Showing posts with label 2016. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2016. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 15, 2025

On this day in movie history - Brave New Jersey (movie & book):


Brave New Jersey

directed by Jody Lambert,
written by Michael Dowling and Jody Lambert,
was released at the Austin Film Festival in the United States on October 15, 2016.
Music by Dennis Lambert, Matthew Logan Vasquez and Kelly Winrich.
Based on Orson Welles’ dramatized radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds,
in turn based on the novel by H. G. Wells,
broadcast as part of the CBS Radio series The Mercury Theatre on the Air, on October 30, 1938.


Cast:

Anna Camp, Tony Hale, Erika Alexander, Sam Jaeger, Heather Burns, Evan Jonigkeit, Raymond J. Barry, Dan Bakkedahl, Grace Kaufman, Mel Rodriguez, Matt Oberg, Sandra Ellis Lafferty, Noah Lomax, Leonard Earl Howze, Adina Eady, Blaque Fowler, Helen Ingebritsen, Jack Landry, Roy Hawkins Jr., Bill Coelius, Michael Dowling, Antoinette Cancelliere, Harp Sandman, David Lundgren, Bruce Boone, Kerry D. Watson, Dean Allen Jones, Anna Claire Watson, Kerry Watson, Jennifer Cooke Turnage, Daniel Debouver, Wes McGullion, Leilani Stephens, Nancy Potts, Chelsea Summerlin, Brian Keith Huggins, Robin Wilson, Gabriel Landis, Kathy Winchell, Dustin Wilson, Brianna Stephens, Melissa Dawn Roberts, Travis Smith, Lynda Austin, Ricky Wilson Jr., Mitch Norville, Stephanie Watson, Patrick Miller.

Recommended reading:


Dead Air: The Night That Orson Welles Terrified America

By William Elliott Hazelgrove.

Published by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.

Published 2024.
Hardcover.
ISBN-10: 1538187167
ISBN-13: 978-1538187166

Description:

A "granular history" (Wall Street Journal) of the greatest hoax in radio history and the panic that followed, which Publishers Weekly calls "a rollicking portrait of a director on the cusp of greatness" and Booklist, in a starred review, says, "Hazelgrove’s feverishly focused retelling of the broadcast as well as the fallout makes for a propulsive read as a study of both a cultural moment of mass hysteria and the singular voice at its root.”

On a warm Halloween Eve, October 30, 1938, during a broadcast of H G. Wells’ War of the Worlds, a twenty-three-year-old Orson Welles held his hands up for radio silence in the CBS studio in New York City while millions of people ran out into the night screaming, grabbed shotguns, drove off in cars, and hid in basements, attics, or anywhere they could find to get away from Martians intent on exterminating the human race. As Welles held up his hands to his fellow actors, musicians, and sound technicians, he turned six seconds of radio silence – dead air – into absolute horror, changing the way the world would view media forever, and making himself one of the most famous men in America.

In Dead Air: The Night that Orson Welles Terrified America, Willliam Elliot Hazelgrove illustrates for the first time how Orson Welles’ broadcast caused massive panic in the United States, convincing listeners across the nation that the end of the World had arrived and even leading military and government officials to become involved. Using newspaper accounts of the broadcast, Hazelgrove shows the true, staggering effect that Welles’ opera of panic had on the nation. Beginning with Welles’ incredible rise from a young man who lost his parents early to a child prodigy of the stage, Dead Air introduces a Welles who threw his Hail Mary with War of the Worlds, knowing full well that obscurity and fame are two sides of the same coin. Hazelgrove demonstrates that Welles’ knew he had one shot to grab the limelight before it forever passed him by – and he made it count.

In this fine-grained account, historian Hazelgrove (Writing Gatsby) chronicles the mass hysteria that accompanied Orson Welles's infamous 1938 radio adaptation of H.G. Wells's The War of the Worlds. Hazelgrove presents Welles as an actor of immense ambition and preternatural talent, noting that by age 22, he had put on headline-grabbing plays (the government shut down his 1937 production of The Cradle Will Rock, fearing its pro-labor themes would be incendiary) and traveled around New York City in a faux ambulance to move more quickly between his numerous radio and theatrical commitments. The author recounts the rushed scriptwriting process for War of the Worlds and offers a play-by-play of the broadcast, but he lavishes the most attention on the havoc Welles wreaked. Contemporaneous news accounts reported college students fighting to telephone their parents, diners rushing out of restaurants without paying their bills, families fleeing to nearby mountains to escape the aliens' poisonous gas, and even one woman's attempted suicide. Hazelgrove largely brushes aside contemporary scholarship questioning whether the hysteria's scope matched the sensational news reports, but he persuasively shows how the incident reignited elitist fears that "Americans were essentially gullible morons" and earned Welles the national recognition he'd yearned for. It's a rollicking portrait of a director on the cusp of greatness. – Publishers Weekly.

Orson Welles may be best known for his film Citizen Kane, but a much earlier outing in his career led to the opportunity to make such an artistically ambitious undertaking. Hazelgrove charts Welles' rise from a hectic childhood to the anointed genius of stage, radio, and, eventually, film. But it was the night before Halloween in 1938 when Welles' bombastic radioplay rendition of H.G Wells' War of the Worlds, styled as a breaking-news report, caused an uproar. Arriving at a nexus point when Americans began not only to rely on the relatively new invention of radio for entertainment but also as a trusted news source, the radioplay brought many who were listening to the brink of madness, wholly believing that aliens had actually touched down in a New Jersey town. Suicides, car accidents, and general unrest swept the country, and, at show's end, Welles could only wonder if his career (and even freedom) was over too. Hazelgrove's feverishly focused retelling of the broadcast as well as the fallout makes for a propulsive read as a study of both a cultural moment of mass hysteria and the singular voice at its root. – Booklist, Starred Review.

William Elliott Hazelgrove's richly anecdotal "Dead Air" is the story of Welles's landmark October 1938 radio broadcast and the nationwide panic that resulted. Welles's "you are there" adaptation, crafted to imitate a breaking-news bulletin, sent a tremor of panic into listeners across the country who believed it to be a real report of a flying-saucer invasion. Mr. Hazelgrove has scoured regional newspapers of the time to provide a ground-level view of the hysteria that Welles's radio drama instilled—on the night before Halloween, no less. – Wall Street Journal.

"A fantastical tale about Martians coming to earth and incinerating humans with heat ray guns - up to 12 million people tuned in and were convinced aliens were exterminating the human race." – Daily Mail UK.

"The book highlights what made Welles' production particularly powerful, airing at a time when millions remained unemployed from the Great Depression and the nation was on edge about the threat of Nazi Germany. He details how Welles took advantage of those fears, including using an actor who sounded like Franklin D. Roosevelt for a part in his broadcast.

"A bottled-up sense of panic was in the air and people could almost smell the fear," he writes. "Orson Welles would open that bottle and let the fear run wild." – Associated Press.

"A convincing portrait of the artist as a young man—defiant, reckless, ruthless, and teeming with talent and ambition—Dead Air packs delights worthy of its subject." – New York Journal of Books.

Tuesday, October 7, 2025

On this day in movie history - Phantasm V: Ravager (movie & book):


Phantasm V: Ravager

aka Phantasm: RaVager and Phantasm: Ravager,
directed by David Hartman,
written by David Hartman and Don Coscarelli,
was released in the United States on October 7, 2016.
Music by Christopher L. Stone.


Cast:

A. Michael Baldwin, Reggie Bannister, Dawn Cody, Gloria Lynne Henry, Stephen Jutras, Kathy Lester, Bill Thornbury, Daniel Roebuck, Daniel Schweiger, Cean Okada, Joe Jefferson, Kenneth V. Jones, Cesare Gagliardoni, Kathleen Hartman, Tim Divar, Vinton Heuck, Tyler O. Super, Jonathan Sims, Kyle Shire, Jay Oliva, Angus Scrimm, James Brink.


Recommended reading:

Further Exhumed:
The Strange Case of Phantasm Ravager

By Dustin McNeill.

Published by Harker Press.
Published 2018.
ISBN-10: 069205703X
ISBN-13: 978-0692057032

Description:

IT'S A STORY OF BLOOD, SWEAT AND SPHERES!
The fifth and final PHANTASM took an incredible eight years to go from set to screen. The project began as an experimental short before becoming a thirteen-part web series and finally a feature length sequel. Shot in secret on a microbudget, RAVAGER reunites PHANTASM's core cast thirty-five years after the original cult classic. The new sequel filmed not in Hollywood soundstages but in the homes of cast and crew. Visual effects were handled mostly by the director. Decades-old props were taken out of storage and dusted off for reuse. They just don't make movies like this anymore. In fact, they never really did to begin with. Such is THE STRANGE CASE OF PHANTASM RAVAGER!

FURTHER EXHUMED includes:

A thorough chronicle of the journey from web series to feature film.
Analysis of unproduced scripts by Roger Avary and Stephen Romano.
Examination of RAVAGER’s story, themes and conclusion.
Info on deleted scenes and alternate dialogue.
Why the film was delayed years after announcement.
Details on filming locations and special effects.
A breakdown of the Red Credit sequence.
Phantasmic Drink Recipes and Trivia Questions from the Hollywood Premiere.
More tips and tricks for better embalming (still kidding!)

Wednesday, October 1, 2025

October in movie history - Keepers of the Magic (2016):


Keepers of the Magic

documentary directed and written by Vic Sarin,
was released at the Vancouver International Film Festival in Canada in October, 2016.
Exact release date unknown.
Music by Justin R. Durban.

Cast:

Roger Deakins, Vittorio Storaro, Gordon Willis, César Charlone, Sam Mendes, George Miller, Philippe Rousselot, Bruno Delbonnel, John Boorman.

Thursday, September 25, 2025

On this day in movie history - S is for Stanley: 30 Years Behind the Wheel with Stanley Kubrick (2015):


S is for Stanley:
30 Years Behind the Wheel with Stanley Kubrick

documentary directed by Alex Infascelli,
written by Alex Infascelli, Vincenzo Scuccimarra and Filippo Ulivieri,
based on the autobiography Stanley Kubrick and Me by Emilio D'Alessandro,
was released at Fantastic Fest in the United States on September 25, 2016.
Music by John Cummings.

Cast:

Emilio D'Alessandro, Alex Infascelli, Roberto Pedicini, Clive Riche, Janette Woolmore.

Tuesday, September 16, 2025

On this day in music history - Whispers from Silence, by Tom Moore & Sherry Finzer (2016):


Whispers from Silence

Album by Tom Moore & Sherry Finzer,
released September 16, 2016.

Track list:

Awakening Breath; Toward the One; Whispers from Silence; Infinite Space; Way of the Heart; Yugen; Peace Within; An Ancient Presence.

Tuesday, September 9, 2025

On this day in movie history - Sully (2016):


Sully

aka Sully: Miracle on the Hudson,
directed by Clint Eastwood,
written by Todd Komarnicki,
based on the book Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters by Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger and Jeffrey Zaslow,
was released in the United States on September 9, 2016.
Music by Christian Jacob and The Tierney Sutton Band.


Cast:

Tom Hanks, Aaron Eckhart, Valerie Mahaffey, Delphi Harrington, Mike O'Malley, Jamey Sheridan, Anna Gunn, Holt McCallany, Ahmed Lucan, Laura Linney, Laura Lundy, Onira Tares, Gary Weeks, Katie Couric, Jeff Kober, Blake Jones, Molly Bernard, Chris Bauer, Jane Gabbert, Ann Cusack, Molly Hagan, Purva Bedi, Max Adler, Sam Huntington, Christopher Curry, Ashley Austin Morris, Cooper Thornton, Autumn Reeser, Jeffrey Nordling, Patch Darragh, Robert C. Treveiler, Billy Richards, Aida Manassy, Pascal Yen-Pfister, Marcia DeBonis, Noel Fisher, Adam Boyer, Wilbur Fitzgerald, Michael Rapaport, Vincent Lombardi, Jeremy Luke, Bernardo Badillo, Jerry Ferrara, Viktoria Khartchenko, Randall Pinkston, Graham Sibley, Grant Roberts, Wayne Bastrup, Bobby Cuza, Billy Smith, Martin Barabas, E. Roger Mitchell, Robert Pralgo, Clayton Landey, Tracee Chimo Pallero, Brett Rice, Kristine Johnson, Larry Guthrie, Lucy Young, Lori Cline, Jon Witten, Vickie Adams, Shane P. Allen, Scott Alan Berk, Larry Blanks, Roger Brenner, Lisa Brown, Aric Bunch, Kris Bunch, Phil Cappadora, Christine J. Carlson, Leslie Castay, Marc Chouen, Sonia Conlin, Jameson Jamey Copeland, Vicki Damante, Venus Dana, Michael-Scott Druckenmiller, Payson Durant, Mark Falvo, D. Paul Faulkner, Cathy Fielding, Noelle Angelica Fink, Christopher G Gates, Tahseen Ghauri, Melissa Kay Glaze, Steve Goffner, Takako Haywood, Drew Neal Horton, Jedediah Jenk, Michael D. Joseph, Jay D. Kacho, Inder Kumar, Benny Laurence, Michael Layman, Kamron Leal, Scott Ledbetter, Taylor Lee, Lynn Marocola, Doris McCarthy, Lindsey McCollough, Kevin Edward McGinn, Scarlett Mellinger, Sierra Mellinger, Frank Mercuri, Gary Miller, Kelly L. Moran, Josh Mowery, Michael Peavey, Clay Pool, David Philip Reed, Shaun Rey, Patti Schellhaas, Denise Scilabra, Vanessa Scull, Daniel Patrick Shook, Nancy Ellen Shore, Megan Monaghan Smith, Patty Tobin, Miguel J. Torres, Brad Trettien, Brandon Van Vliet, Mark White, Justin Michael Woods.

On this day in movie history - The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016):


The Autopsy of Jane Doe

directed by André Øvredal,
written by Ian Goldberg, Richard Naing,
released at the Toronto International Film Festival in Canada on September 9, 2016.
Music by Danny Bensi, Saunder Jurriaans.

Cast:

Brian Cox, Emile Hirsch, Ophelia Lovibond, Michael McElhatton, Olwen Catherine Kelly, Jane Perry, Parker Sawyers, Mary Duddy, Mark Phoenix, Sydney (the cat), Arath de la Torre, Yves O'Hara.

On this day in music history: Second Time Around, by Joan Jeanrenaud & Charlie Varon (2016):


Second Time Around

Album by Joan Jeanrenaud & Charlie Varon,
released September 9, 2016.

Track list:

Overture and the Kid; Starting Over; Imagining a Grandson’s Visit; Lunch with Selma and Adele; Scotch and a Crossword; The Kid Returns; Truth Be Told.

Tuesday, August 12, 2025

On this day in movie history - Hell or High Water (2016):


Hell or High Water

directed by David Mackenzie,
written by Taylor Sheridan,
was released in the United States on August 12, 2016.
Music by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis.


Cast:

Ben Foster, Chris Pine, William Sterchi, Buck Taylor, Kristin K. Berg, Jeff Bridges, Dale Dickey, Gil Birmingham, Keith Meriweather, Jackamoe Buzzell, Katy Mixon, Amber Midthunder, Joe Berryman, Taylor Sheridan, Howard Ferguson Jr., Debrianna Mansini, Paul Howard Smith, Nathaniel Augustson, Ariel Holmes, Marie A.K. McMaster, Jim Burleson, Gregory Cruz, Melanie Papalia, Kim Gleason, Alma Sisneros, Kevin Rankin, Margaret Bowman, Ivan Brutsche, Marin Ireland, John-Paul Howard, Kevin Wiggins, Dylan Kenin, Nicole Brady, Richard Christie, Heidi Sulzman, Christopher W. Garcia, Rick Anglada, Brian Barela, Richard Beal, Brian Bolman, Mary Bowman, Marika Day, Lyle DeRose, Melissa-Lou Ellis, Michael Fletcher, Crystal Gonzales, Karen M. Hudson, Darlene Kellum, James E. Lane, Ricky Lee, Jameson Macmillan, Lora Martinez-Cunningham, Gustavo Montes, Martin Palmer, Terry Dale Parks, Francisco Peramos, Daniel Pimentel, Jack T. Silliman, J. Nathan Simmons, Michael E. Stogner, Aaron Templeton, Art Westgate, Kathie Westgate, Danny Winn, Julian Wondolowski.

On this day in movie history - Anthropoid (2016):


Anthropoid

directed by Sean Ellis,
written by Sean Ellis and Anthony Frewin,
was released in the United States on August 12, 2016.
Music by Robin Foster.


Cast:

Jamie Dornan, Cillian Murphy, Brian Caspe, Karel Hermánek Jr., Sára Arnsteinová, Hana Frejková, Sean Mahon, Jan Hájek, Marcin Dorocinski, Toby Jones, Alena Mihulová, Bill Milner, Charlotte Le Bon, Pavel Reznícek, Anna Geislerová, Vaclav Marek and his Blue Star, Justin Svoboda, Harry Lloyd, Václav Neuzil, Jirí Simek, Detlef Bothe.

Wednesday, July 30, 2025

Recommended reading - The Bee Book (2016):


The Bee Book

The Wonder of Bees. How to Protect Them. Beekeeping know-how.

Authors: Fergus Chadwick, Steve Alton, Emma Sarah Tennant, Bill Fitzmaurice, Judy Earl.

Published by DK.
Published 2016.
Hardcover.
First Edition.
ISBN-13: 9781465443830

Back cover description:

Bees are vital to the future of the planet, yet they are under threat and in decline.
The Bee Book offers remarkable insights into their world and shows how we can support and enjoy them in our daily lives.
What makes bees such perfect pollinators?
How can we adapt our outdoor spaces to feed and attract the widest variety of bees?
How is honey harvested?
Find answers to these questions and so much more in this beautiful celebration of bees.

Tuesday, July 22, 2025

On this day in music history - Beyond Dreams: Pathways To Deep Relaxation, by Hennie Bekker (2016):


Beyond Dreams: Pathways To Deep Relaxation

Album by Hennie Bekker,
released July 22, 2016.

Track list:

Self Connect; Floating to Forever; Letting Go; The Calm; Quiescence; Beyond Dreams.

On this day in movie history - Star Trek: Beyond (2016):


Star Trek: Beyond

directed by Justin Lin,
written by Simon Pegg and Doug Jung,
was released in the United States on July 22, 2016.
Music by Michael Giacchino.


Cast:

Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, John Cho, Anton Yelchin, Idris Elba, Sofia Boutella, Joe Taslim, Lydia Wilson, Sara Maria Forsberg, Deep Roy, Melissa Roxburgh, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Greg Grunberg, Danny Pudi, Kim Kold, Anita Brown, Dan Payne, Shea Whigham, Leonard Nimoy, George Takei, Walter Koenig, William Shatner, James Doohan, DeForest Kelley, Nichelle Nichols, Jeff Bezos.

Tuesday, July 8, 2025

On this day in music history - Beautiful Broken, by Heart (2016):


Beautiful Broken

Album by Heart,
released July 8, 2016.

Track list:

Beautiful Broken; Two; Sweet Darlin’; I Jump; Johnny Moon; Heaven; City’s Burning; Down on Me; One Word; Language of Love.

Tuesday, June 17, 2025

On this day in music history - In The Midst of Stars, by Majestica (2016):


In The Midst of Stars

Album by Majestica / aka Sherry Finzer & Cass Anawaty,
Released June 17, 2016.

Track list:

In the Midst of Stars; Carousel; In Bloom; Close of Day; Lone Mountain; View from the Summit; How Does It Feel; Aurora Australis.

Saturday, June 14, 2025

Recommended reading - Mastering Black & White Photography, by John Walmsley (2016):


Mastering Black & White Photography

By John Walmsley.

Published by Ammonite Press.
Published 2016.
ISBN-10: 1781450870
ISBN-13: 9781781450871

Description:

Mastering Black & White Photography is the definitive work on how to shoot black & white images on today's sophisticated digital SLR and compact digital cameras and smart phones.

Jargon-busting text, illustrated with the author's own stunning images, explains the theory behind digital photography, along with a guide to the equipment and software needed to take outstanding images. The book explains the basics of exposure and good composition, file types, manipulating captured images using popular software, and applying special effects (such as split toning, simulating film grain, lith prints and using cyanotypes). A printing chapter discusses outputting and displaying images.

Sunday, June 8, 2025

Recommended reading - In Sunlight or In Shadow: Stories Inspired by the Paintings of Edward Hopper (2016):


In Sunlight or In Shadow:
Stories Inspired by the Paintings of Edward Hopper

Edited by Lawrence Block.

Published 2016.
ISBN: 9781681772455

Description:

A truly unprecedented literary achievement by author and editor Lawrence Block – a newly commissioned anthology of seventeen superbly crafted stories inspired by the paintings of Edward Hopper.

"Edward Hopper is surely the greatest American narrative painter. His work bears special resonance for writers and readers, and yet his paintings never tell a story so much as they invite viewers to find for themselves the untold stories within."

So says Lawrence Block, who has invited seventeen outstanding writers to join him in an unprecedented anthology of brand-new stories: In Sunlight or In Shadow. The results are remarkable and range across all genres, wedding literary excellence to storytelling savvy.

Contributors include Stephen King, Joyce Carol Oates, Robert Olen Butler, Michael Connelly, Megan Abbott, Craig Ferguson, Nicholas Christopher, Jill D. Block, Joe R. Lansdale, Justin Scott, Kris Nelscott, Warren Moore, Jonathan Santlofer, Jeffery Deaver, Lee Child, and Lawrence Block himself. Even Gail Levin, Hopper’s biographer and compiler of his catalogue raisonée, appears with her own first work of fiction, providing a true account of art theft on a grand scale and told in the voice of the country preacher who perpetrated the crime.

In a beautifully produced anthology as befits such a collection of acclaimed authors, each story is illustrated with a quality full-color reproduction of the painting that inspired it.

Tuesday, May 20, 2025

On this day in music history - The Modern Romantic, by Laura Sullivan (2016):


The Modern Romantic

Album by Laura Sullivan,
released May 20, 2016.

Track list:

WInds of Magic; Moonlight Romance; Timeless; Come Home; The Most Beautiful Girl in the World; Finding You Finding Me; The Princess Dance; A Tender Obsession; Fairytale Waltz; I Will Remember.

Tuesday, May 13, 2025

On this day in movie history - The Trust (2016):


The Trust

directed by Alex Brewer and Benjamin Brewer,
written by Adam Hirsch and Benjamin Brewer,
was released in the United States on May 13, 2016.
Music by Reza Safinia.

Cast:

Nicolas Cage, Elijah Wood, Sky Ferreira, Eric Heister, Alexandria Lee, Ethan Suplee, Kenna James, Steven Williams, Carl Windom Carlito, Jerry Lewis, Lisa Mack, Marc D. Donovan, Kevin Weisman, Erica Vanlee, Tommie Vegas, Christie Beran, Jeff Manning, Ronnie Thurmand Jr., Jeff Howard, Keston John, Reagan Pfifer, Ashley Campbell, Joe Palubinsky, Jay Hieron, Vanessa Campbell, Paul Vato, Xin Yi Gan, Jiaming Zhang, Marcus Weiss, James D. Smith Jr., Michael Beal, Andre Body, Tom Bonello, Alex Brewer, Benjamin Brewer, Shawn Wilson, Lisa Gardner, Alexander Garganera, Keith L. Hall, David Hershwitzky, Avo Jabourian, Slim Khezri, Kimya Mallory, R.H. McClurg, Bryan Moore, Jan Paulo Musni, Allyson Newell, Elise Quintana, Abigail Rich, Mark Roman, Jonathan Ruggiero, Mark Sawtelle.

Saturday, April 26, 2025

Recommended reading - Star Trek: The Official Guide to Our Universe, by Andrew Fazekas (2016):


Star Trek: The Official Guide to Our Universe

The True Science Behind the Starship Voyages

By Andrew Fazekas.

Foreword by William Shatner.

Published by National Geographic.
Illustrated edition.
Published 2016.
Hardcover.
ISBN-10: 1426216521
ISBN-13: 978-1426216527

Description:

This book reveals the science behind Star Trek’s beloved fictions about the universe, inviting readers to gaze up at the night sky and observe where the Starfleet has gone. Many of the galactic destinations featured in Star Trek over the years – multiple star systems, alien worlds, supernova explosions, emission nebulae, voracious black holes – are scientifically valid, so much so that one can step out and view them in the night sky. In this book astronomy educator Andrew Fazekas, “The Night Sky Guy,” takes you on that journey, starting with specific Star Trek voyages, explaining the science behind them, and guiding you in observing and learning more about the real-universe corollaries of planets and places in the Star Trek universe.

With a foreword from William Shatner and stunningly illustrated with hundreds of full-color images – some artists’ interpretations and some real images generated by the most recent NASA missions – plus stills of favorite Star Trek scenes and characters, Star Trek The Official Guide to Our Universe uses Star Trek to teach astronomy, taking every reader on a voyage of discovery. From Altair to Vega, from red giants to white dwarfs, from our solar system to exoplanets we are only beginning to imagine, the book visits dozens of celestial objects, spotlighting some 20 in careful scientific detail and offering easy-to-follow star-gazing instructions to find them in the night sky.

No warp-driven starship, not even a telescope is required to go on these voyages: Most destinations are bright enough to be seen with the naked eye. For Star Trek fans and budding stargazers who are ready to launch their own space mission, this inventive book blends science and fiction, making learning fun and making Star Trek’s 50th all the more worthy of celebration.