The X-Files FAQ explores Chris Carter's popular 1990s science-fiction TV series, which aired on Fox for nine seasons and inspired spin-offs, including feature films, TV shows, toys, novels, and comic books. The book explores the series in terms of its historical context and analyzes how many of the episodes tackle the events of their time: the Clinton era. The X-Files FAQ also tallies the episodes that are based on true stories, selects touchstone moments from the almost decade-long run, and organizes the series by its fantastic subject matter – from serial killers to aliens, from prehistoric menaces to ethnic and religious-based horrors. In addition, the book recalls the TV antecedents (Kolchak: The Night Stalker) and descendants (Fringe) of The X-Files, examines the two feature films, and investigates Chris Carter's other creations, including Millennium, The Lone Gunmen, Harsh Realm, and The After. Featuring numerous stills and the show's most prominent writers and directors, The X-Files FAQ allows readers to relive the “Mytharc” conspiracy and the unforgettable monsters of the week – from the Fluke Man to the Peacocks.

Television critics complain it's unrealistic--FBI agents Mulder and Scully tracking extraterrestrial intelligences loose upon the world. Followers of "The X-Files TV series can't seem to get enough. Now, author Hal Schuster offers fans the key to unlocking "The X-Files. His latest book, "Unauthorized Guide to The X-Files reveals everything the television network FOX doesn't want viewers to know. It will help readers unravel the story line, episode by episode. They'll discover bloopers that were covered up and others that went forgotten. They can download inside jokes, Internet data, and scoops about comic-book and novel clones. This x-traordinarily detailed guide provides a probing look at the "X-File series, which has received the Golden Globe Awards and recognition in the Emmys. From its conception to its fourth year on air, readers will discover: - What inspired Chris Carter, an ex-surfer, to create "The X-Files - How critics, the industry, and viewers have reacted to the series - How similar Anderson and Duchovny are to the characters Mulder and Scully - How many mistakes appear in an average episode of "The X-Files Even TV critics may want to investigate this one: "Unauthorized Guide to the X-Files opens with an analytical look at the latest real-life evidence pointing toward outer-space intelligence. According to Schuster, TV's most terrifying series may be far closer to reality than fiction. It also includes an extensive appendix that lists real-life "X-Files and the organizations that investigate them, as well as an overview of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Readers will find listed hundreds of magazines, agencies and on-line sites featuringthe sort of topics found on "The X-Files About the Author Hal Schuster is the author of "The Trekker's Guide to Voyager and "The Trekker's Guide to The Next Generation (both from Prima). He lives in Bangkok and Berkeley, California.

The Twilight Zone is among the most beloved shows in American television history, a pioneering fantasy behemoth that bridged the cultural gap between the 1950s and 1960s with thought-provoking mystery, mind-boggling theorems, and occasionally outright horror. The Twilight Zone FAQ takes the reader back to that halcyon era, looking back on the show and its impact as a force for societal change, via reflections on the manifold topics and controversies that the show took on – from the space race to the Red Menace, from paranoia to madness and beyond. Dave Thompson traces the history of the show – from its earliest flowering in the mind of then-unknown Rod Serling through its slow birth, shaky beginning, and breathless five-season run – and he shows how it became the blueprint for so much of the fantasy television that has followed. Chapters deal with the comic books, novels, and many other spin-offs, including the movie, the TV revamps, and even the amusement park ride. In addition, this FAQ offers a full guide to every episode, providing details on the cast and music and pinpointing both the best and the worst of the series, all adding up to a brightly opinionated time machine that catapults the reader back to the true golden age of American television.

Take a fast-paced survey of the ghosties, ghouls, and associated denizens of the country's haunted history with Haunted America FAQ. Tracing local ghost stories back to Native American legends and then forward through horror tales both ancient and modern, the book revisits some of the best known haunted locales, as well as some of the most obscure creepy places, in America. Delving deep into the cultural history of American hauntings, Haunted America FAQ includes chapters on ghostly books, movies, and television. Also included is an A-Z of reality-TV ghost hunts and a state-by-state gazetteer of haunted spots.

Looking for a comprehensive chronicle of the films of legendary director, screenwriter, and producer John Hughes? You’re holding it in your hands. Covering the entirety of Hughes's career, from his earliest features through to his mainstream box-office successes, John Hughes FAQ explores the key factors that contributed to his legendary status in the world of cinema. While Hughes has become especially well known for the eight films that he directed between 1984 and 1991—including Sixteen Candles (1984), The Breakfast Club (1985), and Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)—he made a considerably greater contribution to cinema through the dozens of high-profile screenplays that he developed for production throughout the '80s and '90s. John Hughes FAQ investigates many different aspects of Hughes's prolific career in film—discussing his distinctive flair for creating entertaining and engaging characters, his enthusiasm for new technology and eventful road trips, and his insightful social commentary on class and culture. Considering the entire sweep of Hughes's work behind the camera, John Hughes FAQ focuses not only on the popular classics of his filmography but also on many of his movies that have achieved a certain cultural prominence over the passing years.

TV game shows are an American pastime, broadcast ratings champ, and cultural institution. Lavishly illustrated and filled with entertaining titbits, Game Shows FAQ presents an unprecedented look at how the game show genre has evolved in the past hundred years. From its earliest days as a promotional tool for newspapers, to the high-browed panel games on radio, to the scandalous years of the quiz shows, to the glitzy and raucous games of the 1970s, to the prime-time extravaganzas of the modern era – this book examines the most relevant game shows of every decade, exploring how the genre changed and the reasons behind its evolution. Packed with photos and mementos to give a feel of how game shows evolved over the years, the book includes interviews and insights from the shows' beloved hosts, including Wink Martindale and Marc Summers, executives Bob Boden and Jamie Klein, and producers Aaron Solomon and Mark Maxwell-Smith, among others. Game Shows FAQ offers a richly detailed lineage of this American television institution.

In this volume, author John Corcelli reveals Zappa's roots as a musician, from his diverse influences to his personal life. We also learn more about his former band members and the enormous musical legacy inherited by his son, Dweezil. The book features a juried examination of Zappa's recordings and his videos. It also features a complete discography and a recommended reading list. Each chapter has a special focus on Zappa's life, with sections covering his family, his home studio – known as the Utility Muffin Research Kitchen – his keen interest in the Synclavier (a device he first used in 1980), his guitars, and more. Special attention is paid to the Mothers of Invention. Frank Zappa FAQ is a must-have for fans new and old looking to delve into some of the best music ever made by one of the most innovative artists the world has known.

For more than 50 years John Waters has been staging a coup against the good taste of the American public. From the ultimate gross-out in Pink Flamingos to the amazing general-audience rating of his biggest hit Hairspray, Waters has been subverting viewers' expectations with comedies that stretch past the boundaries of even today's jaded audiences. A provocateur of bad taste in a glorious way, Waters started out as an outsider with a camera and a small circle of fellow delinquents. In tearing down icons of the silver screen, Waters would create his own that are used still by others in movies and television. And that's only part of the tale. John Waters FAQ looks at how a nice boy from the right side of the tracks would end up becoming a demon of society and the influences that drove his ambition in moviemaking. Also featured are biographical information of the Dreamlanders -- the actors and crew members who would join Waters on his adventures in filmland over the years, including Waters's best-remembered find Divine. Beyond chapters dedicated to the making of each of his films -- from Hag in a Black Leather Jacket to his most recent A Dirty Shame -- there are those covering his career as a writer and artist. Also reviewed are his acting career in other people's television shows and movies over the years, Water's interest in music, and projects that never were to be. John Waters FAQ covers it all in the career of a man who started out with a dream of becoming an underground filmmaker and became so much more.

Twin Peaks, the infamously strange, seductive, and confounding murder mystery that made network television safe for surrealism, is returning to the small screen after 25 years. Created by David Lynch and Mark Frost, the series enjoys a hallowed standing in popular culture and remains a touchstone in the evolution of TV as an artistic medium. For its many intensely devoted fans, Twin Peaks continues to beguile and disturb and delight; it's a bottomless well of allusions, symbols, conundrums to ponder and images to unpack, an endlessly engrossing puzzle box, an obsessive's dream. Twin Peaks FAQ will guide longtime fans and the newly initiated through the origins of the series, take them behind the scenes during its production, and transport readers deep into the rich mythology that made Twin Peaks a cultural phenomenon. The book features detailed episode guides, character breakdowns, and explorations of the show's distinctive music, fashion, and locations. With a sometimes snarky, always thoughtful (but never dry or academic) analysis of Twin Peaks' myriad oddities, mysteries, references, and delicious insanity, Twin Peaks FAQ is a comprehensive, immersive, and irresistible reference for experts and newbies alike.

In October 2016, the Swedish Academy finally conceded to a quarter-century's worth of clamorous petitions and sustained lobbying enacted by a chorus of poets, novelists, songwriters, and academics. At long last, Bob Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, his vast corpus spread out like Highway 61 behind him. How is a Dylan debutante to make sense of the song and dance man's six decade career? How might a diehard Dylan fanatic stumble upon something they didn't know they didn't know? Why, with award-winning journalist Bruce Pollock's Bob Dylan FAQ, of course! Bob Dylan FAQ, the latest installment in Backbeat's FAQ series, condenses the life and times of America's premier songster into an addictively vivacious 400-page brick jam-packed with critical analysis, minutiae, photographs, ephemera, and period history. Every aspect of Dylan's life and career, from his ever-expanding discography, touring history, fallow periods, literary and visual artistic efforts, peers, influences, and legacy to his devoted fanbase and their, is explored. Best of all, the book's structure invites perusing at any random point, as each chapter serves as a freestanding article on its subject. Dive into Dylanana with Bob Dylan FAQ!