightness and exuberance, while remaining serious enough to influence politics in far-flung countries and spread a spirituality that appeals to religious groups and atheists alike. Controversial digital upgrades and poorly received prequels have actually made the franchise stronger than ever. Now, with a savvy new set of bosses holding the reins andEpisode VII on the horizon, it looks likeStar Wars is just getting started. An energetic, fast-moving account of this creative and commercial phenomenon,How Star Wars Conquered the Universe explains how a young filmmaker's fragile dream beat out a surprising number of rivals to gain a diehard, multigenerational fan base--and why it will be galvanizing our imaginations and minting money for generations to come.
Death Star Owner's Technical Manual: Star Wars by Ryder Windham; Chris Reiff; Chris Trevas Conceived as the Empire's ultimate weapon, the Death Star battle station is equipped with a planet-shattering superlaser. The station is heavily shielded, defended by TIE starfighters and laser cannons, and invested with firepower greater than that of half the Imperial fleet. The Empire's diabolical leaders have every reason to believe that their technological terror will induce fear across the galaxy. But the Death Star has one flaw.   This Haynes Manual traces the origins of the Death Star, from concept to a top-secret project that begins before the foundation of the Empire, which draws design inspiration from the Trade Federation's spherical warships. In this manual, the Death Star's onboard systems and controls are explained in detail, and are illustrated with an astonishing range of computer-generated artwork, floor plans, cutaways, and exploded diagrams, all newly created by artists Chris Reiff and Chris Trevas--the same creative team behind the Millennium Falcon Owner's Workshop Manual. Text is by their Falcon colleague Ryder Windham, author of more than fifty Star Wars books.   Covering history, development and prototyping, superstructure, energy and propulsion, weapons and defensive systems, hangar bays, security, service and technical sectors, crew facilities, and with information about the Death Star II and its planetary shield generator, this is the most thorough technical guide to the Death Star available.   This Haynes Manual is fully authorized and approved by Lucasfilm. Praise for Death Star Owner's Technical Manual   "As an all-in-one resource for the Death Star, the Death Star Owner's Technical Manual is the book to turn to. It's a wealth of information on one of the most iconic ships from the Star Wars films."--Roqoo Depot   "For a casual fan, there's all sorts of neat trivia that will keep anyone's attention. For a fleet junkie, the book is a huge wealth of knowledge that you'll come back to scan again and again. The Haynes Death Star Owner's Technical Manual is a fun and brilliant read. Go pick it up."--Tosche Station
The Essential Reader's Companion: Star Wars by Darren Tan (Illustrator); Pablo Hidalgo; Chris Trevas (Illustrator); Jeff Carlisle (Illustrator); Brian Rood (Illustrator) THE DEFINITIVE WORD ON STAR WARS FICTION   The legendary motion picture Star Wars has spawned two big-screen sequels and three prequels--and decades of bestselling fiction. From the original movie tie-in novel through the monumental Fate of the Jedi series, legions of devoted readers have helped expand science fiction's most celebrated film saga into a page-turning print sensation. Now, for the first time, a comprehensive overview of these sweeping Star Wars adventures is presented in one beautifully illustrated volume.   Star Wars: The Essential Reader's Companion spans the entire galaxy of published Star Wars fiction--movie novelizations, original stand alone and series novels, short stories, eBook novellas, young adult titles, and comics--and features:   * a concise synopsis of each story, including key characters and planets * exclusive behind-the-scenes facts and anecdotes about authors, plot and character development, continuity notes, and significance in the Star Wars Expanded Universe * details on which novels are linked to Star Wars comic books from Dark Horse and Marvel * a chronological listing of titles, spanning the 25,000-year history of the Star Wars universe and placing each story in its proper context * more than one hundred full-color original paintings throughout by some of fans' favorite  artists   Whether skimming through fateful eras from the Old Republic to the New Jedi Order; delving deep into the ancient history of the Lost Tribe of the Sith or the tumultuous Clone Wars; crossing paths--and lightsabers--with Dark Lords such as Plagueis or Bane, Sidious or Vader; helming the Millennium Falcon with Han Solo; or mastering the Force with Luke Skywalker, this one-of-a-kind, one-stop reference is a must for fans looking to maximize their knowledge of the sprawling Star Wars Expanded Universe.
The Making of Star Wars: the Empire Strikes Back by J. W. Rinzler; Ridley Scott (Foreword by) In this lavish fortieth-anniversary tribute to the blockbuster film Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back, New York Times bestselling author J. W. Rinzler draws back the curtain to reveal the intense drama and magnificent wizardry behind the hit movie--arguably the fan favorite of the Star Wars Saga.   Following his The Making of Star Wars, the author has once again made use of his unlimited access to the Lucasfilm Archives and its hidden treasures of previously unpublished interviews, photos, artwork, and production mementos. The result is a comprehensive behind-the-scenes, up-close-and-personal look at the trials and triumphs, risks and close calls, inspiration, perspiration, and imagination that went into every facet of this cinematic masterpiece. Here's the inside scoop on:   * the evolution of the script, from story conference and treatment to fifth draft, as conceived, written, and rewritten by George Lucas, famed science-fiction author Leigh Brackett, and screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan * the development of new key characters, including roguish hero Lando Calrissian, sinister bounty hunter Boba Fett, and iconic Jedi Master Yoda * the challenges of shooting the epic ice planet battle in the frozen reaches of Norway and of conjuring up convincing creatures and craft--from tauntauns and snowspeeders to Imperial walkers * the construction of a life-sized Millennium Falcon and the swamp planet Dagobah inside a specially built soundstage in Elstree Studios * the technique behind master Muppeteer Frank Oz's breathing life into the breakthrough character Yoda * the creation of the new, improved Industrial Light & Magic visual effects facility and the founding of the now-legendary Skywalker Ranch   In addition, of course, are rare on-the-scene interviews with all the major players: actors Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and David Prowse; director Irvin Kershner; producer Gary Kurtz; effects specialists Richard Edlund, Dennis Muren, Ken Ralston, and Phil Tippett; composer John Williams; and many others. Punctuating the epic account is a bounty of drawings, storyboards, and paintings by Ralph McQuarrie, Joe Johnston, and Ivor Beddoes, along with classic and rare production photos. An added bonus is a Foreword by acclaimed director Ridley Scott.   The Making of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back is a fittingly glorious celebration of an undisputed space-fantasy movie milestone. Search your feelings, you know it to be true.
The Complete Vader: Star Wars Legends by Ryder Windham; Peter Vilmur Star Wars: The Complete Vader is the definitive book on the history, myth, and cultural impact of Darth Vader. From his early development in the first Star Wars film by George Lucas, to the new legends created in comics, videogames, and novels, to his ongoing appearances on everything from television commercials to bedspreads, Vader presents a complete view in all his incarnations as the Dark Lord of the Sith. Going beyond the films to cover his further adventures in the Star Wars Expanded Universe, the book combines new insight with exclusive interviews and photographs from the Lucasfilm Archives. Interactive reproductions of rare memorabilia fire the imagination, while pages packed with never-seen-before images explore the world's endless fascination with the notorious Darth Vader.
The Making of Star Wars by J. W. Rinzler; Peter Jackson (Foreword by) In May, 1977, the release of Star Wars changed movies forever. Now to commemorate the film's 30th anniversary, Rinzler presents the exclusive, official, never-before-in-print story behind the original movie, with a new interview with George Lucas, along with new material from the Lucasfilm archives that has literally been shelved for years.
Wildlife of Star Wars by Terryl Whitlatch; Bob Carrau Now in paperback, this deluxe field guide offers a unique look at the creatures that populate the Star Wars galaxy. Packed with hundreds of detailed and colorful illustrations of exotic entities in a wide array of habitats--from the ice fields of Hoth and the pastures of Naboo to the concrete jungle of Coruscant--this entertaining and comprehensive classic also provides information on the mating habits, feeding patterns, and defense mechanisms of these incredible beasts.
A Guide to the Star Wars Universe by Bill Slavicsek How did Exar Kun nearly destroy Luke Skywalker's Jedi academy? When did Han Solo first meet Chewbacca and Lando Calrissian? Where was Mara Jade when the Emperor died? What are the secrets of the terrible super weapons--the Death Stars, the Sun Crusher, and the World Devastators? What are the Qom Qae? How powerful is the Black Sun criminal organization? Looking for facts about the characters, starships, weaponry, droids, alien species, and historic battles in the most amazing adventure of them all? From airspeeders to N-1 starfighters, Coruscant to Tatooine, Nom Anor to Leia Organa--you'll find the whole universe of Star Wars covered here- The original Star Wars trilogy movies The novels--from Star Wars to Vector Prime The animated TV series Droids and Ewoks National Public Radio dramatizations Young Adult novels The Star Wars comic-books Role-playing books Video games and CD-ROMs . . . plus sourcebooks, storybooks, sketchbooks, portfolios, and more! Featuring new material on Star Wars- Episode I The Phantom Menace . . . the latest Star Wars series- The New Jedi Order . . . and the entire thrilling saga!

Booklist of the Month APAHM

May is Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month

A celebration of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States! Like most commemorative months, Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month originated with Congress - in 1992, Congress passed Public Law 102-450, which annually designated May as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month. The month of May was chosen to commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese to the United States on May 7, 1843, and to mark the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. The majority of the workers who laid the tracks were Chinese immigrants.

Between Harlem and Heaven : Afro Asian American Cooking For Big Nights, Weeknights, and Every Day by Alexander Smalls; J. J. Johnson; Veronica Chambers
How to American by Jimmy O. Yang; Mike Judge (Foreword by)
Hawker Fare by James Syhabout; John Birdsall
Eye Level by Jenny Xie FINALIST FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FOR POETRY Winner of the Walt Whitman Award of the Academy of American Poets, selected by Juan Felipe Herrera For years now, I've been using the wrong palette. Each year with its itchy blue, as the bruise of solitude reaches its expiration date. Planes and buses, guesthouse to guesthouse. I've gotten to where I am by dint of my poor eyesight, my overreactive motion sickness. 9 p.m., Hanoi's Old Quarter: duck porridge and plum wine. Voices outside the door come to a soft boil. --from "Phnom Penh Diptych: Dry Season" Jenny Xie's award-winning debut,Eye Level, takes us far and near, to Phnom Penh, Corfu, Hanoi, New York, and elsewhere, as we travel closer and closer to the acutely felt solitude that centers this searching, moving collection. Animated by a restless inner questioning, these poems meditate on the forces that moor the self and set it in motion, from immigration to travel to estranging losses and departures. The sensual worlds here--colors, smells, tastes, and changing landscapes--bring to life questions about the self as seer andthe self as seen. As Xie writes, "Me? I'm just here in my traveler's clothes, trying on each passing town for size." Her taut, elusive poems exult in a life simultaneously crowded and quiet, caught in between things and places, and never quite entirely at home. Xie is a poet of extraordinary perception--both to the tangible world and to "all that is untouchable as far as the eye can reach."
All You Can Ever Know by Nicole Chung
The Making of Asian America by Erika Lee
Heroine Complex by Sarah Kuhn
The English Problem by Beena Kamlani A young Indian man is tapped to help his country's fight for freedom-but his heart engages him in a different war. "Grand, sweeping, mesmerizing . . . a richly detailed, politically profound story of love, of migration, of individuals caught up in the great convulsions of history."-Joseph O'Neill, PEN/Faulkner Award-winning author of Godwin Shiv Advani is an eighteen-year-old growing up in India. But he is no ordinary young man. Shiv has been personally chosen by Mahatma Gandhi to come to England, learn their laws, and then return home and help drive the British out of India. Before he leaves, his family insists he fulfill his arranged marriage, and he is hastily betrothed to a young woman he hardly knows. He arrives in London and soon discovers a world he is both repelled by and drawn to. Shiv knows his duty- get in, learn the letter of the law, get out. But as anyone who has ever lived in a British colony can tell you, "the English Problem" is multifaceted. The racist colonialism of "the empire on which the sun never sets" seeps into everything-not just landed territories, but territories of the mind- literature, language, religion, sexuality, self-identity. Soon the people Shiv sought to be liberated from will be the people he desperately wants to be a part of. In the end, Shiv must fight not only for his country's liberation but also his own. Set against the backdrop of the Indian independence movement, with appearances by historical figures such as Virginia and Leonard Woolf and Mahatma Gandhi, The English Problem is so self-assured and ambitious, it is hard to believe it is a debut.
Big Little Man by Alex Tizon
The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston
The Future is Asian: Commerce, Conflict and Culture in the 21st Century by Parag Khanna
Call Number: eAudiobook
The Souls of Yellow Folk by Wesley Yang; David Shih (Narrated by)
Call Number: eAudiobook
The Latinos of Asia by Anthony Christian Ocampo
Un-American by Richard Cahan; Michael Williams; Dorothea Lange (Photographer)
Saving Five by Amanda Nguyen An Instant New York Times Bestseller and a New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice. Natalie Portman's Book Club Pick for March. "Amanda's story--innovatively told by versions of herself at different ages--underscores the lasting power of speaking your truth, building a movement, and never losing sight of your dreams." --Melinda French Gates "In Saving Five, Amanda Nguyen shows us how to reclaim the full spectrum of our lives, replete with pain, fury, creativity, and recovered dreams." --Chanel Miller, author of Know My Name A brave and imaginative memoir by the Nobel Peace Prize nominee Amanda Nguyen, detailing her healing journey and groundbreaking activism in the aftermath of her rape at Harvard. In 2013, the trajectory of Amanda Nguyen's life was changed forever when she was raped at Harvard. Determined to not let her assault derail her goal of joining NASA after graduation, Nguyen opted for her rape kit to be filed under "Jane Doe." But she was shocked to learn her choice to stay anonymous gave her only six months to take action before the state destroyed her kit, rendering any future legal action impossible. Nguyen knew then that she had two options: surrender to a law that effectively denied her justice, or fight for a change--not only for herself but for survivors everywhere. A heart-wrenching memoir of survival and hope, Saving Five boldly braids the story of Nguyen's activism--which resulted in Congress's unanimous passage of the Sexual Assault Survivors' Rights Act in 2016--with a second, beautifully imagined adventure, of Nguyen's younger selves as they--at ages five, fifteen, twenty-two, and thirty--navigate through dramatic incarnations of the emotional stages of her path toward healing, not only from her rape but from the violent turmoil of her childhood. The result is a groundbreaking work that seamlessly blends memoir with a moving journey toward acceptance and hope, forging a path ahead that is as inspiring as it is instructive. From one of the most influential activists (and now astronauts) of her time, Saving Five is at once a tribute to resilience, a celebration of healing through action, and a resounding cry to change the world.
Polite Lies by Kyoko Mori
The Song Poet by Kao Kalia Yang
Home Remedies by Xuan Juliana Wang
In the Country by Mia Alvar
Homeseeking: a GMA Book Club Pick by Karissa Chen A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK "Homeseeking is about the love of home and family, even against unimaginable circumstances...[A] sweeping epic." --Good Housekeeping "Fans of historical fiction will want to pick up this exceptional novel immediately." --Los Angeles Times From WWII to 2008, this deeply moving story follows one couple across sixty years as world events pull them together and apart, illuminating the Chinese diaspora and exploring what it means to find home far from your homeland. Haiwen is buying bananas at a 99 Ranch Market in Los Angeles when he looks up and sees Suchi, his Suchi, for the first time in sixty years. To recently widowed Haiwen it feels like a second chance, but Suchi has only survived by refusing to look back. Suchi was seven when she first met Haiwen in their Shanghai neighborhood, drawn by the sound of his violin. Their childhood friendship blossomed into soul-deep love, but when Haiwen secretly enlisted in the Nationalist army in 1947 to save his brother from the draft, she was left with just his violin and a note: Forgive me. Homeseeking follows the separated lovers through six decades of tumultuous Chinese history as war, famine, and opportunity take them separately to the song halls of Hong Kong, the military encampments of Taiwan, the bustling streets of New York, and sunny California, telling Haiwen's story from the present to the past while tracing Suchi's from her childhood to the present, meeting in the crucible of their lives. Throughout, Haiwen holds his memories close while Suchi forces herself to look only forward, neither losing sight of the home they hold in their hearts. At once epic and intimate, Homeseeking is a story of family, sacrifice, and loyalty, and of the power of love to endure beyond distance, beyond time.
Forgotten Country by Catherine Chung
The Reeducation of Cherry Truong by Aimee Phan
The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui National bestseller 2017 National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) Finalist ABA Indies Introduce Winter / Spring 2017 Selection Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Spring 2017 Selection ALA 2018 Notable Books Selection An intimate and poignant graphic novel portraying one family's journey from war-torn Vietnam, from debut author Thi Bui.   This beautifully illustrated and emotional story is an evocative memoir about the search for a better future and a longing for the past. Exploring the anguish of immigration and the lasting effects that displacement has on a child and her family, Bui documents the story of her family's daring escape after the fall of South Vietnam in the 1970s, and the difficulties they faced building new lives for themselves.   At the heart of Bui's story is a universal struggle: While adjusting to life as a first-time mother, she ultimately discovers what it means to be a parent--the endless sacrifices, the unnoticed gestures, and the depths of unspoken love. Despite how impossible it seems to take on the simultaneous roles of both parent and child, Bui pushes through. With haunting, poetic writing and breathtaking art, she examines the strength of family, the importance of identity, and the meaning of home.   In what Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Viet Thanh Nguyen calls "a book to break your heart and heal it," The Best We Could Dobrings to life Thi Bui's journey of understanding, and provides inspiration to all of those who search for a better future while longing for a simpler past.
Where the Dead Pause, and the Japanese Say Goodbye by Marie Mutsuki Mockett
The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen The winner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, as well as seven other awards,The Sympathizer is the breakthrough novel of the year. With the pace and suspense of a thriller and prose that has been compared to Graham Greene and Saul Bellow,The Sympathizer is a sweeping epic of love and betrayal. The narrator, a communist double agent, is a "man of two minds," a half-French, half-Vietnamese army captain who arranges to come to America after the Fall of Saigon, and while building a new life with other Vietnamese refugees in Los Angeles is secretly reporting back to his communist superiors in Vietnam.The Sympathizer is a blistering exploration of identity and America, a gripping espionage novel, and a powerful story of love and friendship.
The Collective by Don Lee In 1988, Eric Cho, an aspiring writer, arrives at Macalester College. On his first day he meets a beautiful fledgling painter, Jessica Tsai, and another would-be novelist, the larger-than-life Joshua Yoon. Brilliant, bawdy, generous, and manipulative, Joshua alters the course of their lives, rallying them together when they face an adolescent act of racism. As adults in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the three friends reunite as the 3AC, the Asian American Artists Collective--together negotiating the demands of art, love, commerce, and idealism until another racially tinged controversy hits the headlines, this time with far greater consequences. Long after the 3AC has disbanded, Eric reflects on these events as he tries to make sense of Joshua's recent suicide.With wit, humor, and compassion, The Collective explores the dream of becoming an artist, and questions whether the reality is worth the sacrifice.
Lucky Boy by Shanthi Sekaran Solimar Castro-Valdez is eighteen and drunk on optimism when she embarks on a perilous journey across the US/Mexican border. Weeks later she arrives on her cousin's doorstep in Berkeley, CA, dazed by first love found then lost, and pregnant. This was not the plan. But amid the uncertainty of new motherhood and her American identity, Soli learns that when you have just one precious possession, you guard it with your life. For Soli, motherhood becomes her dwelling and the boy at her breast her hearth. Kavya Reddy has always followed her heart, much to her parents' chagrin. A mostly contented chef at a UC Berkeley sorority house, the unexpected desire to have a child descends like a cyclone in Kavya's mid-thirties. When she can't get pregnant, this desire will test her marriage, it will test her sanity, and it will set Kavya and her husband, Rishi, on a collision course with Soli, when she is detained and her infant son comes under Kavya's care. As Kavya learns to be a mother-the singing, story-telling, inventor-of-the-universe kind of mother she fantasized about being-she builds her love on a fault line, her heart wrapped around someone else's child. Lucky Boy is an emotional journey that will leave you certain of the redemptive beauty of this world. There are no bad guys in this story, no single obvious hero. Sekaran has taken real life and applied it to fiction; the results are moving and revelatory.
Mad Country by Samrat Upadhyay Samrat Upadhyay's new collection vibrates at the edges of intersecting cultures. Journalists in Kathmandu are targeted by the government. A Nepali man studying in America drops out of school and finds himself a part of the unrest in Ferguson, Missouri. A white American woman moves to Nepal and changes her name. A Nepali man falls in love with a mysterious foreign black woman. A rich kid is caught up in his own fantasies of poverty and bank robbery. In the title story, a powerful woman, the owner of a construction company, becomes a political prisoner, and in stark and unflinching prose we see both her world and her mind radically remade. Through the course of the stories in this collection, Upadhyay builds new modes of seeing our interconnected contemporary world. A collection of formal inventiveness, heartbreak and hope, it reaffirms Upadhyay's position as one or our most important chroniclers of globalization and exile.
Finding Samuel Lowe by Paula Williams Madison Spanning four generations and moving between New York, Jamaica, and China, a powerful memoir that is a universal story of one woman's search for her maternal grandfather and the key to her self-identity. Thanks to her spiteful, jealous Jamaican mother, Nell Vera Lowe was cut off from her Chinese father, Samuel, when she was just a baby, after he announced he was taking a Chinese bride. By the time Nell was old enough to travel to her father's shop in St. Ann's Bay, he'd taken his family back to China, never learning what became of his eldest daughter. Bereft, Nell left Jamaica for New York to start a new life. But her Asian features set her apart from her Harlem neighbors and even her own children--a difference that contributed to her feeling of loneliness and loss which she instilled in her only daughter, Paula. Years later, with a successful corporate career behind her and the arrival of her only grandchild raising questions about family and legacy, Paula decided to search for Samuel Lowe's descendants in China. With the support of her brothers and the help of encouraging strangers, Paula eventually pieced together the full story of her grandfather's life, following his story from China to Jamaica and back, and connecting with 300 surprised relatives who were overjoyed to meet her. Finding Samuel Lowe is a remarkable journey about one woman's path to self-discovery. It is a story about love and devotion that transcends time and race, and a beautiful reflection of the power of family and the interconnectedness of our world. Finding Samuel Lowe includes a 16-page black-and-white photo insert and photos in the text.
I Leave It up to You by Jinwoo Chong From the award-winning author of Flux comes "an endearing novel about second chances" (The Washington Post), with wise insights into love, family, and the art of sushi. "Wise and poignant [with] mouthwatering descriptions of food . . . I Leave It Up to You is about finding--or rediscovering--the people who make hardship worth enduring."--Bobby Finger, The New York Times Book Review A coma can change a man, but the world Jack Jr. awakens to is one he barely recognizes. His advertising job is history, his Manhattan apartment is gone, and the love of his life has left him behind. He's been asleep for two years; with no one to turn to, he realizes it's been ten years since he last saw his family. Lost and disoriented, he makes a reluctant homecoming back to the bustling Korean American enclave of Fort Lee, New Jersey; back into the waiting arms of his parents, who are operating under the illusion that he never left; and back to Joja, their ever-struggling sushi restaurant that he was set to inherit before he ran away from it all. As he steps back into the life he abandoned--learning his Appa's life lessons over crates of tuna on bleary-eyed 4 a.m. fish runs, doling out amberjack behind the omakase counter while his Umma tallies the night's pitiful number of customers, and sparring with his recovering alcoholic brother, James--he embraces new roles, too: that of romantic interest to the nurse who took care of him, and that of sage (but underqualified) uncle to his gangly teenage nephew. There is value in the joyous rhythms of this once-abandoned life. But second chances are an even messier business than running a restaurant, and the lure of a self-determined path might, once again, prove too hard to resist.
Bright Lines by Tanwi Nandini Islam Short-listed for the 2015 Center for Fiction First Novel Prize For as long as she can remember, Ella has longed to feel at home. Orphaned as a child after her parents' murder, and afflicted with hallucinations at dusk, she's always felt more at ease in nature than with people. She traveled from Bangladesh to Brooklyn to live with the Saleems: her uncle Anwar, aunt Hashi, and their beautiful daughter, Charu, her complete opposite. One summer, when Ella returns home from college, she discovers Charu's friend Maya - an Islamic cleric's runaway daughter - asleep in her bedroom. As the girls have a summer of clandestine adventure and sexual awakenings, Anwar - owner of a popular botanical apothecary - has his own secrets, threatening his thirty-year marriage. But when tragedy strikes, the Saleems find themselves blamed. To keep his family from unraveling, Anwar takes them on a fated trip to Bangladesh, to reckon with the past, their extended family, and each other. 'A Brooklyn-by-way-of-Bangladesh Royal Tenenbaums. A pot-tinged, PTSD Muslim Sesame Street. With sex. Hallucinations, hijabs and handlebars on the always-busy Atlantic Avenue. The New York sense of place inBright Lines rivals the recent memory of Teju Cole's Open City.' The Denver Post 'Tanwi Nandini Islam makes waves with her debut novel, which traverses from Bangladesh to Brooklyn exploring the secrets of three young women.' Time Magazine 'The miracles in Bright Lines are the understated moments of family telepathy . . . An understated queer coming-of-age, a study of how much work it is to be a family, and a snapshot of a disappearing Brooklyn, set against the ghosts of the past, and a search for home.' NPR.org 'A family, blended in unexpectedly compassionate ways, takes you on a tour of Brooklyn's Atlantic Avenue, Bangladesh, and all the ways we make our lives more complicated than they ever had to be. For many of Islam's well-crafted characters, home is a place they've never actually been, but somehow dream to return to someday.' Ashley Ford, Elle.com 'Vivid and captivating . . . Spell-binding and a page turner . . . Bright Lines takes place in a Brooklyn that shimmers like a mirage - at once vivid and surreal . . . A very promising debut that explores family, love, loss, and the painful process of growing up in a way that is both timeless and modern.' Emma Cueto, Bustle 'Tanwi Nandini Islam has given Zadie Smith's White Teeth an American cousin where the characters of Bangladeshi origin are situated in America (Brooklyn to be exact) and not London. It's a story of immigrants and their children, family secrets, and feeling like a stranger in a place you're told is home. It's a damn fine first book - easily one of the best debuts of the year.' Jason Diamond, Electric Literature
Diamond Head by Cecily Wong A sweeping debut, crossing from China to Hawaii, that follows three generations of a wealthy dynasty whose rise and decline is riddled with secrets and tragic love—from a young, powerful new voice in fiction Frank Leong, a prominent shipping industrialist and head of the celebrated Leong family, brings his loved ones from China to Hawaii at the turn of the twentieth century, abandoning his interests at the port of Tsingtao when the Japanese invade. But something ancient follows the Leongs to the islands, haunting them—the parable of the red string of fate. According to Chinese legend, the red string binds one to her intended beloved, but also punishes for mistakes in love, twisting any misstep into a destructive knot that passes down through generations. When Frank Leong is murdered on Oahu, his family is thrown into a perilous downward spiral. Left to rebuild in their patriarch's shadow, the surviving Leongs attempt a new, ordinary life, vowing to bury their gilded past. Still, the island continues to whisper—fragmented pieces of truth and chatter—until a letter arrives two decades later, carrying a confession that shatters the family even further. Now the Leongs' survival rests with young Theresa, Frank's only grandchild. Eighteen and pregnant, Theresa holds the answers to her family's mysteries and is left to carry the burden of their mistakes. On the day of her father's funeral, as the Leongs gather to mourn the loss of their firstborn son, Theresa must decide what stories to tell, with whom to side, and which knots will endure for another generation. Told through the eyes of the Leongs' secret-keeping daughters and wives—and spanning the Boxer Rebellion, Pearl Harbor, and 1960s Hawaii—Diamond Head is an exploration of whether there's such a thing as a legacy of the heart. Passionate and devastating, it is a story filled with love, lies, loss, and—most astounding of all—hope.

goth

World Goth Day is May 22

While most of these listings link by default to a print copy, many are available in other formats (eBook and eAudiobook). Don't forget to check the catalog by title or author if you prefer digital!

Goth by Michael Bibby (Editor); Lauren M. E. Goodlad (Editor) Since it first emerged from Britain's punk-rock scene in the late 1970s, goth subculture has haunted postmodern culture and society, reinventing itself inside and against the mainstream. Goth: Undead Subculture is the first collection of scholarly essays devoted to this enduring yet little examined cultural phenomenon. Twenty-three essays from various disciplines explore the music, cinema, television, fashion, literature, aesthetics, and fandoms associated with the subculture. They examine goth's many dimensions--including its melancholy, androgyny, spirituality, and perversity--and take readers inside locations in Los Angeles, Austin, Leeds, London, Buffalo, New York City, and Sydney. A number of the contributors are or have been participants in the subculture, and several draw on their own experiences. The volume's editors provide a rich history of goth, describing its play of resistance and consumerism; its impact on class, race, and gender; and its distinctive features as an "undead" subculture in light of post-subculture studies and other critical approaches. The essays include an interview with the distinguished fashion historian Valerie Steele; analyses of novels by Anne Rice, Poppy Z. Brite, and Nick Cave; discussions of goths on the Internet; and readings of iconic goth texts from Bram Stoker's Dracula to James O'Barr's graphic novel The Crow. Other essays focus on gothic music, including seminal precursors such as Joy Division and David Bowie, and goth-influenced performers such as the Cure, Nine Inch Nails, and Marilyn Manson. Gothic sexuality is explored in multiple ways, the subjects ranging from the San Francisco queercore scene of the 1980s to the increasing influence of fetishism and fetish play. Together these essays demonstrate that while its participants are often middle-class suburbanites, goth blurs normalizing boundaries even as it appears as an everlasting shadow of late capitalism. Contributors: Heather Arnet, Michael Bibby, Jessica Burstein, Angel M. Butts, Michael du Plessis, Jason Friedman, Nancy Gagnier, Ken Gelder, Lauren M. E. Goodlad, Joshua Gunn, Trevor Holmes, Paul Hodkinson, David Lenson, Robert Markley, Mark Nowak, Anna Powell, Kristen Schilt, Rebecca Schraffenberger, David Shumway, Carol Siegel, Catherine Spooner, Lauren Stasiak, Jeffrey Andrew Weinstock
Goth Culture by Dunja Brill; Joanne B. Eicher (Series edited by) Goth Culture explores Goths' expressive practices of dress, fashion, style and the body, in relation to issues of identity and representation. The book shares vivid accounts of the author's experiences exploring gender and sexuality and doing fieldwork in the Gothic subculture. Through the voices of Goths from the UK, US and Germany, it draws the reader into the gender-bending and heavily gendered world of Goth. It reassesses the significance of the dress of both male and female Goths, examining these striking and often highly creative subcultural fashion displays. Using a wide range of methods and sources, from ethnography to critical examination of music, literature, social theory and different types of popular media, Goth Culture offers an original and accessible analysis of the fashion, media and counterculture of the Gothic world.
Goth Chic by Gavin Baddeley Goth Chic is the first book to properly explore Gothic culture in the modern world. Gavin Baddeley unearths hidden gems from the underground alongside better-known manifestations, including horror comics, fetish clubs, Goth-rock superstars and vampire cultists. The result is a book that provides a peerless primer for Gothic culture novices and an incisive analysis to challenge and compel even the most seasoned veteran of this dark underworld.
Encyclopedia Gothica by Liisa Ladouceur; Gary Pullin (Illustrator) Encyclopedia Gothica is a guide to the language of that shadowiest of subcultures: modern Goths. It collects and defines more than 550 words and phrases used by these children of the night so that readers too can engage in conversations about Deathhawks and Rivetheads and who is more Ubergoth: Bela Lugosi or Robert Smith. With its Goth Band Family Tree and appendices of essential listening, reading and viewing, it's far more than a dictionary - it's an Encyclopedia Gothica!
Gothic Charm School by Jillian Venters An essential, fully illustrated guidebook to day-to-day Goth living There's more to being a Goth than throwing on some black velvet, dyeing your hair, and calling it a day (or a night). How do you dress with morbid flair when going to a job interview Is there such a thing as growing too old to be a Goth How do you explain to your grandma that it's not just a phase Jillian Venters, a.k.a. "the Lady of the Manners," knows how to be strange and unusual without sacrificing politeness and etiquette. In Gothic Charm School, she offers the quintessential guide to dark decorum for all those who have ever searched for beauty in dark, unexpected places, embraced their individuality, and reveled in decadence . . . and for families and friends who just don't understand.

The Goth Canon

from a list on Book Riot

Complete Poems by Charles Baudelaire; Walter Martin (Afterword by) Including all poems published in the previous three editions, this comprehensive new translation of  Baudelaire's poetry is both vivid and authoritative. This dual-language volume presents both the original French poems as well as their translations.
Great Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe by Edgar Allan Poe Enriched Classics offer readers accessible editions of great works of literature enhanced by helpful notes and commentary. Each book includes educational tools alongside the text, enabling students and readers alike to gain a deeper and more developed understanding of the writer and their work. The melancholy, brilliance, passionate lyricism, and torment of Edgar Allen Poe are all well represented in this collection. Here, in one volume, are his masterpieces of mystery, terror, humor, and adventure, including stories such as The Tell-Tale Heart, The Cask of Amontillado, The Black Cat, The Masque of the Red Death, The Murders in the Rue Morgue, and The Pit and the Pendulum, and his finest lyric and narrative poetry--The Raven and Annabel Lee, to name just a few--that defined American romanticism and secured Poe as one of the most enduring literary voices of the nineteenth century. Enriched Classics enhance your engagement by introducing and explaining the historical and cultural significance of the work, the author's personal history, and what impact this book had on subsequent scholarship. Each book includes discussion questions that help clarify and reinforce major themes and reading recommendations for further research. Read with confidence.
Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice The spellbinding classic that started it all, from the #1 New York Times bestselling author--the inspiration for the hit television series "A magnificent, compulsively readable thriller . . . Rice begins where Bram Stoker and the Hollywood versions leave off and penetrates directly to the true fascination of the myth--the education of the vampire."--Chicago Tribune Here are the confessions of a vampire. Hypnotic, shocking, and chillingly sensual, this is a novel of mesmerizing beauty and astonishing force--a story of danger and flight, of love and loss, of suspense and resolution, and of the extraordinary power of the senses. It is a novel only Anne Rice could write.
Cthulhu Mythos by H. P. Lovecraft Howard Phillips Lovecraft forever changed the face of horror, fantasy, and science fiction with a remarkable series of stories as influential as the works of Poe, Tolkien, and Edgar Rice Burroughs. Howard Phillips Lovecraft forever changed the face of horror, fantasy, and science fiction with a remarkable series of stories as influential as the works of Poe, Tolkien, and Edgar Rice Burroughs.
Amphigorey by Edward Gorey An illustrated collection of 15 macabre short stories.   In this gorgeously detailed volume, American artist and author Edward Gorey accents amphigory (nonsense verse or composition) with his signature cross-hatched pen-and-ink drawings. A mix of poetry and prose, light-hearted and decidedly more morbid storytelling, the book is sure to satisfy both fans of art and lovers of short stories alike.   Stories included: "The Unstrung Harp" "The Listing Attic" "The Doubtful Guest" "The Object Lesson" "The Bug Book" "The Fatal Lozenge" "The Hapless Child" "The Curious Sofa" "The Willowdale Handcar" "The Gashlycrumb Tinies" "The Insect God" "The West Wing" "The Wuggly Ump" "The Sinking Spell" "The Remembered Visit"
Sandman Vol 1 Preludes and Nocturnes - O/P by N. Gaiman An occultist attempting to capture the physical embodiment of Death to bargain for eternal life traps her younger brother Dream instead. After his seventy-year imprisonment and eventual escape, Dream, also known as Morpheus, goes on a quest for his lost objects of power to reclaim his reign. From there, one of the greatest series in the history of the graphic novel genre begins... New York Times best-selling author Neil Gaiman's transcendent series The Sandman is often hailed as the definitive Vertigo title and one of the finest achievements in comics storytelling. Gaiman created an unforgettable tale of the forces that exist beyond life and death by weaving ancient mythology, folklore and fairy tales with his own distinct narrative vision. This graphic novel--a perfect jumping-on points for any reader--includes the introductions of Morpheus, Lucifer and The Endless, all intricate parts of this enduring series that is still as relevant today as ever. Includes issues #1-8 of the original series with completely new coloring, approved by the author.
The Stranger by Albert Camus With the intrigue of a psychological thriller, The Stranger--Camus's masterpiece--gives us the story of an ordinary man unwittingly drawn into a senseless murder on an Algerian beach. With an Introduction by Peter Dunwoodie; translated by Matthew Ward. Behind the subterfuge, Camus explores what he termed "the nakedness of man faced with the absurd" and describes the condition of reckless alienation and spiritual exhaustion that characterized so much of twentieth-century life.  "The Stranger is a strikingly modern text and Matthew Ward's translation will enable readers to appreciate why Camus's stoical anti-hero and devious narrator remains one of the key expressions of a postwar Western malaise, and one of the cleverest exponents of a literature of ambiguity." --from the Introduction by Peter Dunwoodie First published in 1946; now in translation by Matthew Ward.
Geek Love by Katherine Dunn National Book Award Finalist * Here is the unforgettable story of the Binewskis, a circus-geek family whose matriarch and patriarch have bred their own exhibit of human oddities--with the help of amphetamines, arsenic, and radioisotopes. One of The Atlantic's Great American Novels of the Past 100 Years Their offspring include Arturo the Aquaboy, who has flippers for limbs and a megalomaniac ambition worthy of Genghis Khan . . . Iphy and Elly, the lissome Siamese twins . . . albino hunchback Oly, and the outwardly normal Chick, whose mysterious gifts make him the family's most precious--and dangerous--asset.  As the Binewskis take their act across the backwaters of the U.S., inspiring fanatical devotion and murderous revulsion; as its members conduct their own Machiavellian version of sibling rivalry, Geek Love throws its sulfurous light on our notions of the freakish and the normal, the beautiful and the ugly, the holy and the obscene. Family values will never be the same.

film books

Books on Film

National Classic Movie Day is May 16

While most of these listings link by default to a print copy, many are available in other formats (eBook and eAudiobook). Don't forget to check the catalog by title or author if you prefer digital!

Making Movies by Sidney Lumet ONE OF THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER'S 100 GREATEST FILM BOOKS OF ALL TIME * "Invaluable.... I am sometimes asked if there is one book a filmgoer could read to learn more about how movies are made and what to look for while watching them. This is the book." --Roger Ebert, The New York Times Book Review Why does a director choose a particular script? What must they do in order to keep actors fresh and truthful through take after take of a single scene? How do you stage a shootout--involving more than one hundred extras and three colliding taxis--in the heart of New York's diamond district? What does it take to keep the studio honchos happy? From the first rehearsal to the final screening, Making Movies is a master's take, delivered with clarity, candor, and a wealth of anecdote. For in this book, Sidney Lumet, one of our most consistently acclaimed directors, gives us both a professional memoir and a definitive guide to the art, craft, and business of the motion picture. Drawing on forty years of experience on movies that range from Long Day's Journey into Night to Network and The Verdict--and with such stars as Katharine Hepburn, Paul Newman, Marlon Brando, and Al Pacino--Lumet explains how painstaking labor and inspired split-second decisions can result in two hours of screen magic.
The Great Movies by Roger Ebert Presents a collection of essays that combine history, analysis, and love for movies covering such films as All About Eve, Casablanca, Lawrence of Arabia, and Schindler's List..
Infographics Guide to the Movies by Allegra Jones; Karen Krizanovich Infographics Guide to the Movies presents unique, witty and surprising facts about every film genre, from blockbuster, rom-com, horror, crime, science-fiction and action, to Noir, zombie, nouvelle vague, slasher, erotica, world cinema and much, much more. Mixing cinematic fact with legend, it features infamous and often ludicrous tales of Hollywood, Bollywood, European cinema, underground and indie film making. More than just a book of words with graphs, Venn diagrams and charts included, this book is packed with over 100 original artworks and illustrations, at-a-glance facts to amaze and astound readers, graphics on every major movie genre, and every major movie market around the world. With surprising and enlightening secrets of the industry, Infographics Guide to the Movies has global scope, universal appeal and is visually impressive.
Flicker by Jeffrey Zacks How is it that a patch of flickering light on a wall can produce experiences that engage our imaginations and can feel totally real? From the vertigo of a skydive to the emotional charge of an unexpected victory or defeat, movies give us some of our most vivid experiences and most lasting memories. They reshape our emotions and worldviews--but why? In Flicker, Jeff Zacks delves into the history of cinema and the latest research to explain what happens between your ears when you sit down in the theatre and the lights go out. Some of the questions Flicker answers: Why do we flinch when Rocky takes a punch in Sylvester Stallone's movies, duck when the jet careens towards the tower in Airplane, and tap our toes to the dance numbers in Chicago or Moulin Rouge? Why do so many of us cry at the movies? What's the difference between remembering what happened in a movie and what happened in real life--and can we always tell the difference? To answer these questions and more, Flicker gives us an engaging, fast-paced look at what happens in your head when you watch a movie.
Talking Pictures by Ann Hornaday A veteran film critic offers a lively, opinionated guide to thinking and talking about movies -- from Casablanca to Clueless Whether we are trying to impress a date after an art house film screening or discussing Oscar nominations among friends, we all need ways to look at and talk about movies. But with so much variety between an Alfred Hitchcock thriller and a Nora Ephron romantic comedy, how can everyday viewers determine what makes a good movie? In Talking Pictures, veteran film critic Ann Hornaday walks us through the production of a typical movie -- from script and casting to final sound edit -- and explains how to evaluate each piece of the process. How do we know if a film has been well-written, above and beyond snappy dialogue? What constitutes a great screen performance? What goes into praiseworthy cinematography, editing, and sound design? And what does a director really do? In a new epilogue, Hornaday addresses important questions of representation in film and the industry and how this can, and should, effect a movie-watching experience. Full of engaging anecdotes and interviews with actors and filmmakers, Talking Pictures will help us see movies in a whole new light-not just as fans, but as film critics in our own right.
Do the Movies Have a Future? by David Denby The New Yorker critic, one of our most important film writers draws from a selection of his published pieces over a dozen years to examine the art, business, and future of what used to be America's primary popular entertainment and is now an endangered species. In the second decade of the twenty-first century, the movies, once America's primary popular art form, have become an endangered species. Do the Movies Have a Future? is a rousing and witty call to arms. In these sharp and engaging essays and reviews, New Yorker movie critic David Denby weighs in on "conglomerate aesthetics," as embodied in the frenzied, weightless action spectacles that dominate the world's attention, and "platform agnosticism," the notion that movies can be watched on smaller and smaller screens: laptops, tablets, even phones. At the same time, Denby reaffirms that movies are our national theater, and in this exhilarating book he celebrates such central big movies as Avatar and The Social Network as well as small but resonant triumphs like There Will Be Blood and The Tree of Life. Denby joyously celebrates what remains of the shared culture in romantic comedy, high school movies, and chick flicks; he assesses the expressive triumphs and failures of auteurs Quentin Tarantino, the Coen brothers, Pedro Almodóvar, and David Fincher. Refusing nostalgia, he mines the past for strength, examining the changing nature of stardom and the careers of Joan Crawford, Otto Preminger, and Victor Fleming, and the continuing self-invention of Clint Eastwood. And he recreates the excitement of reading two critics who embodied the film culture of their times, James Agee and Pauline Kael. Wry, passionate, and incisive, Do the Movies Have a Future? is both a feast of good writing and a challenge to fight back. It is an essential guide for movie lovers looking for ammunition and hope.
The Monster Movies of Universal Studios by James L. Neibaur In 1931 Universal Studios released Dracula starring Bela Lugosi. This box office success was followed by a string of films featuring macabre characters and chilling atmospherics, including Frankenstein, The Mummy, and The Invisible Man. With each new film, Universal established its place in the Hollywood firmament as the leading producer of horror films, a status it enjoyed for more than twenty years. In The Monster Movies of Universal Studios, James L. Neibaur examines the key films produced by the studio from the early 1930s through the mid-1950s. In each entry, the author recounts the movie's production, provides critical commentary, considers the film's commercial reception, and offers an overall assessment of the movie's significance. Neibaur also examines the impact these films had on popular culture, an influence that resonates in the cinema of fear today. From the world premiere of Dracula to the 1956 release of The Creature Walks among Us, Universal excelled at scaring viewers of all ages--and even elicited a few chuckles along the way by pitting their iconic creatures against the comedic pair of Abbott and Costello. The Monster Movies of Universal Studios captures the thrills of these films, making this book a treat for fans of the golden age of horror cinema.
The Greatest Sci-Fi Movies Never Made by David Hughes; H. R. Giger (Foreword by); Harry Knowles (Afterword by) Steven Spielberg's sci-fi horror movie Night Skies. David Lynch's Ronnie Rocket. Terry Gilliam's Watchmen. Philip Kaufman's Star Trek: Planet of the Titans. Ridley Scott's I Am Legend. Tim Burton's Superman Lives. These are just some of the legendary unmade films covered by this groundbreaking book. Drawing on dozens of exclusive new interviews with the writers, designers, and directors involved, David Hughes charts the tortuous stories of these films and reveals the fascinating details of what might have been.
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die by Steven Jay Schneider (Editor); Ian Haydn Smith (Editor) Begin your journey through classic film with this comprehensive guide to the best movies of all time! With over 1.75 million copies sold worldwide, this bestselling book is a must-have for all movie lovers, from casual movie-goers to film connoisseurs. The perfect gift for any film buff, this brand-new edition of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die covers more than a century of movie history. Selected and authored by a team of international film critics, every profile is packed with details, plot summaries and production notes, and little-known facts about the films' history. This must-have coffee table book features a fresh look at some the greatest films of all time, including: All Quiet on the Western Front The Maltese Falcon Cool Hand Luke The Rocky Horror Picture Show Forrest Gump Once Upon a Time... In Hollywood And so many more! Learn the complete history of filmmaking, from silent-era sensations like Charlie Chaplin's The Gold Rush to recent Oscar nominees like Mad Max: Fury Road. Discover little-known facts about Hollywood's most memorable musicals, greatest dramas, noteworthy documentaries, screwball comedies, classic westerns, bone-chilling horror, action and adventure films, and more. Movie lovers of all stripes will thoroughly enjoy this curated collection, which includes a checklist so you can check off each film as you watch it. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the show!
The Female Gaze by Alicia Malone Alicia Malone's Take on Influential Women in Film! "Once again Alicia Malone champions women filmmakers, opening the floodgates to a great new wave of female voices and creative vision."―Maria Giese, filmmaker and activist #1 Bestseller in Movies & Video Guides & Reviews With the success of the Wonder Woman movies and the results following the outcry of the #MeToo movement, now is the time to highlight the female influences in film history previously left unheard!  The voices of powerful women in old Hollywood--told. You may have heard the term "male gaze," coined in the 1970s, about how art and entertainment have been influenced by the male's perspective. What about the opposite? Women have been making movies since the very beginning of cinema. In The Female Gaze, Alicia Malone explores the ideas, thoughts, and views we learn from women from behind the scenes. What does the world look like through the "female gaze"? Learn about women who changed the world. Discover brilliantly talented and accomplished women directors, both world renowned and obscure, who have shaped the film industry in ways rarely fully acknowledged. Find mini-essays written by women like Alicia Malone and other diverse female film critics. Featuring past and present films, this behind the scenes guidebook is perfect for the Hollywood history fan in your life. Inside, observe: How female directors' voices shaped films and the film industry The advancements and accomplishments of influential women in history and film The lives of these women and the struggles they faced throughout Hollywood history If you liked Women in Art or Camera Man, you'll adore the powerful women in history found in Alicia Malone's The Female Gaze.
The Big Screen by David Thomson The Big Screentells the enthralling story of the movies: their rise and spread, their remarkable influence over us, and the technology that made the screen--smaller now, but ever more ubiquitous--as important as the images it carries. The Big Screenis not another history of the movies. Rather, it is a wide-ranging narrative about the movies and their signal role in modern life. At first, film was a waking dream, the gift of appearance delivered for a nickel to huddled masses sitting in the dark. But soon, and abruptly, movies began transforming our societies and our perceptions of the world. The celebrated film authority David Thomson takes us around the globe, through time, and across many media--moving from Eadweard Muybridge to Steve Jobs, fromSunrisetoI Love Lucy, from John Wayne to George Clooney, from television commercials to streaming video--to tell the complex, gripping, paradoxical story of the movies. He tracks the ways we were initially enchanted by movies as imitations of life--the stories, the stars, the look--and how we allowed them to show us how to live. At the same time, movies, offering a seductive escape from everyday reality and its responsibilities, have made it possible for us to evade life altogether. The entranced audience has become a model for powerless and anxiety-ridden citizens trying to pursue happiness and dodge terror by sitting quietly in a dark room. Does the big screen take us out into the world, or merely mesmerize us? That is Thomson's question in this grand adventure of a book. Books about the movies are often aimed at film buffs, but this passionate and provocative feat of storytelling is vital to anyone trying to make sense of the age of screens--the age that, more than ever, we are living in.
The Art of Horror Movies by Steven Jones; John Landis (Foreword by) This revised edition of The Art of Horror Movies includes more films, rare images, and in-depth explorations to bring this award-winning book completely up to date, cementing its position as the definitive and essential guide to horror movies. Through a series of informative chapters and fascinating sidebars chronologically charting the evolution of horror movies for more than a century, profusely illustrated throughout with over 600 rare and unique images including posters, lobby cards, advertising, promotional items, tie-in books and magazines, and original artwork inspired by classic movies, this handsomely designed hardcover traces the development of the horror film from its inception and celebrates the actors, filmmakers, and artists who were responsible for scaring the pants off successive generations of moviegoers! Edited by multiple award-winning writer and editor Stephen Jones and boasting a foreword by director and screenwriter John Landis (An American Werewolf in London), this volume brings together fascinating and incisive commentary from some of the genre's most highly respected experts. With eye-popping images from all over the world, The Art of Horror Movies: Revised Edition is the definitive guide for anyone who loves horror films and movie fans of all ages.
Monsters in the Movies by John Landis From B-movie bogeymen and outer space oddities to big-budget terrors, Monsters in the Movies by legendary filmmaker John Landis showcases the greatest monsters ever to creep, fly, slither, stalk, or rampage across the Silver Screen! Landis provides his own fascinating and entertaining insights into the world of moviemaking, while conducting in-depth "conversations" with leading monster makers, including David Cronenberg, Christopher Lee, John Carpenter, and Sam Raimi — to discuss some of the most petrifying monsters ever seen. He also surveys the historical origins of the archetypal monsters, such as vampires, zombies, and werewolves, and takes you behind the scenes to discover the secrets of those special-effects wizards who created such legendary frighteners as King Kong, Dracula, and Halloween's Michael Myers. With more than 1000 stunning movie stills and posters, this book is sure to keep even the most intense fright-seekers at the edge of their seats for hours!
The Golden Screen by Jeff Yang; Michelle Yeoh (Foreword by); Jon M. Chu (Afterword by) From a New York Times bestselling author, this groundbreaking book celebrates and examines the history of Asian Americans on the big screen, exploring how iconic films have shaped Hollywood, representation, and American culture. In 2018, the critical and financial success of Crazy Rich Asians ignited new fires in Hollywood to create and back Asian-centric stories. Since then, the number of movies featuring Asian Americans, either in front or behind the camera, has boomed and ushered in a new era of filmmaking. But many films, like The Joy Luck Club in 1993, paved the way for Asian American-led films before Crazy Rich Asians and to today. The Golden Screen is an in-depth look at those films, and the factors that played into their success. The Golden Screen includes commentary and conversations from Hollywood's most visible faces, such as Simu Liu, Lulu Wang, Daniel Dae Kim, Janet Yang, Ronny Chieng, Alice Wu, and Ken Jeong. See the movies that inspired today's modern stars to enter moviemaking, and how they're paying it forward to the next wave of creators. Featuring beautiful, original artwork from nine esteemed Asian illustrators, including: Toma Nguyen, barbarian flower, Jun Cen, Cryssy Cheung, Cliff Chiang, Yu-Ming Huang, JiYeun Kang, Ashraf Omar, and Zi Xu. A beautiful keepsake and collection of over 100 photographs and original art, The Golden Screen is perfect for movie and history fans alike, and reaffirms the importance of the Asian American film canon, and all the people involved, in an increasingly diverse Hollywood. 
Brat Pack America by Kevin Smokler From the fictional towns of Hill Valley, CA, and Shermer, IL, to the beautiful landscapes of the "Goondocks" in Astoria and the "time of your life" dirty dancing resort still alive and well in Lake Lure, NC, '80s teen movies left their mark not just on movie screen and in the hearts of fans, but on the landscape of America itself. Like few other eras in movie history, the '80s teen movies has endured and gotten better with time. In Brat Pack America, Kevin Smokler gives virtual tours of your favorite movies while also picking apart why these locations are so important to these movies. Including interviews with actors, writers, and directors of the era, and chock full of interesting facts about your favorite '80s movies, Brat Pack America is a must for any fan. Smokler went to Goonies Day in Astoria, OR, took a Lost Boys tour of Santa Cruz, CA, and deeply explored every nook and cranny of the movies we all know and love, and it shows.
Hollywood Science by Sidney Perkowitz Whether depicting humans battling aliens or a brave geologist saving lives as a volcano erupts, science-fiction films are an exciting visual and sensuous introduction to the workings of science and technology. These films explore a range of complex topics in vivid and accessible ways, from space travel and laser technology to genetic engineering, global warming, and the consequences of nuclear weaponry. Though actual scientific lab work might not be as exciting, science fiction is an engaging yet powerful way for a wide audience to explore some of the most pressing issues and ideas of our time. In this book, a scientist and dedicated film enthusiast discusses the portrayal of science in more than one hundred films, including science fiction, scientific biographies, and documentaries. Beginning with early films like Voyage to the Moon and Metropolis and concluding with more recent offerings like The Matrix, War of the Worlds, A Beautiful Mind, and An Inconvenient Truth, Sidney Perkowitz questions how much faith we can put into Hollywood's depiction of scientists and their work; how accurately these films capture scientific fact and theory; whether cataclysms like our collision with a comet can actually happen; and to what extent these films influence public opinion about science and the future. Movies, especially science-fiction films, temporarily remove viewers from the world as they know it and show them the world as it might be, providing special perspective on human nature and society. Yet "Hollywood science" can be erroneous, distorting fact for dramatic effect and stereotyping scientists as remote and nerdy, evil, or noble, doing little to improve the relationship between science and society. Bringing together history, scientific theory, and humorous observation, Hollywood Science features dozens of film stills and a list of the all-time best and worst science-fiction movies. Just as this genre appeals to all types of viewers, this book will resonate with anyone who has been inspired by science-fiction films and would like to learn how fantasy compares to fact.
Making the White Man's Indian by Angela Aleiss The image in Hollywood movies of savage Indians attacking white settlers represents only one side of a very complicated picture. In fact sympathetic portrayals of Native Americans stood alongside those of hostile Indians in the silent films of D. W. Griffith and Cecil B. DeMille, and flourished during the early 1930s with Hollywood's cycle of pro-Indian adventures. Decades later, the stereotype became even more complicated, as films depicted the savagery of whites (The Searchers) in contrast to the more peaceful Indian (Broken Arrow). By 1990 the release of Dances with Wolves appeared to have recycled the romantic and savage portrayals embedded in early cinema. In this new study, author Angela Aleiss traces the history of Native Americans on the silver screen, and breaks new ground by drawing on primary sources such as studio correspondence, script treatments, trade newspapers, industry censorship files, and filmmakers' interviews to reveal how and why Hollywood created its Indian characters. Behind-the-scenes anecdotes of filmmakers and Native Americans, as well as rare archival photographs, supplement the discussion, which often shows a stark contrast between depiction and reality. The book traces chronologically the development of the Native American's screen image while also examining many forgotten or lost Western films. Each chapter will feature black and white stills from the films discussed.
Desperately Seeking Something by Susan Seidelman The funny and insightful first-person story of the trailblazing movie director of the 80s and 90s whose fearless punk drama, "Smithereens" became the first American indie film to compete at Cannes, and smash hit "Desperately Seeking Susan" led to a four-decade career in film. Starting out in the mid-70s, a time when few women were directing movies, Susan was determined to become a filmmaker. She longed to tell stories about the unrepresented characters she wanted to see on screen: unconventional women in unusual circumstances, needing to express themselves and maintain their autonomy. Her genre-blending films reflect a passion for classic Hollywood storytelling, mixed with a playful New Wave spirit, informed by her years living in downtown NYC. Seidelman continued to shape American pop culture well into the nineties, directing the pilot of the iconic TV series "Sex And The City," focusing her sharp lens on the changing place of women in American society and helping to fundamentally reshape our self-image in ways that are still felt today. BOOK DETAILS: Raised in the safe cocoon of 1960s suburbia, Susan Seidelman wasn't a misfit, an oddball, or an outlier. She was a "good-girl" with a little bit of "bad" hidden inside. A restless teenager, she dreamed of escape and reinvention, a theme that would play out in her films as well as in her own life. Because she loved stories, a high school guidance counselor suggested she become a librarian, but she had her sights set further afield. In 1973, she left the Philly suburbs, enrolled at NYU's burgeoning graduate film school and moved to NYC's Lower East Side. There, she found herself in the right place at the right time. New York City was falling apart, but out of that chaos came a burst of creative energy whose effects are still felt in American pop culture today. Downtown became a vibrant playground where film, music, performance and graffiti art cross-pollinated and where Seidelman chronicled the lives of the colorful misfits, oddballs, dreamers and schemers she met there. It's all in DESPERATELY SEEKING SOMETHING. Seidelman not only has a keen perspective on the times she's lived through -- from her Twiggy-obsessed girlhood, through the Women's Lib movement of the early 70s, the punk scene of the late 70s, Madonna-mania of the 80s, to the dot-com "greed is good" 90s, and beyond--she tells great stories.
Death on the Cheap by Arthur Lyons Robert Mitchum once commented to Arthur Lyons about his movies of the 1940s and 1950s: "Hell, we didn't know what film noir was in those days. We were just making movies. Cary Grant and all the big stars at RKO got all the lights. We lit our sets with cigarette butts." Film noir was made to order for the "B," or low-budget, part of the movie double bill. It was cheaper to produce because it made do with less lighting, smaller casts, limited sets, and compact story lines--about con men, killers, cigarette girls, crooked cops, down-and-out boxers, and calculating, scheming, very deadly women. In Death on the Cheap, Arthur Lyons entertainingly looks at the history of the B movie and how it led to the genre that would come to be called noir, a genre that decades later would be transformed in such "neo-noir" films as Pulp Fiction, Fargo, and L.A. Confidential. The book, loaded with movie stills, also features a witty and informative filmography (including video sources) of B films that have largely been ignored or neglected--"lost" to the general public but now restored to their rightful place in movie history thanks to Death on the Cheap.
We Gotta Have It by Esther Iverem An essential look at the cultural dissemination of African-American in film with an exclusive interview with Spike Lee.
Number One Is Walking by Steve Martin; Harry Bliss (Illustrator) ** New York Times Bestseller ** Number One Is Walking is Steve Martin's cinematic legacy--an illustrated memoir of his legendary acting career, with stories from his most popular films and artwork by New Yorker cartoonist Harry Bliss. Steve Martin has never written about his career in the movies before. In Number One Is Walking, he shares anecdotes from the sets of his beloved films--Father of the Bride, Roxanne, The Jerk, Three Amigos, and many more--bringing readers directly into his world. He shares charming tales of antics, moments of inspiration, and exploits with the likes of Paul McCartney, Diane Keaton, Robin Williams, and Chevy Chase. Martin details his forty years in the movie biz, as well as his stand-up comedy, banjo playing, writing, and cartooning, all with his unparalleled wit. With gorgeously illustrated cartoons and single-panel "diversions" in Steve and Harry's signature style, Number One Is Walking is full of the everyday moments that make up a movie star's life, capturing Steve Martin's singular humor and acclaimed career in film. The perfect gift from the team who brought you the #1 New York Times bestseller A Wealth of Pigeons.
Fun City Cinema by Jason Bailey; Matt Zoller Seitz (Foreword by) Fun City Cinema gives readers an in-depth look at how the rise, fall, and resurrection of New York City was captured and chronicled in ten iconic Gotham films across ten decades: The Jazz Singer (1927), King Kong (1933), The Naked City (1948), Sweet Smell of Success (1957), Midnight Cowboy (1969), Taxi Driver (1976), Wall Street (1987), Kids (1995), 25th Hour (2002), and Frances Ha (2012). A visual history of a great American city in flux, Fun City Cinema reveals how these classic films and legendary filmmakers took their inspiration from New York City's grittiness and splendor, creating what we can now view as "accidental documentaries" of the city's modes and moods. In addition to the extensively researched and reported text, the book includes both historical photographs and ephemera, as well as still-frames, behind-the-scenes photos, production materials from each film and original interviews with Noah Baumbach, Larry Clark, Greta Gerwig, Walter Hill, Jerry Schatzberg, Martin Scorsese, Susan Seidelman, Oliver Stone, and Jennifer Westfeldt. Extensive "Now Playing" sidebars spotlight a handful of each decade's additional films of note.
Hollywood Stories Just when you thought you've heard everything about Hollywood comes a totally original new book - a special blend of biography, history and lore. Hollywood Stories is packed with wild, wonderful short tales about famous stars, movies, directors and many others who have been part of the world's most fascinating, unpredictable industry! Full of funny moments and twist endings, Hollywood Stories features an amazing, icons and will keep you totally entertained!
Hollywood: the Oral History by Jeanine Basinger; Sam Wasson The real story of Hollywood as told by such luminaries as Steven Spielberg, Frank Capra, Katharine Hepburn, Meryl Streep, Harold Lloyd, and nearly four hundred others, assembled from the American Film Institute's treasure trove of interviews, reveals a fresh history of the American movie industry from its beginnings to today.  From the archives of the American Film Institute comes a unique picture of what it was like to work in Hollywood from its beginnings to its present day. Gleaned from nearly three thousand interviews, involving four hundred voices from the industry, Hollywood: The Oral History, lets a reader "listen in" on candid remarks from the biggest names in front of the camera--Bette Davis, Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Harold Lloyd--to the biggest behind it--Frank Capra, Steven Spielberg, Alfred Hitchcock, Jordan Peele, as well as the lesser known individuals that shaped what was heard and seen on screen: musicians, costumers, art directors, cinematographers, writers, sound men, editors, make-up artists, and even script timers, messengers, and publicists. The result is like a conversation among the gods and goddesses of film: lively, funny, insightful, historically accurate and, for the first time, authentically honest in its portrait of Hollywood. It's the insider's story.   Legendary film scholar Jeanine Basinger and New York Times bestselling author Sam Wasson, both acclaimed storytellers in their own right, have undertaken the monumental task of digesting these tens of thousands of hours of talk and weaving it into a definitive portrait of workaday Hollywood.   
Anime Impact by Chris Stuckmann; Ernest Cline (Contribution by); Alicia Malone (Contribution by) # 1 Best Seller in Movies, Video Guides & Reviews -- The Life-Changing Power of Anime A celebration of Anime: Many books on anime simply offer a list of "essential titles" and recommendations. Anime Impact goes deeper by showcasing the many voices of anime's biggest fans. You'll find many distinct stories that only each specific writer could tell, all painting a fun and surprisingly touching portrait of the true impact of anime over multiple generations. Iconic movies and TV shows from Japan: Japanese animation--or anime--holds a special place in the hearts of countless fans around the globe. Since the early days of Osamu Tezuka's Astro Boy to Makoto Shinkai's astounding success with Your Name, anime has left an undeniable impact on our culture. Insights from filmmakers, authors, and YouTube stars: Anime Impact explores the impression the medium has left on various fans with detailed discussions on television shows and movies from the 1960s all the way to the present. You'll hear from YouTube film critic Chris Stuckmann and many others like Ready Player One author Ernest Cline and YouTube stars Robert Walker, Bennett "BennettTheSage" White, Tristan "Arkada" Gallant of Glass Reflection and manga artist Mark Crilley. Learn how anime has impacted culture from authors, artists, critics, anime enthusiasts, and super fans such as John Rodriguez, Alicia Malone, Emma Fyffe, and many more. You will learn about the impact of: Anime classics such as Gundam, Akira, Sailor Moon, Spirited Away and other Studio Ghibli films The biggest names in anime like One Piece, Dragon Ball Z, Pokémon, Naruto, and Attack on Titan Movies and shows both legendary and niche alike Truly unique hidden gems rarely seen outside of Japan And much more Anime Impact explores the effects and lasting appeal of anime across all genres and across five decades!
Pictures at a Revolution by Mark Harris One of The Hollywood Reporter's 100 Greatest Film Books of All Time "Pictures at a Revolution is probably one of the best books I've ever read in my life." --Quentin Tarantino The New York Times bestseller that follows the making of five films at a pivotal time in Hollywood history In the mid-1960s, westerns, war movies, and blockbuster musicals like Mary Poppins swept the box office. The Hollywood studio system was astonishingly lucrative for the few who dominated the business. That is, until the tastes of American moviegoers radically- and unexpectedly-changed. By the Oscar ceremonies of 1968, a cultural revolution had hit Hollywood with the force of a tsunami, and films like Bonnie and Clyde, The Graduate, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, In the Heat of the Night, and box-office bomb Doctor Doolittle signaled a change in Hollywood-and America. And as an entire industry changed and struggled, careers were suddenly made and ruined, studios grew and crumbled, and the landscape of filmmaking was altered beyond all recognition.
Reeling Through Life by Tara Ison Reeling Through Life- How I Learned to Live, Love, and Die at the Movies looks at how film shapes identity. Through ten cleverly constructed essays, Ison explores how a lifetime of movie-watching has, for better or worse, taught her how to navigate the world and how to grapple with issues of career, family, faith, illness, sex, and love. Cinema is a universal cultural experience, one that floods our senses with images and sounds, a powerful force that influences our perspective on the world around us. Ison discusses the universal aspects of film as she makes them personal, looking at how certain films across time shaped and molded who she has become. Drawing on a wide ranging catalog of films, both cult and classic, popular and art-house, Reeling Through Life examines how cinema shapes our views on how to make love, how to deal with mental illness, how to be Jewish, how to be a woman, how to be a drunk, and how to die with style. Rather than being a means of escape or object of mere entertainment, Ison posits that cinema is a more engaging form of art, a way to slip into other identities and inhabit other realities. A way to orient oneself into the world. Reeling Though Life is a compelling look at one popular art form and how it has influenced our identities in provocative and important ways.
The New York Times Book of Movies by Wallace Schroeder (Editor); A. O. Scott (Selected by); Manohla Dargis (Selected by) While critiques of beloved Hollywood milestones from Stanley Kubrick, Steven Spielberg, Alfred Hitchcock, and Orson Welles are all included, this book is notably a resource for the modern cinema buff and student. Nowhere else can one find this curated collection of reviews with such special features as lists of best films by category and year, as well as unique recommendations and sidebars for the modern viewer - including what to watch and how: from DVD and Blu-Ray to streaming platforms. In an era when most students and fans of film simply rely on the Internet for information, this category killer will prove its worth as a relevant and indispensable gift and reference.
The Man Who Invented Motion Pictures by Paul Fischer One of the New York Times Best True Crime of 2022 A "spellbinding, thriller-like" (Shelf Awareness) history about the invention of the motion picture and the mysterious, forgotten man behind it--detailing his life, work, disappearance, and legacy. The year is 1888, and Louis Le Prince is finally testing his "taker" or "receiver" device for his family on the front lawn. The device is meant to capture ten to twelve images per second on film, creating a reproduction of reality that can be replayed as many times as desired. In an otherwise separate and detached world, occurrences from one end of the globe could now be viewable with only a few days delay on the other side of the world. No human experience--from the most mundane to the most momentous--would need to be lost to history. In 1890, Le Prince was granted patents in four countries ahead of other inventors who were rushing to accomplish the same task. But just weeks before unveiling his invention to the world, he mysteriously disappeared and was never seen or heard from again. Three and half years later, Thomas Edison, Le Prince's rival, made the device public, claiming to have invented it himself. And the man who had dedicated his life to preserving memories was himself lost to history--until now. The Man Who Invented Motion Pictures pulls back the curtain and presents a "passionate, detailed defense of Louis Le Prince...unfurled with all the cliffhangers and red herrings of a scripted melodrama" (The New York Times Book Review). This "fascinating, informative, skillfully articulated narrative" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) presents the never-before-told history of the motion picture and sheds light on the unsolved mystery of Le Prince's disappearance.
The Man Who Made the Movies by Vanda Krefft A riveting story of ambition, greed, and genius unfolding at the dawn of modern America. This landmark biography brings into focus a fascinating brilliant entrepreneur--like Steve Jobs or Walt Disney, a true American visionary--who risked everything to realize his bold dream of a Hollywood empire. Although a major Hollywood studio still bears William Fox's name, the man himself has mostly been forgotten by history, even written off as a failure. Now, in this fascinating biography, Vanda Krefft corrects the record, explaining why Fox's legacy is central to the history of Hollywood. At the heart of William Fox's life was the myth of the American Dream. His story intertwines the fate of the nineteenth-century immigrants who flooded into New York, the city's vibrant and ruthless gilded age history, and the birth of America's movie industry amid the dawn of the modern era. Drawing on a decade of original research, The Man Who Made the Movies offers a rich, compelling look at a complex man emblematic of his time, one of the most fascinating and formative eras in American history. Growing up in Lower East Side tenements, the eldest son of impoverished Hungarian immigrants, Fox began selling candy on the street. That entrepreneurial ambition eventually grew one small Brooklyn theater into a $300 million empire of deluxe studios and theaters that rivaled those of Adolph Zukor, Marcus Loew, and the Warner brothers, and launched stars such as Theda Bara. Amid the euphoric roaring twenties, the early movie moguls waged a fierce battle for control of their industry. A fearless risk-taker, Fox won and was hailed as a genius--until a confluence of circumstances, culminating with the 1929 stock market crash, led to his ruin.
TCM Underground by Millie De Chirico; Quatoyiah Murry; Patton Oswalt (Foreword by) Based on the Turner Classic Movies series, TCM Underground is the movie-lover's guide to 50 of the most campy, kitschy, shocking, and weirdly wonderful cult films you need to see. In the pages of this book, you'll explore this unique order of films--primarily from the 1960s, '70s, and '80s--with insightful reviews, behind-the-scenes stories, subgenre sidebars, and full-color and black-and-white photography throughout. Go along for the ride with new takes on crime films, including The Honeymoon Killers and The Harder They Come. Witness one-of-a-kind horror in Bill Gunn's landmark vampire film Ganja and Hess and Nobuhiko Obayashi's infamous and indescribable Hausu. Absorb the boundary-pushing documentary-style trilogy The Decline of Western Civilization, which throws you into indelible moments in the punk and metal music scenes. And marvel at pure '80s oddities like Mac and Me and The Garbage Pail Kids. From Possession to Polyester and Beyond the Valley of the Dolls to Xanadu, no two films are alike in this compendium. Just sit back and prepare to be surprised, amused, and entertained by this celebration of the stars, filmmakers, and stories behind fifty of the most beguiling and unforgettable movies ever to hit the screen.
Movie Night Menus by Tenaya Darlington; André Darlington; Turner Classic Movies Looking for a great idea for date night or to entertain friends? Elevate your movie night with a thematic spread! Turner Classic Movies: Movie Night Menus spotlights thirty crowd-pleasing films from the 1930s through the '80s, paired with signatures drinks and dishes that appear in, or are inspired by, each film's setting and stars. Why not cue up Casablanca with some French 75s and a Moroccan-themed spread? Filled with entertaining tips and background on each film, dish, and cocktail, the book offers a unique culinary tour of movie history, including menus inspired by The Thin Man, The Philadelphia Story, Sunset Boulevard, Some Like It Hot, American Graffiti, Moonstruck, and many more. Unique entertaining features include: -Period-appropriate suggestions for table settings, attire, music, and party accents that take the guesswork out of hosting -A variety of menus, from snacks and light bites, to date-night menus, to dinner parties that allow you to create both casual and more formal affairs -Fashionable but quick appetizers and dessert suggestions to round out each theme -"Watch for This" sidebars offering insider tips on notable moments in each film-party scenes, home design flourishes that inspired consumer trends, influential fashion, follow-up films, anecdotes, and more -Drinks and dinner menus adaptable for larger groups if you're planning to host an Oscar party or weekend bash Fully illustrated with luscious food photography and evocative film stills, Movie Night Menus provides the perfect accompaniments and conversation pieces to round out a fun-filled evening.  
Not to Be Missed by Kenneth Turan The images and memories that matter most are those that are unshakeable, unforgettable. Kenneth Turan's fifty-four favorite films embrace a century of the world's most satisfying romances and funniest comedies, the most heart-stopping dramas and chilling thrillers. Turan discovered film as a child left undisturbed to watchMillion Dollar Movie on WOR-TV Channel 9 in New York, a daily showcase for older Hollywood features. It was then that he developed a love of cinema that never left him and honed his eye for the most acute details and the grandest of scenes. Not to be Missed blends cultural criticism, historical anecdote, and inside-Hollywood controversy. Turan's selection of favorites ranges across all genres. FromAll About Eve toSeven Samurai toSherlock Jr., these are all timeless films--classic and contemporary, familiar and obscure, with big budgets and small--each underscoring the truth of director Ingmar Bergman's observation that "no form of art goes beyond ordinary consciousness as film does, straight to our emotions, deep into the twilight room of the soul."
The Collaboration by Ben Urwand To continue doing business in Germany after Hitler's ascent to power, Hollywood studios agreed not to make films that attacked the Nazis or condemned Germany's persecution of Jews. Ben Urwand reveals this bargain for the first time--a "collaboration" (Zusammenarbeit) that drew in a cast of characters ranging from notorious German political leaders such as Goebbels to Hollywood icons such as Louis B. Mayer. At the center of Urwand's story is Hitler himself, who was obsessed with movies and recognized their power to shape public opinion. In December 1930, his Party rioted against the Berlin screening of All Quiet on the Western Front, which led to a chain of unfortunate events and decisions. Fearful of losing access to the German market, all of the Hollywood studios started making concessions to the German government, and when Hitler came to power in January 1933, the studios--many of which were headed by Jews--began dealing with his representatives directly. Urwand shows that the arrangement remained in place through the 1930s, as Hollywood studios met regularly with the German consul in Los Angeles and changed or canceled movies according to his wishes. Paramount and Fox invested profits made from the German market in German newsreels, while MGM financed the production of German armaments. Painstakingly marshaling previously unexamined archival evidence, The Collaboration raises the curtain on a hidden episode in Hollywood--and American--history.
Everywhere an Oink Oink by David Mamet Award-winning playwright, screenwriter, and director David Mamet shares his "smart, addictive, hilarious, and insightful" (Breitbart) tales from his four decades in Hollywood where he worked with some of the biggest names in movies. David Mamet went to Hollywood on top--a super successful playwright summoned west in 1980 to write a vehicle for Jack Nicholson. He arrived just in time to meet the luminaries of old Hollywood and revel in the friendship of giants like Paul Newman, Mike Nichols, Bob Evans, and Sue Mengers. Over the next forty years, Mamet wrote dozens of scripts, was fired off dozens of movies, and directed eleven himself. In Everywhere an Oink Oink, he revels of the taut and gag-filled professionalism of the film set. He depicts the ever-fickle studios and producers who piece by piece eat the artists alive. And he ponders the art of filmmaking and the genius of those who made our finest movies. With the bravado and flair of Mamet's best theatrical work, this memoir describes a world gone by, some of our most beloved film stars with their hair down, and how it all got washed away by digital media and the woke brigade. The book is illustrated throughout with three-dozen of Mamet's pungent cartoons and caricatures. Everywhere an Oink Oink is "nothing but wicked jokes, angry broadsides, and pointed gossip: in other words, the ideal Hollywood book" (The Wall Street Journal).