SerenityVerse » Serenity Books and Media

Download “My Own Kind of Freedom,” a Firely Novel by Steven Brust

jetflair — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 07:46:41 +0000

Here’s a rare treat for Firefly fans! Author Steven Brust wrote an entire Firefly novel, taking place between the series and the movie. The intent was publication, but since at this point no Firefly or Serenity novels are being given the go-ahead, Brust decided to release his book for free online as fan fiction. It’s a generous move – thanks Steven!

The book can be downloaded at Brust’s website here: http://dreamcafe.com/firefly.html

I also have it available to download from my own server as a sort of insurance should that link die; you can download it by clicking here.

My Own Kind of Freedom is released under a Creative Commons license; for specific details visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

Serenity: Those Left Behind Hardcover Edition

jetflair — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 13:43:41 +0000

This book has taken some hard knocks in online reviews, and by the time I finally received my copy (delayed because I ordered a copy autographed by Brett Mathhews, and it took a while to show) my expectations were not high. Lack of any truly new material and the elimination or combination of some of the original comic book covers were key amongst the complaints.

So, when I opened my copy, I wasn’t expecting much, but – it’s beautiful. It really is. This is the format the comics belong in; they are sized like the original comics (which were shrunk down for the trade paperback version) and all three issues are readable straight through to make for a nice little graphic novel.

The new cover art is lovely, and there has been some really pretty design work done on the inside pages. Nathan Fillion’s introduction and may of the other opening pages have a lovely full-color background that is just plain pretty to look at. The entire project is treated with respect and care.

Given that, I don’t really understand why one of the comic book covers was cut from the book and the covers of two of the books were combined. It seems like a sloppy touch in a book that is fundamentally not sloppy at all. The other cheap shortcut taken was the boasted-about extra material, which turns out to only be the Joss Whedon-penned background on the ‘verse which has already been published in the excellent Serenity Visual Companion. If you don’t already have the visual companion, this addition to Those Left Behind is a nice touch….but for the hard-core fans buying this book it’s a little pointless. The added art is mainly concept sketches for the movie….nothing to write home about and rather irrelevant to a collection of comics.

Despite the downfalls, I remain enthusiastic about this book, though. It is simply too nicely done to dislike. The new art and the new pages are a thing of beauty, and I love the new cover art and the fact that the comic pages themselves are larger. I love the fact that it’s a nice quality hardcover as opposed to a little paperback.

If you don’t have Those Left Behind and are choosing between the hardcover and softcover versions, the hardcover wins hands down unless you have a severely limited budget. If you don’t have the comics in any form, I would highly recommend picking up this hardcover – it does them true justice.

As for the actual comics themselves, I remain lukewarm. It’s obviously a thrill that our beloved franchise garnered a comic series, and that through it we received a Serenity story that would not otherwise exist. But the comics fail to capture what it was I loved about Firefly and Serenity. Reading the comics makes it excruciatingly plain how much the charisma and ability of the actors had to do with the magic that was Firefly. The dialog has a hint of the Firefly magic, but it’s like reading a script: far flatter than the experience of seeing it delivered to perfection on screen. But we take what we can get, right?

Rating: Serenityverse Top Pick

Approximate Price: $14.00 – list price $19.59

Available From: www.amazon.com

A Shepherd’s Tale: A new comic book, and hints to Book’s past

jetflair — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 07:23:05 +0000

Those of us attending the Browncoat Cruise this December were fortunate enough to be the first to hear about an upcoming Serenity comic and some tantalizing hints as to Shepherd Book’s mysterious and possibly sinister past. Ron Glass attended the cruise with permission from Joss to reveal these fascinating tidbits.

Joss will be co-authoring a comic titled A Shepherd’s Tale
Book found God in a bowl of soup
A part of Book (not the hair!) is artificial
Book is best known for his biggest failure
He took the name Derrial from the man he killed

Let the speculation begin!

Serenity: Better Days Comic – now available for pre-order

jetflair — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 07:13:27 +0000

It’s been a long road to the release of the Better Days comics, with the release date having been pushed back at least once already. However, it’s with a sense of joy that I announce that pre-orders for the first comic are now open at TFAW.com with a release date of March 12, 2008 along with the first glimpse of the cover art.

I’m quite happy with the cover art; while comic-bookish (and, well, it would be, wouldn’t it!), it does a much better job capturing the characters than the Those Left Behind covers did. The sparkle of Mal’s eyes, Zoe’s strong warmth, Wash’s good-natured cheer all shine through and remind me of how much I love the characters. Here’s hoping that feeling carries through in the actual comic book art; I had a hard time relating the characters in Those Left Behind to their screen personas. Granted, Mal looks like he just finished a three-year booze-fest, but it’s still an improvement over past efforts. Doesn’t say much for the past efforts, I know. But I still like it.

Rating: Serenityverse Top Pick

Approximate Price: $2.99

Available From: www.TFAW.com

Done The Impossible DVD

jetflair — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 07:07:25 +0000

Browncoats are known for doing not only the impossible, but also the difficult and the ambitious. Thus it shouldn’t surprise me that the documentary DVD written, directed, and produced by a couple of talented fans outshines most documentaries with its professionalism and quality.

Appearances by Serenity cast Adam Baldwin (the host of the DVD), Nathan Fillion, Alan Tudyk, Jewel Staite, and Joss Whedon highlight the film. It’s worth buying not only for their inspiring words and humorous rememberences but for the thrilling inside look at the world of Firefly and Serenity fans and the thrill of seeing a beloved, cancelled TV show reborn as a major studio film.

Browse on over to Done The Impossible to check out the DVD, and order it online. You won’t regret it! Done The Impossible and its soundtrack are also available on amazon.com. A portion of all proceeds are donated to Equality Now.

Rating: Serenityverse Top Pick

Approximate Price: $20.00

Available From: www.donetheimpossible.com

Serenity Movie Promotional Items

jetflair — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 13:30:24 +0000

Serenity Movie Posters: Generally, the best and cheapest place to find the various posters is on eBay. Look at a number of different listings before you buy; verify that you are buying an original poster and not a reproduction, and check with the seller to make sure that the poster will be shipped in a way that will avoid damage in transit.

US Full-Size Double-Sided Movie Poster (27″ x 40″): This is a double-sided poster printed on heavy, glossy paper. These are the posters that are displayed in movie theaters. Double-sided in this case doesn’t mean the same image appears on both sides; there’s actually a mirror image on the back side with a matte finish. They are designed this way to look good when backlit, but will display very nicely in a standard frame. Retail price for the full-size poster is 19.95, but you can get them for a lot less on eBay. You can buy pre-made frames in this size at Michaels (a craft store) for about $25.00, but they go on sale from time to time for $10.00 or 50% off.

US Mini Poster (11″ x 17″): The mini poster is one-sided, printed on more lightweight paper. It’s very nice though, and would be a great option to frame if you are short on wall space. Also a good budget choice because frames are easy to find and cheap.

UK/International Double-Sided Movie Poster (27″ x 40″): This is a double-sided poster printed on heavy, glossy paper. These are the posters that are displayed in movie theaters. Double-sided in this case doesn’t mean the same image appears on both sides; there’s actually a mirror image on the back side with a matte finish.

UK/International Mini Poster (11″ x 17″): The mini poster is one-sided, printed on more lightweight paper. It’s very nice though, and would be a great option to frame if you are short on wall space. Also a good budget choice because frames are easy to find and cheap.

UK Quad Mini Poster (12″ x 16″): This mini poster takes the UK/International design and presents it in a landscape format.

German Movie Posters (23″ x 33″) and (33″ x 47″) Similar to the UK art, but slightly diffferent…and of course it’s in German These typically cost a lot of money because it is very expensive to ship items out of Germany, but I’ve found a US-based site, www.moviepostersusa.com which is selling the 23″ x 33″ for 9.95 plus about six dollars shipping. They say the posters are authentic; if they are this is a bargain.

US Full-Size Single-Sided DVD Poster (27″ x 40″): This official promotional poster was sent out to video stores for display to promote the Serenity DVD. You can probably find one by going to your local video store and asking them if you can have theirs after they take it down – ask them to keep it up longer than they plan to, to help promote the DVD! Your best bet is smaller video stores as I’ve found, at least in my area, that larger chains don’t seem to have them.

Cast Poster Single-sided poster with a promo pic of the cast. I haven’t seen it, but it’s inexpensive and might be well worth picking up. My only reservation is that the picture (while very good) doesn’t have the full cast, and as someone who loves every crew member, that doesn’t sit quite right with me.

Serenity Mylars: Mylars are the translucent cards used by movie theaters over the door to the theater and in the box office above the times for the movie. The larger ones that go over the door are called mylars, and the little box-office ones are mini-mylars. I have one of the full-size Serenity mylars framed and hanging above my bedroom door. I bought it from www.moviemylars.com. It’s very cool and happens to be great if you’re short on wall space. Reasonably priced custom frames to fit them can be found at www.americanframe.com.

Apparel and Accessories

Serenity T-shirts: These come in black and brown. A downloadable inkjet transfer of the logo was released online as well, and some people are selling shirts which are made with the inkjet transfer rather than professionally produced. These were given out at screenings and available through the late Universal Browncoats board.

Hints for telling if your shirt is authentic: the T-shirt brand on the label is M&O knits. The logo is raised, somewhat rough and rubbery. There’s a black base screen, part of which fades as a shadow and looks almost like black sharpie or similar. The white lettering is a bit puffy and raised higher than the other colors. The company that did these is Allied Advertising.

Serenity Hats: These are black baseball caps with an embroidered Serenity logo that were given out at screenings of the movie. They are one size fits all with an adjustable clasp.

Serenity Pins/Buttons: badges, to those in the UK). These were given out at screenings and the like. They are very nice, attractive, and have a high-quality look.

Serenity Keychain (US version): A clear plastic keychain with an insert showing the Serenity logo on one side and another version of the logo on the reverse with “cantstopthesignal.com” across it. These are very nice, and durable to boot! I’ve had one on my keychain for quite a while now and it still looks new. The plastic casing doesn’t seem too prone to scratching. These were given out at screenings.

Serenity Keychain (International version):

Press Kits and Similar

Serenity Press Kit: The Serenity Press Kit sent to print media (US version shown here) includes a press folder, a 32-page press booklet with photos, and a press CD containing high resolution images and a 23-meg 480×272 Quicktime encode of the trailer that starts with the trading station robbery.

Press Screening Pass: This is what the press screening passes look like, more or less. Press screenings generally take place in the week prior to release, for local media such as newspapers to see the movie for review. The back of each pass was slightly different depending on the theatre the screening was playing at and who sponsored the screening locally. The front is glossy though the back is not, and it’s printed on a light card stock. A nice promo item to have.

Press Junket CDs: A very rare trio of promotional audio CDs (I’ve never seen them on eBay), these “Press Junket” CDs are a series of group interviews with Joss and the main cast (except for Alan Tudyk, Ron Glass and Chiwetel Ejiofor) done for radio stations. A transcript (though I’m not sure if it’s complete) of these interviews can be found here: http://www.countingdown.com/features?feature_id=3783166

Serenity Press Sheet: 8.5″ x 11,” one-sided, printed on heavy, smooth, slightly shiny cardstock. Very nice item that is commonly used to collect cast autographs, because there is lots of black space that a silver sharpie shows up well on. Even without autographs, this would be a very nice, striking item to frame and put on your wall if movie posters aren’t your thing. There is another version which has pictures of the cast members that take up about half the card; there is still black space but less of it.

Serenity US Postcard: High-quality 5″ x 7″ postcard featuring the Serenity logo as it appeared painted on the ship. This is a very nice item; I framed mine that the lovely browncoat idrawart was kind enough to send to me. The front of the postcard is shown on the left; image of the back of the card is on the right.

Serenity US Postcard #2: Smaller 4 ” x 6″ postcard, featuring a variant of the US movie poster art. Also very nice quality and fun to have.

Serenity UK Postcards: There are 5 of these postcards, each featuring a different character. The characters are Mal, Zoe, Jayne, Inara, and River. The back of all cards is the same.

Serenity Trifold Brochure: Relight reports “I got mine at the third of the Can’t Stop The Signal screenings on June 23rd. I’m pretty sure they weren’t distributed before that, because everyone was raving about them after getting them. Very nice item. Again, printed on a glossy card stock.” I myself was lucky enough to get my hands on one of these the other day and it’s a very nice item to have; nice comments and a good cast picture. It’s quite large, 8.5″ x 11″ folded.

Serenity Exclusive Sneak Peek DVD: This DVD was available on July 26, 2005 in a plain white paper disc envelope as a free bonus with Best Buy’s original UK version release of the new 2004 Battlestar Galactica’s first season. It contains a promo video that is 12:37 in length and features many clips seen in other promotional videos but also many clips that are not seen in other promotional videos. Interestingly, the disc label is BATTLESTAR_GALACTICA, and many people bought this first season release of Battlestar Galactica just for this Serenity promo DVD. The DVD (or at least a version of it) was also sent to video stores to play in their TV monitors to promote the film, and as such, it loops automatically.

Universal Browncoats Forum Store Items

The late Universal browncoats forum featured a store where one could “purchase” items by accumulating points through participation in various challenges. These items were not for sale for cashy money. Some of the items were exclusive to the site; some not. These are the ones that were exclusive, as far as I know.

Serenity Logo Patches: This patch is 3″ across, very detailed and high-quality with dense stitching. All of the shading you see on the patch is stitched; nothing is printed on. It’s a fantastic Serenity collector’s item, and incidentally the only item I was able to get personally from the browncoats store. If you missed out on these, a slightly similar Serenity patch (not a copy of this one, but still shiny) is available through www.browncoatpatches.com.

Serenity Bandana: The design of this actually looks pretty cool in the picture. Anyone seen it in person?

Serenity Mugs: A blue insulated-coffee-mug style cup with the word Serenity on it. If anybody who actually owns one of these could send some comments, it would be appreciated.

Serenity Ship Window Cling: Static cling, goes on the inside of your window. Reportedly very shiny.

Serenity Chopsticks: One member who got these reported that they were plain light red plastic chopsticks. One says Serenity on it, and the other has the Chinese pinyin for Serenity. Packaged in a plastic bag. The image below was pulled off an image search; it conflicts a bit with the report above because both sticks say Serenity on them, so I’m not sure if these were from the store or somewhere else. Relight says he’s heard reports of people getting two of the same chopstick, so that may account for it.

Soundtrack CD Sampler: A promotional copy of the soundtrack, this CD was mainly available through the Browncoats Website Store. It cost 2000 credits. Although it contains the music from the soundtrack, it contains a slightly different track listing for the “Trading Station Robbery” track. On the official soundtrack, it is one track totalling 3:07. On the sampler, it is two tracks at 1:46 and 5:13. I’m not sure if the extra music from the sampler is included as another track on the official soundtrack, or how that all worked out. The sampler tracks are still available for download from www.cantstopthesignal.co.uk

Acquiring Promo Items

Most of these items will show up on eBay if you watch for them. Another option is to find a fellow browncoat who has extras and would be willing to sell or trade them. I have an area set up to post trade and exchange want lists at my forum, www.serenityverse.com/forum.

Acknowledgements

I wish to thank relight (Brandon Klassen in the real world) for his invaluable help providing pictures and descriptions for most of these items. Without his contributions, this page would just be a dry list of item names!

Serenity Soundtrack CD

jetflair — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 13:26:56 +0000

If you experienced a thrill in the theater when the music kicked in as the camera wraps around, showing Serenity for the first time, with the tiny figures of Mal and Wash visible through the window, you might just need to buy the soundtrack CD. It’s got that and other thrilling tracks from the movie. Notably missing is the acoustic version of the Ballad of Serenity played at the conclusion of the end credits, but otherwise it does a good job of representing the music of the movie. For me, the Firefly soundtrack is better at being something you can listen to all the way through repeatedly and still enjoy; if I had to choose between the two I would pick Firefly. But this has some awesome music on it and is well worth buying. Nice intro by Joss in the liner notes.

Rating: Worth The Cashy Money

Approximate Price: $14.00

Available From: amazon.com

Serenity Movie DVD, original 1-disk release

jetflair — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 13:25:36 +0000

Serenity Movie DVD This 1-disk dvd contains the movie plus special features including introduction and director’s commentary by Joss Whedon, deleted scenes and outtakes, and three featurettes: Future History: The Story of Earth That Was, What’s in a Firefly, and Re-Lighting the Firefly. While most fans wished for more to be included, all of the extras are wonderful and the DVD actually far exceeded my expectations. The special features are interesting, touching, and can be relished many times over. There is one deleted scene that is not not on the DVD (Mal and Inara sharing a moment on Miranda) which I would have loved to see, but I’m still not complaining too much.

While this is every browncoat’s most anticipated movie, the cover art has been the subject of much criticisim among fans. One rather cool thing about it is that someone had has sense of humor; the paper it’s printed on is quite literally “shiny.” I don’t think I’ve ever seen a DVD cover like it before. The good news is that if you truly hate it, you can print out one of the many wonderful and very professional covers created by fans. They’re hosted right on this site, in the image gallery. The overall cheapest place to purchase this online is www.deepdiscountdvd.com. Overstock.com sometimes has pretty good DVD prices too.

Serenity: 2 Disk Collector’s Edition

jetflair — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 13:23:03 +0000

At long last, there has been a collector’s edition of Serenity announced! Some special features are brand new, and some were previously available only on foreign editions. The markedly unpopular cover art of the first DVD has gone by the wayside, and the new cover design looks fantastic.

Special Features:
Intro by Joss Whedon
Director’s Commentary by Joss Whedon
Cast commentary with Nathan Fillion, Ron Glass, Adam Baldwin, and Summer Glau
Deleted Scenes (uncertain as to whether there will be any that were not on the original DVD release).
Extended Scenes
Outtakes
Take A Walk On Serenity featurette
The River Tam Sessions
Green Clan featurette
Future History: The Story Of Earth That Was featurette
Re-lighting The Firefly featurette
What’s In A Firefly? featurette
Sci-Fi Inside: Serenity feature
A Fruity Oaty Good Time

Serenity Role-Playing Game Books

jetflair — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 13:20:44 +0000

Serenity Role-Playing Game Book I’m not into role-playing games, so I’m not the one to evalute this as a game. I do own it however, and simply as a piece of Serenity merchandise it’s shiny. It’s a full-color, very detailed hardcover book with a lot of information in it. You can find details about the ‘verse like a floor plan of Serenity, the relative value of currency, how Sereity is powered, the characteristics of the planets, and a million other details. It’s a great resource for fan fiction writers or anyone interested in the details of the ‘verse. It has it’s own website, www.serenityrpg.com. You can buy it for a discount off the cover price at www.amazon.com, or order through the store on it’s official website for full cover price of $39.99 and have it autographed by Margeret Weiss and Jamie Chambers. The official store also sells a $99.99 250-copy signed limited edition.

Out To The Black: A second role-playing-game book, I guess based on the first. It’s written by Tracy and Laura Hickman. I don’t have it, so I can’t really review it. Cover art looks shiny though!