Farscape: The Illustrated Season 3 Companion by Paul Simpson and Ruth Thomas
01/07/2002 . Source: Geoff Willmetts 
pub: Titan Books. 158 page enlarged paperback. Price: £ 9.99 (UK). ISBN: 1-84023-415-6. Buy from Amazon US - Buy from Amazon UK
nb: US titles may only be available from Amazon US, and UK titles from Amazon UK. In a desert when there’s still far too
little Farscape book material outside of non-canon novels, I end up
buying these books when I see them.
The main difference with this volume compared to the last two is
this one has an 8 page colour insert showing some of the key cast
and make-up effects.
 Other
than that, it’s pretty much a mix of episode guide with interviews.
There’s a chapter devoted to the animation episode - together with
character designs - as well as the usual extensive look at the effects.
A real tour de force for any Farscape fan. If you’re a fan, then
you’ve probably got a copy by now, especially if you want a first
edition. The earlier editions have gone into reprint a long while
back.
Some of my criticism from the previous volumes still stands. What’s
the point of having an episode synopsis which doesn’t go right to
the end? More so when you turn the page and there’s the start of
the next episode. It’s hardly like it should spoil any surprises
for any fan of the series.
Episode guidebooks are there for historical reference in the years
to come when it’s quicker to check through than running through
a video or DVD copy to find something out. To short-change like
that isn’t really serving fans right. This isn’t an outright criticism
of Titan.
Too many other publishers do this as well. I do think it’s about
time some publisher bucked this trend and did it properly.
As I commented above, the failure in the episode synopsises is
made up for with the interviews. The actors give some insight into
how they perceive their characters are developing. The crew into
how they achieved their effects.
With the producers’ desire to re-invent ‘Farscape’ every season,
this is a good score card of what everyone feels about it on the
set. Buy it already.
GF Willmetts
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