Today more than ever, series finales have become cultural touchstones that feed watercooler fodder and Twitter storms among a committed community of viewers. While the final episodes of The Fugitive and M*A*S*H continue to rank among the highest rated broadcasts, more recent shows draw legions of binge-watching fans. Given the importance of finales to viewers and critics alike, Howard and Bianculli along with the other contributors explore these endings and what they mean to the audience, ...

Where does myth end and truth begin?A boy and his… Sword?Thirteen year old Cale Tannor has always dreamed of finding adventure. When a Spirit Sword, the last of an ancient race of sentient weapons, falls into his hands, adventure finds him. Now infernal hordes are stirring in the dark, and this adventure may be more than Cale bargained for. On the way he finds new friends in the Indian huntress Jazreal Bloodmoon, and mysterious Ranger Vyk Draco. Together they must work to r...

Where does myth end and truth begin?A boy and his… Sword?Thirteen year old Cale Tannor has always dreamed of finding adventure. When a Spirit Sword, the last of an ancient race of sentient weapons, falls into his hands, adventure finds him. Now infernal hordes are stirring in the dark, and this adventure may be more than Cale bargained for. On the way he finds new friends in the Indian huntress Jazreal Bloodmoon, and mysterious Ranger Vyk Draco. Together they must work to r...

Spreadable Media maps fundamental changes taking place in our contemporary media environment, a space where corporations no longer tightly control media distribution and many of us are directly involved in the circulation of content. It contrasts “stickiness”—aggregating attention in centralized places—with “spreadability”—dispersing content widely through both formal and informal networks,some approved, many unauthorized. Stickiness has been the measure of success in the broadcas...

The soap opera, one of U.S. television's longest-running and most influential formats, is on the brink. Declining ratings have been attributed to an increasing number of women working outside the home and to an intensifying competition for viewers' attention from cable and the Internet. Yet, soaps' influence has expanded, with serial narratives becoming commonplace on most prime time TV programs. The Survival of Soap Opera investigates the causes of their dwindling popularity, des...

The First How-To Strategy Guide to Transmedia Storytelling“Phillips’s book is a powerful tool for anyone who wants to make a career for him- or herself within the world of transmedia. Through her guidance, the reader is able to understand the fundamentals of transmedia and the power it can have when used with a compelling and strong story."—David Gale, Executive Vice President, MTV Cross Media“Transmedia storytelling is a bold and ex...

This original and lucid account of the complexities of love and its essential role in human well-being draws on the latest scientific research. Three eminent psychiatrists tackle the difficult task of reconciling what artists and thinkers have known for thousands of years about the human heart with what has only recently been learned about the primitive functions of the human brain.A General Theory of Love demonstrates that our nervous systems are not self-contained: from ...

Explore the power of the underdog in Malcolm Gladwell's dazzling examination of success, motivation, and the role of adversity in shaping our lives, from the bestselling author of The Bomber Mafia.Three thousand years ago on a battlefield in ancient Palestine, a shepherd boy felled a mighty warrior with nothing more than a stone and a sling, and ever since then the names of David and Goliath have stood for battles between underdogs and giants. David's vict...

A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. And a strange collection of very curious photographs. It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine"s Home for Peculiar Children , an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine"s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob...

To collect more goddess blessings and grow closer to defeating the demon lord, the hero Touya travels to Neptunopolis, a beautiful blue city by the harbor. Soon after arrival, he has a chance meeting with another hero, and then reunites with someone completely unexpected! Unforeseen events occur one after another, but our heroines don't forget to change into swimsuits and splash around at the beach as well. Now then, will Touya's Unlimited Bath have room for one more?

Before Olympus trembled . . . a mortal girl kissed Death.When seventeen-year-old Therese Mills slips into a coma, she crosses into the realm between life and death—and meets Thanatos, the son of Hades and god of Death. One fearless kiss binds them together in a love that defies the laws of gods and mortals alike.But loving Death is only the beginning.To stay together, Therese must survive impossible trials set by Hades himself, outwit Olympian polit...

Love isn’t enough. Not for the gods.Therese Mills loves Thanatos, the god of Death.And he is determined to make her immortal.But the gods of Olympus have sworn she will never join them.Now Hades offers her a cruel bargain:Complete a series of impossible challenges designed to prove her worth — or lose Than forever.The trials are brutal.The stakes are divine.And the gods are not playing fair.To survive,...