Neptune Noir: Unauthorized Investigations into Veronica Mars

So admittedly I am a nerd. I accept this with open arms. As such this book was nerdtastically perfect. There were great insights inside. I devoured it, loving how these authors also enjoyed Veronica Mars and how they explained certain aspects of the show. There was one essay that explained the demographics of a Veronica Mars viewer and I smiled. The series has so much to offer to different groups, being noir and campy but without over arching into either too much. I wish there was a part 2 I would definitely but it. I suggest this for any nerdy VM fan!

As with all the Smart Pop series, the word "unauthorized" is displayed twice prominently on the front cover and again on the spine, but make no mistake: show creator (and frequent episode writer) Rob Thomas edited this collection of essays, penned the opening piece, and provided a half- to one-page response to each chapter. The CW owns the show, but Thomas was its heart and soul, so this is as authorized as most fans care about. If you haven't seen the show, a few of these essays will seem pointless, but even then most of them will read as well as any media analysis out there. Authors vary from media studies professors to critics, writers, fans, and psychologists. As expected, the essays are uneven but none fall to embarrassing levels and a few stand out as excellent. Thomas' responses are highlights of the book. He provides the expected anecdotes and "aw shuck"-ing but he adds context that helps interpret the essays. The book is handicapped by having been published between seasons two and three. Since the show ended after season three, waiting a year would have provided a complete view of the run. As it is, many of the essays are left pondering if or how future seasons will challenge their thesis. Over those first two seasons, the same episodes and the same lines from the theme appear repeatedly in the essays. This is good: it gives multiple views of the most-effective episodes and draws the (carefully chosen) theme song into most of the character elements in the series. But because of this, these episodes are discussed in detail and the finales of both seasons one and two are the most popular. If you haven't seen these, be aware that you'll know (almost) everything about them by the time you've finished the book. Whether you like the show, are interested in its popularity, or are interested in media studies and screenwriting, Neptune Noir is a worthwhile read. Specific comments on a few of the essays: "Introduction: Digressions on How Veronica Mars Saved My Career and, Less Importantly, My Soul" by Rob Thomas is the obligatory "How I created the show" reminiscence. It's a fine read, but doesn't add anything to the show itself; it's really about Thomas. It has the expected amount of self-congratulatory tone (how he fell from grace into the writing schlock, how VM was his last, best hope to write something he cared about, yadda yadda yadda) but isn't overly sanctimonious. I was pleasantly surprised. "Welcome to Camp Noir" by Lani Diane Rich finally provides a term to describe the show. I'd argue that "arch" is more appropriate than "camp," but it's a good term that most people who haven't seen the show can "get." Thomas' reaction (about how much he hates camp) is interesting. The essay does a good job identifying which characters bring the camp/arch elements and which supply the noir (and how the major characters balance or meld the two). A high point of the book. "Story Structure and Veronica Mars" by Geoff Klock. I was very excited about this one, but it turns out to be a first-year walkthrough of one episode of VM. Not bad, but not what the title promised. "Veronica Mars: Girl. Detective." by Evelyn Vaughn suggests that VM herself is allowed--in TV culture--to get away with her behavior because of her "girly" elements. Not quite a feminist analysis, this is worth a think. "Daddy's Girl" by Joyce Millman is the obligatory Freudian analysis of the show as Electra complex. Had to be here and Millman does a credible job with it. "Daddy Dualities" by Amy Berner is a better analysis of the Kieth/Veronica dynamic. Berner contrasts all of the recurring fathers on the show (including Duncan). "On the Down-Low" by Lynne Edwards is very short, but provides the most interesting view in the book. Edwards discusses the use of race in the show, from the lynching symbolism in the pilot to the appropriation signifying from American black culture. "The Duck and the Detective" by Chris McCubbin addresses the question of why VM has so many avowedly conservative fans. I noticed a conservative bent while watching the show (in the traditional, Goldwater Conservative, sense) and McCubbin tries to identify elements of the show that appeal to that demographic--as well as to explain why these don't turn off more liberal viewers. "I'm in Love with My Car" by Lawrence Watt-Evans discusses the use of cars and motorcycles in the show. VM shows people in cars more than almost any other show on the air and Watt-Evans describes their use of vehicles more as costuming than props, with the model, age, and look of each car chosen to match the character and scene. Certainly Logan's bright yellow SUV/Jeepy thing is a significant part of his character, but the other observations Watt-Evans makes would never have occurred to me. "Boom Goes the Dynamite" by Misty Hook is the obligatory Veronica/Logal "shipper" essay. Enough said. "Innocence Lost" by Samantha Bornemann hypothesizes that "teen girl drama" began in 1994 with the much-lamented) Claire Danes vehicle My So-Called Life and contrasts VM with that and Buffy (of course). It's a shallow comparison and a shallow premise (readers older than 25, or who have seen television from before 1990, will certainly challenge the claim that MSCL was completely unprecedented), but Buffy is the elephant in the room of any 20-oriented drama circa 2000, so someone had to do it. Overall, a good read that helps enjoy the show. It also makes a more informed viewer for other shows in or near the genre. Just be sure you've seen all of season 2 first.

I came onto Veronica Mars late, just a few months ago, because Netflix recommended it to me. I'd always wanted to watch it but never got around to it and before I could blink the show had vanished from television. Once I watched the pilot I was hooked. And I finished all three seasons in a week. But the series ended abruptly, leaving fans everywhere with little closure. And since the promise of a fourth season died in the wind, it seemed like this book was the only thing to keep me afloat after all the episodes were watched and all the DVDs purchased and ravaged. Rob Thomas, the creator of Veronica Mars, gives little tidbits and sidenotes before and sometimes during each essay. This, for me, was the highlight of every story. He's a funny guy, and an honest & humble writer. His words act as small but meaningful windows into a show that - if you're a fan like I am - was only too short lived. All of these essays are superbly written and referenced, and edited. They are all written by true fans of the show and cover a vast array of all things Veronica Mars from the cars in the show to its relationship with shows like Buffy and My So-Called Life. The writers of these essays are journalists, Ph.D-having professors and teachers. They are true literary or film scholars, which lends credence to their words. Plus, they genuinely love the show. But, unfortunately, sometimes love just ain't enough. I found the bulk of these essays interesting on the surface, but more often than not it was more about the author of the essay than about the show itself. I admire these essay writers for their verbal prowess and ability to find psychological stimulation in the Veronica/Logan relationship, but I don't know or care about what they have to say. I would care if they were saying something informative or interesting about the show, its characters, its creators, etc. But all they seem to have to say is how the show affected THEM, what it meant for THEIR lives. Way too much editorializing for my taste, from the assumption that there was something inherrently "wrong" with Lilly kissing Veronica in the limo, to full out stories of the author's romantic life in high school. All in all, I thought these essays were well written, well compiled, well edited, and I admire these writers for taking time from their busy scholarly schedules to watch, let alone write about, a show as under the radar as Veronica Mars was. However, the essays, for me, were too personal, too skewed toward their respective author's own agenda. But the good news is, now that I've finished reading mine, I'm putting it up for sale.

I ate this book up, and finished it very quickly. I liked every article in the book. I did lend it to a friend who had watched the show through once and liked the show, and she was not a fan of the book. I think mostly only over-the-top Veronica Mars fans will love this book. Lots of attention to detail, and thought, even going so far as to delve into the car choices of characters. I LOVED it.

The book itself didn't come with any protection or plastic to know that it is brand new. It came in good condition but with page corners a bit damaged, nothing serious.

This book is very different than I thought it would be, but was definitely an interesting read. It is basically a series of essays dissecting various aspects of the show - from Veronica's relationship with her father, to what Veronica's voiceovers add to the show. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in a more intellectual viewpoint on the series, rather than just campy fun. A must-read for Veronica lovers.

This needs to be prefaced by a warning that one should not read this book unless one has seen the series and is a fan. The book is a series of articles, written by different authors, that discuss various aspects and challenges of making the series and as such it is pretty interesting. It is unusual to have a critically acclaimed TV show have a platform that lays out why it is so well thought of in detail on many levels. Made me appreciate the show even more than I did. That being said I petered out 3/4's of the way through the book. I felt that the best writing was up front and it started to maybe not repeat itself exactly, but perhaps it is not a book that should be read cover to cover in one go.

I bought this as a gift, the recipient loved it! It came quickly and was in great condition.

Great View of the show. Wating for the Second book to get out. Some of the essays are boring but they're the less.

This book was a surprise to read but you need to be a fan of Veronica and Logan to get the best out if it. Each chapter written by someone different looks at the characters and how they developed using examples from the TV series with comments from Rob Thomas. I had to read it all and ended up getting to know the characters even better.

Es ist einfach nur eine Sammlung von Fanfictions, ich hatte da irgendwie mehr erwartet. Das Vorwort von Rob ist sehr schön und auch seine Kommentare zu den Geschichten. Als eingefleischter Fan sollte man es mal gesehen haben, sonst allerdings nicht so überzeugend (die Geschichten)

A great little book for fans wanting to know more about the "Veronica backstory".

ho regalato questo libro a una mia amica che è vera fan di Veronica Mars e lo ha apprezzato tantissimo!