Battlestar Galactica and Philosophy: Knowledge Here Begins Out There (The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Book 7) by Jason T. Eberl

Battlestar Galactica and Philosophy: Knowledge Here Begins Out There (The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Book 7) Reviews

• 
  Aleshia

  I've read several of the books in the Philosophy and Pop Culture Series and I have to say this is the best one so far. It may be because I'm a major Battlestar Galactica fan but I'd like to think this is the best one because of the subject matter of the show. The show has a tendency to make me agree with actions that I would have never thought I'd support and this book has done the same. It made me rethink a lot of philosophical topics in a way even The Matrix book in this series didn't.
  
  I'd highly recommend this to any Battlestar fan because you will not look at the show in quite the same way again, but I'd especially recommend it to those Battlestar fans who love philosophy.
• 
  Christopher Munroe

  Of course I enjoyed this, I always enjoy this line! Questions of religion, geopolitics and identity, tied in to one of my favourite Bush-era pieces of science fiction, this book is a fascinating collection of essays, and a delight to read.
  
  If you liked the show this volume draws inspiration from, check it out immediately, if you did not like the show, find an "...and Philosophy" volume that ties in to something you DO like, they're super interesting, and I've never not enjoyed one...
• 
  Nick

  Giving this a super soft three -- Mostly forgiving it for it's effort in the general dissection of philosophical character-motives (which the show mainly ran on), but it lacked a lot of detail, and felt super biased and repetitive at a lot of points. It felt rushed, and I'm pretty sure it was published before the last season even aired (LIKE, WHY? IT'S KIND OF IMPORTANT.)
  
  A interesting read for fans of the show, but that's about it.
• 
  Stephani R.

  I loved the copious amount of notes that tie philosophy to Battlestar Gallactica.
  I cannot pin point particular favorite chapters because the whole book had surprises for me but also affirmations of philosophic thoughts that I had about BSG. I think it's a great read for fans of BSG who notice and contemplate the philosophic, political, spiritual connections in the show.
• 
  Chris Lynch

  Not especially deep, but an easy, fun read if you've watched the show.
• 
  Strick

  Some recreational reading
• 
  Adam Szymankiewicz

  Szukam tego w języku polskim
• 
  Bryan

  I had to force myself to finish. I really just wanted to keep my BSG high going after finishing the series on DVD. What you’ll find here is entry level philosophy with BSG sprinkled on top. By splitting the difference between the two the book becomes unsatisfying in both philosophic and galactic regards. Some of the articles are written poorly. Of course the ones I liked the most were about things I am already interested in: Heidegger, Zen, feminism, and transhumanism.
  
  Why isn't the ENTIRE book about transhumanism?
  
  There is another book with the same title and a book of academic essays about BSG I am going to try with hopes they will be meatier. If such books don’t exist yet, I’m sure they will be written in the future as BSG was one of the most intellectually stimulating shows ever on TV.
• 
  Michael

  Another good series of essays looking at philosophical concepts and issues through the prism of popular culture, specifically, the first three seasons of the re-visioned Battlestar Galactica.
  
  The range of articles is good and they have been well selected. Despite this being a shorter book than the previous Battlestar Galactica and Philosophy book I read, the pieces themselves seemed to delve a bit deeper into the ideas. This will mostly be of interest to genre and BSG fans. But it's a worthwhile, quick book to read. I feel like I've gained some familiarity with some philosophical concepts and philosophers I hadn't been introduced to before.
• 
  Becca

  I really liked the idea behind it. Each chapter was written by a different person with a different approach, and the quality was variable. I found it was sometimes quite repetitive, dealing with the same moments over and over but never getting very in depth (into either BSG or philosophical concepts). I feel like it could have benefitted from better editing.
  
  Honestly I would have been happy with "Gaius Baltar and Philosophy" as he could merit a book all on his own, or perhaps one on their leadership and its consequences.
  
  This is not a bad book but it also didn't wow me overall. It's quite specific so I wouldn't recommend it to everyone. For me it was a worthwhile read.
• 
  Suzanne

  9/14/08
  This book is titled "Battlestar Galactica and Philosophy," but I think it should have been titled, "Philosophy and Battlestar Galactica." I never took a Philosophy class in college, but now I feel as if I have. I love Battlestar Galactica, and am really enjoying this book, but it is pretty intense, serious reading and, I have a toddler so my brain is not what it used to be. ;o) At the end of the day, which is when I settle into bed and read, this book makes my head hurt. But it hurts so good. I love this book.
• 
  Ruben Bañuelos

  Some of the essays seem to be written before the 4th season was aired, so they get a bit especulative about points that were later made clear. The book as a whole is interesting, though it doesn't feel very consistent. Some essays are great, but some of them aren't. All in all, is a good book with lots of interesting questions around this TV series. If you are a fan, it's definitely a something you should read.
• 
  AJ Lindell

  I honestly expected very little from this book. I'm a huge BSG fan and I love reading philosophy, but I rather expected a lot less than I got. It actually delved into some interesting correlations between events in the show and ancient (and modern) philosophy. I would say it is definitely worth a read for any BSG fan.
• 
  RumBelle

  This book was fascinating. An examination of many of the philosophical issues that grounded the characters and plots of Battlestar Galactica. Why they characters acted the way they did, why and how philosophy and theology influenced characters and plot. A very informative interesting way to approach the series.
• 
  Erin

  Not exactly what I was looking for or expecting, but interesting. Some of the essays got pretty repetitive (it felt like there were only about 15 'deep philosophical' quotes in the whole BSG series to chose from since the authors used the same ones again and again). Some interesting discussion though, so not a total loss.
• 
  Megan

  I don't know why I will always read these books, when in the end, I am never really that impressed with them. The other one that I have (the one edited by Richard Hatch) is much better than this volume, but I think that's because Jacob from TWOP has an essay in that one.
• 
  Jessica

  This was really interesting. It's a fun way to illustrate various schools of philosophical thought. What would Machiavelli say about Roslin's or Cain's leadership? How does Adama's lie that he knows where Earth is demonstrate the Gettier Problem? Good stuff.
• 
  Lawrence Carrington

  Most of the essays in the first half of the book are interesting and thought provoking. However, I skipped several of the second half after reading the first few paragraphs.
  All in all, a recommended read for the thinking BSG fan.
• 
  Jaap Bennen

  It had more potential - apart from a few interesting chapters it was mostly shallow and missed quite a few important points.
• 
  Ihsan Duzgun

  Interesting, but ultimately a let-down. Some of the essays were poorly written and it felt like the authors had not even watched a show called Battlestar Galactica, let alone the series I watched.
• 
  Nesie

  
  http://www.greenmanreview.com/book/bo...
• 
  Christopher Lichtenberg

  so say we all
• 
  Panchaali

  Could have been much, much better. But was a wonderful birthday pressie.