Reading Stargate SG-1

Reading Stargate SG-1 is a book for fans of the television series. Not just any fans, but fans of a particularly academic mindset, looking to deepen their understanding of the popular show.

If you picked this book up looking for an introduction to the Stargate universe, you'd quickly find yourself out of your depth. This comes, in part, from the poor choice of the first paper in the book, which seems designed to deter the casual reader.

Seeing, knowing, dying in 'Heroes, Parts 1 and 2' is an abstruse cinematic analysis of two episodes from the seventh season of Stargate. For a book with a cover proclaiming it to be for a popular and academic audience, this paper is an inauspicious starting point, focusing on the technical arcana of episodes deep within the show's life.

In the introduction, the editors claim that this paper is 'the best possible starting point', but I have to wonder if the fact that the paper was written by Lisa Dickson, one of the book’s editors, influenced its priority in the volume.

The book would have been better suited to begin with Stargate SG-1: Self-possessed science fiction, by David Hipple, which analyses the way the show positioned itself within the science fiction genre from the first episode and throughout the seasons.

Another excellent article was Selling the Stargate: The economics of a pop culture phenomenon, which would have made a good (better) introduction to the second section of the book.

(The book is divided into two sections - the first holds papers analysing the series itself, the second papers analysing Stargate's cultural role.)

My favourite papers were the various analyses of Sam Carter: 'Way smarter than you are': Sam Carter, human being, Sam, Jarred: The Isis myth in operation, and Sam I am: female fans' interaction with Samantha Carter through fan fiction and online discussion. These provided a solid discussion of an interesting character from several viewpoints.

It would have been nice to see some of the other characters examined in as much detail, however.

Also noteworthy to me was the paper 'You know that "meaning of life" stuff?': Possessed of/by knowledge in Stargate SG-1: an interesting analysis of the militarisation of knowledge, as portrayed in the series.

The episode guides for Stargate SG-1 and Stargate: Atlantis were useful, as was the glossary of Stargate terms included as an appendix.

An annoying feature of the book was the pictures. Scattered throughout the text were photographs of Stargate merchandise that bore no relation (apart from the obvious) to the articles.

If the editors were unable to secure actual, relevant images from the movie or tv series, they should have left the book unillustrated rather than subject us to photos of Stargate fridge magnets.