FacebookTwitter
Hatrack River Forum   
my profile login | search | faq | forum home

  next oldest topic   next newest topic
» Hatrack River Forum » Active Forums » Books, Films, Food and Culture » firefly fans, what is Book's past?

   
Author Topic: firefly fans, what is Book's past?
Marek
Member
Member # 5404

 - posted      Profile for Marek   Email Marek         Edit/Delete Post 
Based on his knowledge of criminal activity, apparent unknown but important status with The Alliance, and hand to hand combat abilities, I think Book may have been an Operative. It said on wikipedia that his first name (Derrial) is actually the name of a man Book killed, which would indicate that he lacks a real name much like The Operative in Serenity. He also seems to know very well what an operative is and that beleif is very important, and Book sertainly believes.

So is Shepard Derrial Book a former operative? or does anyone have another theory?

Posts: 2332 | Registered: Jul 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
TomDavidson
Member
Member # 124

 - posted      Profile for TomDavidson   Email TomDavidson         Edit/Delete Post 
I think the universal consensus is that we're meant to assume, by the end of the film, that Book was either an Operative or something very close to one.
Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Marek
Member
Member # 5404

 - posted      Profile for Marek   Email Marek         Edit/Delete Post 
okay cool, glad I wasn't the only one thinking he was one
Posts: 2332 | Registered: Jul 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
scholar
Member
Member # 9232

 - posted      Profile for scholar   Email scholar         Edit/Delete Post 
I am hoping they delve more into this in one of the comics.
Posts: 1001 | Registered: Mar 2006  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Chris Bridges
Member
Member # 1138

 - posted      Profile for Chris Bridges   Email Chris Bridges         Edit/Delete Post 
According to Ron Glass, there is another Serenity coming along after this next one called "A Shepherd's Tale."

Dunno if Whedon will give it all away there, but ya never know...

During last year's Browncoat Cruise, Glass said he was allowed to reveal 5 secrets about Book. I posted them here, if you're interested. His actual history is not revealed, but some significant things are.

Posts: 7790 | Registered: Aug 2000  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
plaid
Member
Member # 2393

 - posted      Profile for plaid   Email plaid         Edit/Delete Post 
quote:
Malcolm: It's of interest to me how much you seem to know about that world.
Book: I wasn't born a shepherd, Mal.
Malcolm: You have to tell me about that sometime.
Book: [pause] No, I don't.

[Smile]
Posts: 2911 | Registered: Aug 2001  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
adfectio
Member
Member # 11070

 - posted      Profile for adfectio   Email adfectio         Edit/Delete Post 
So what it boils down to is if we ever find out exactly what happened in his past, it's in a part of the story that Malcolm, or really any of the Firefly crew are around for.
Posts: 349 | Registered: Oct 2007  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Marek
Member
Member # 5404

 - posted      Profile for Marek   Email Marek         Edit/Delete Post 
knowing those secrets I am even more conviced that he is a former operative
Posts: 2332 | Registered: Jul 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Tara
Member
Member # 10030

 - posted      Profile for Tara   Email Tara         Edit/Delete Post 
What exactly is an operative?


Also -- Book is probably not his real name either. Why doesn't it mention that?

And how many of these comics are out? Am I missing something?

Posts: 930 | Registered: Dec 2006  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Chris Bridges
Member
Member # 1138

 - posted      Profile for Chris Bridges   Email Chris Bridges         Edit/Delete Post 
A three-comic miniseries called "Those Left Behind" came out the summer before the movie, meant to take place in the gap between "Firefly" and "Serenity." Each issue had three different covers, so every crewmember got his or her own cover. All of them have been collected in a trade paperback.

This March, a new Serenity comic mini-series called "Better Days" will begin.

Both sets of comics were written by Joss Whedon and Bret Matthews (writer of the "Firefly" episode "Heart of Gold").

Posts: 7790 | Registered: Aug 2000  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Tara
Member
Member # 10030

 - posted      Profile for Tara   Email Tara         Edit/Delete Post 
*bump*

So on a scale of 1-10, how worth it is it to buy "Those Left Behind"? (It was $20 at B&N, which seems like a lot for a small book that may or may not be good).

Posts: 930 | Registered: Dec 2006  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
lem
Member
Member # 6914

 - posted      Profile for lem           Edit/Delete Post 
quote:
Based on his knowledge of criminal activity, apparent unknown but important status with The Alliance, and hand to hand combat abilities, I think Book may have been an Operative.
Well........Given the fact that he is black, I would have to say he was either an Operative or an assassin. [Taunt]
Posts: 2445 | Registered: Oct 2004  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
mr_porteiro_head
Member
Member # 4644

 - posted      Profile for mr_porteiro_head   Email mr_porteiro_head         Edit/Delete Post 
quote:
Originally posted by Tara:


So on a scale of 1-10, how worth it is it to buy "Those Left Behind"? (It was $20 at B&N, which seems like a lot for a small book that may or may not be good).

3
Posts: 16551 | Registered: Feb 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
adfectio
Member
Member # 11070

 - posted      Profile for adfectio   Email adfectio         Edit/Delete Post 
quote:
Originally posted by Tara:
So on a scale of 1-10, how worth it is it to buy "Those Left Behind"? (It was $20 at B&N, which seems like a lot for a small book that may or may not be good).

I'd rate it somewhere more at a 5 or 6. It's not incredibly important, but it does a great job of tying together the series and the movie. It's different from both in the same sort of way they are different from each other, but it's still firefly. Amazon has it for $14 plus shipping. Or paperback for $10.
Posts: 349 | Registered: Oct 2007  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Tara
Member
Member # 10030

 - posted      Profile for Tara   Email Tara         Edit/Delete Post 
Ah! Paperback! I might get that. The reviews on Amazon were not good enough to warrant a $20 purchase.
Posts: 930 | Registered: Dec 2006  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Enigmatic
Member
Member # 7785

 - posted      Profile for Enigmatic   Email Enigmatic         Edit/Delete Post 
quote:
What is Book's past?
As a younger man he travelled for many years under the name of Vellum Scroll, but he was originally born Oral Tradition.

--Enigmatic

Posts: 2715 | Registered: Apr 2005  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Joldo
Member
Member # 6991

 - posted      Profile for Joldo   Email Joldo         Edit/Delete Post 
I suspect it involved folk dancing.
Posts: 1735 | Registered: Oct 2004  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Lyrhawn
Member
Member # 7039

 - posted      Profile for Lyrhawn   Email Lyrhawn         Edit/Delete Post 
I wouldn't be surprised if he was in the military when he was younger and then was a member of Parliament. Parliament were the ones who sent the Operatives on their missions, it's possible that's how he knows.

The Operative just seems like the obvious answer now, if they are going to make it any sort of surprise at all, I think a member of Parliament with a military history, but I too really lean towards Operative, just because that's what they've been pushing us towards.

Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Noemon
Member
Member # 1115

 - posted      Profile for Noemon   Email Noemon         Edit/Delete Post 
quote:
Originally posted by Tara:
Ah! Paperback! I might get that. The reviews on Amazon were not good enough to warrant a $20 purchase.

You might see if your library has it or can get it through interlibrary loan before you plunk down anything at all for it.

Enigmatic, if I'd been drinking my morning coffee when I read your post you'd owe me a new monitor and keyboard right about now. [Smile]

Posts: 16059 | Registered: Aug 2000  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Chris Bridges
Member
Member # 1138

 - posted      Profile for Chris Bridges   Email Chris Bridges         Edit/Delete Post 
If you just want the story, go buy it from TFAW.com, they have "nick and dent" versions on sale for five bucks.

[ January 24, 2008, 11:00 AM: Message edited by: Chris Bridges ]

Posts: 7790 | Registered: Aug 2000  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Enigmatic
Member
Member # 7785

 - posted      Profile for Enigmatic   Email Enigmatic         Edit/Delete Post 
Noemon, then clearly I must work on my comedic timing. [Wink]

--Enigmatic

Posts: 2715 | Registered: Apr 2005  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
   

   Close Topic   Feature Topic   Move Topic   Delete Topic next oldest topic   next newest topic
 - Printer-friendly view of this topic
Hop To:


Contact Us | Hatrack River Home Page

Copyright © 2008 Hatrack River Enterprises Inc. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.


Powered by Infopop Corporation
UBB.classic™ 6.7.2