The Book Report #62
Episode #61
Firefly – Big Damn Hero by Nancy Holder and James Lovegrove
With Consulting Editor Joss Whedon
The Book
Published by Titan Books, a publication of Titan Publishing Group, in 2018 in hardback and then in 2020 in paperback. My copy is a second print paperback.
This copy has 416 pages with acknowledgements, about the authors and advertisements for the other books in the series.
What Did I Think
Serenity has a delivery to transport, but the cargo is extremely dangerous! It could blow at any wrong move, at any time. But Badger doesn’t care as long as they do the job and he gets paid.
River Tam is in constant contact with the chemicals, announcing when they are getting unhappy!
Just as they are about to head off, Mal gets a call for a possible extra job. Instead, he ends up being kidnapped, and the crew has to use their grit and determination and say bad words in Chinese to find and bring him home before his past comes back and hangs him.
It feels so good to be back in the ‘verse. Returning to the characters that were dumped from little faith by Fox.
Firefly is set five hundred years in the future, after everyone left the Earth that was. Captain Malcom Reynolds, the owner of Serenity and his crew of misfits try to make a buck or two transporting goods across the system while avoiding the Alliance.
Browncoats Unite!
I am a Browncoat. That is what fans of the series call ourselves. The same as Whovians for Doctor Who and Trekkies/ Trekkers for Star Trek fans, and I am, of course, a fan of all and more.
One of the reasons I have always loved the crew of the Serenity is that they were thrown together from all walks of life. They each have their problems, and they each help each other in their own way to deal with them. In the end, they rely on each other like an extended family. Acting accordingly, even the annoying uncle. Cough, cough, Jayne. But even he has a place. They felt that connection, and it just stuck.
Keeping Safe
They didn’t need to help the Tams, Simon and River. And they have had plenty of opportunities to dump them on the nearest moon. But they took on all the gorram crap that came with them.
I also think that by helping them, they are sticking another finger up at the Alliance.
There is Booker, a Shepherd, a future priest. A man of mystery. He doesn’t talk about his past, but we know he has a military background, and in this novel, we are allowed witness to a little of that backstory, even if the rest of the crew misses out.
We have help from Joss Whedon, who is helping to keep the soul of the story straight and true, creating the feeling of something like I never left. Even though it has been 22 years now.
It’s a fan-made trailer because the original promo for the show was bad.
Serenity – The Firefly movie.
The story and plot seem to be a rehash of maybe a couple of episodes from the series, a mix of episodes 5 and 10. But there is nothing wrong with that. I am extremely happy that I can continue to enjoy new adventures with the Serenity crew.
Here we have a chance at a smigging of a season 2 and beyond, which we were all denied. I believe this story is set after Season 1 and way before the movie.
Like a leaf on the wind, you can’t take the sky from me.
Would I Recommend
Of course, I am going to recommend it. This is one of those rare gems that never saw its full potential bloom.
The show is a mixture of science fiction/ western/ comedy/ drama. So if you like any of those, maybe give this book a go, or even try the TV series and movie.
Would you like to purchase your very own copy?
You could try these online stores: Amazon UK/USA. Waterstones. AbeBooks UK/ USA, Barnes and Noble and eBay UK/ USA.
Alternatively, you could try your local bookshop or even your local library.
