The only comprehensive critical guide to the beloved sci-fi phenomenon

A Dream Given Form provides an accessible, comprehensive, and critical look at Babylon 5, one of the most groundbreaking series of all time. Nearly 20 years after the show ended, this indispensable companion not only covers all five seasons of Babylon 5, but also the feature-length TV movies, the spinoff series Crusade (including three non-produced episodes), The Legend of the Rangers, The Lost Tales, the canonical novels, the DC comic book series, and the short stories set in the Babylon 5 universe. Each season and text is explored thoroughly with an in-depth look at how the individual episodes, books, stories, and comics fit into larger ongoing storylines.

Carefully constructed to be enjoyed by both those who have watched the series multiple times and viewers watching for the first time, A Dream Given Form elucidates without spoiling and illuminates without nitpicking.

Unwrap a treasure trove of stories and photos behind a Christmas tradition

A Christmas Story has become a perennial holiday favourite since its release in 1983. While millions watch the movie every year on television, few know the story behind the film’s production, release, and unlikely ascent. Ralphie Parker’s quest for “a Red Ryder carbine action, two hundred shot Range Model air rifle with a compass in the stock and this thing which tells time” didn’t begin or end with the release of Bob Clark’s sleeper hit. Adapted from Jean Shepherd’s radio broadcasts and short stories, A Christmas Story has inspired a mountain of merchandise, sequels, a stage adaptation, and a big–budget Broadway musical. There’s also a tourist attraction in Cleveland and annual conventions. Not bad for a movie that was only a modest hit during its original theatrical run. Now, in time for its 30th anniversary, the story of the making of the film — and what happened afterwards — is being told for the first time. Complete with rare and previously unreleased photographs and drawing on original interviews with cast and crew, A Christmas Story: Behind the Scenes of a Holiday Classic is sure to make you glad you didn’t shoot your eye out!

Just Mary and Maggie Muggins are names that will arouse memories in those who grew up with CBC radio and television in the 1940s and 1950s. The creator of these and other children’s shows, former Fredericton schoolteacher Mary Grannan, became a radio star when she hit the national airwaves in 1939, her popularity peaking when Maggie Muggins moved to television in 1955. Long before The Friendly Giant and Mr. Dressup appeared, her work helped to shape the legacy of gentle children’s programming on CBC. Building on her broadcasting success, Grannan published over thirty books, most runaway best-sellers. Attired in stylish dress, extravagant hats, and enormous earrings, she made frequent guest appearances at public events across the country. She received the Beaver Award for her broadcasting and was honoured by the International Mark Twain Society and the Institute for Education by Radio at Ohio State University."Just Mary": The Life of Mary Evelyn Grannan is the first biography of this creative and once well-known Canadian woman. Immersing the reader in rich detail while showcasing excerpts of her writings through the years, the book presents an intimate examination of her life journey through previously unreleased personal letters, archives, an abundance of photographs, and interviews with family, friends, colleagues, and former students. This is the private Mary Grannan as the public has never before known her.

STAR POWER! establishes a new wave of Acting. It speaks to current and relevant  issues that creative Actors are grappling with: How do I “BE” authentic and respond from my truth and still BE the character? How do I respond spontaneously and still fulfill the Director's vision? How do I bring my rich inner imaginative world out to be visible in the material world? What is the the“IT” factor? It’s STAR POWER! STAR POWER! engages the Actor in new possibilities, helping them develop their Authentic Self and define their Individual Signature. As an acting coach, it is Ms. Shurin’s job to transform good actors into “brilliant” ones. This is a book about Ms. Shurin’s new discoveries on how to create an Individual Signature for the actor. The combination of “Individual Signature”, becoming that “brilliant actor” and having the the “commitment” to become a star is the missing link. Actors of all levels of experience will find interesting interviews from industry professionals and fellow Actors confirming these principles. STAR POWER! works. It is the future of acting. Ms. Shurin has recently found that these same principles benefit anyone in any profession: attorneys, doctors, salespeople, parents, teachers, students, politicians and more. She hopes these life-altering principles will be used for the betterment of humanity.