Serenity

by Keith R.A. DeCandido, Joss Whedon

This paperback original novel is based on Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon's screenplay for Universal's 2005 motion picture. The characters are based on the science fiction TV series Firefly, which has achieved cult status.

Five hundred years in the future, Captain Mal Reynolds, a hardened war veteran (on the losing side), ekes out a living pulling off small crimes and transport-for-hire aboard his ship, Serenity. He leads a small, eclectic crew who are the closest thing he has left to family -- squabbling, insubordinate, and undyingly loyal.

When Mal takes on two new passengers -- a young doctor named Simon and his unstable, telepathic sister, River -- he gets much more than he bargained for. The pair are fugitives from a coalition that dominates the universe with unlimited wealth and power -- and that will stop at nothing to control River and her abilities. The crew of mercenaries, used to skimming the outskirts of the galaxy unnoticed, soon find themselves caught between the unstoppable military force of the Universal Alliance and the cannibalistic fury of the Reavers, savages who roam the very edge of space. Caught up in the fight to stay alive, they don't yet realize that their greatest danger may be on board Serenity herself....

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy, Space Opera, Adventure, Media Tie In

272 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 30, 2005

Reviews

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a big fan of the science fiction series "Firefly," which ran from 2002 to 2003 and then was abruptly cancelled by FOX. But this series got a second chance with the film "Serenity," released in 2005. Most unfortunately, the movie did not do as well as hoped for and the universe of "Mal" Reynolds and his crew of the Firefly-class spaceship "Serenity" seemed sunk for good. However, this universe has continued in a series of graphic novels. I have to confess that I can't believe that a cable station has not picked up the series. I'm sure NETFLIX could do an outstanding job with it. Anyway, I enjoyed the novelization of the film written by Keith R.A. DeCandido, based on the screenplay by Joss Wheedon. One of these days, I'll have to check out the graphic novels. It would be great if Keith DeCandido could continue writing stories set in the Serenity universe.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I became a fan of Firefly with the airing of the first episode and have loved it ever since. Even, sometimes, to my own amazement, since I’m not a fan of zombies (which Reavers basically are) and a few other elements of the SF/Horror genre. (The first time I saw the movie, I started to think Whedon was going to kill everyone off, possibly just to spite the FOX network for pulling the plug on the show. I still say what happened to Wash was plain wrong.) But most of the characters are so well-realised, the dialogue is so clever, and the acting is generally so good that I tend to overlook other things. I don’t know if there’d be any point to reading this if someone hadn’t seen and liked the movie and the series. Being a fan, I enjoyed it. I was impressed with the way the author managed to capture the tone and vocabulary choices of characters’ dialogue and within the narrative. There are a few welcome additions to the story, including references to events that occurred in the series, that are just enough to round things out a bit more. (I could’ve done without a couple of somewhat overwrought descriptions of Inara--but I’ve never been fond of Inara, anyway. At least in this story, she’s less irritating than I found her in the series.) This is definitely a worthy addition to any Firefly nut’s collection.

[Maia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this novelization of Serenity back in 2005, not long after watching the movie in theaters. I had recently been introduced to Firefly by friends and fell in love with it, possibly because there was so little of it: the fact it had been prematurely cut short meant it was left to my imagination how amazing the conclusion COULD have been. It's one of very few TV shows that I've watched more than once, and I hold onto an extreme nostalgic fondness for the characters and the world.

It was interesting to re-read this book in 2020, with a much fuller knowledge of Whedon's unsavory behavior, and also during a period in which JKR's evolution into a full, loud TERF has caused me to spend a lot of time reflecting on how much or little of an author's problematic beliefs can be seen in their work. Part of what drew me to the Firefly crew was the fact that 4 of the 9 main characters are women, each one interestingly different from the others. As a high schooler, this near gender parity in a sci-fi ensemble show delighted me. Reading the book through much older eyes, I noticed that each of these unique women are completely defined by their relationships with men. This aspect of the story is probably more emphasized in the novelization because of the added internal narration. The dialogue in this book is exactly the same as the film, but the author gives thoughts to these women that I didn't always agree with or love. Still, it was fun to revisit this story, and I think there is still value in reading a flawed book, especially if it inspires some good thoughts or conversations.

[Angela · Rating 1 out of 5]

You'd think I would have loved this because I love Firefly but this novel is simply awful. The writing is terrible (it reads like really, really bad fan-fiction) and cringe-worthy. It's awful and offers no new insights into the fabulous show and film. Avoid. Instead, go and read the graphic novels, they're excellent.

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow, it's been twenty years... where did the time go? Well, it's big damn space opera story with nary a hint of time travel, so we'll never know... This is an adaptation of Joss Whedon's script of the film Serenity, the semi-sequel follow-up/continuation/failed reboot to the aborted Firefly television series. I loved Firefly but Serenity not so much, but the point is this novelization, with which DeCandido did a good job of translating film to prose, the job he was hired to do. I was hoping for a little more background or insight into the characters, but they limited him to only taking what was shown, not extrapolating. It's good for Browncoats, but the casual reader won't find much of anything extra.

[Jen from Quebec :0) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Does the film justice. When you're missing your Firefly crew, this novel helps fill the void. Browncoats unite! --Jen from Quebec :0)

[Curtiss · Rating 4 out of 5]

The nice thing about reading books, as opposed to watching & listening to movies/tv is that sometimes the author gives the reader access to a character's thoughts - as in River's mental review of Serenity's other crew members, especially Mal as "the only other person who lived with as much pain as she did."

[Sarah (is clearing her shelves) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reads just like the movie. If you enjoyed the movie you'll enjoy this, just wait a while between the two otherwise the story will seem repetitive.

[Ming Wei · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, 1st class. A talented writer

[Nancy D Miz-Firefly aka Sparky · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a died in the wool Firefly fan all I can say is this book is Perfect.

[Nessa · Rating 1 out of 5]

While the movie was fantastic and I love the series, I read this hoping for a bit more insight into the characters during the movie. Unfortunately, it's pretty much a one-for-one scene recreation with a bunch of extra exposition that adds nothing to the movie experience. Stick with the movie. If you're looking for more Serenity, I recommend the graphic novels, which are a continuation of the story, rather than this novelisation of the movie.

[Alvaro Zinos-Amaro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well done novelization. DeCandido gets the tone just right, infusing his descriptive prose with the same stylized language and humor that characterize much of the banter on Firefly/Serenity. The novelization is largely the same as the film in terms of plot, but we get a couple of extra scenes, like a flashback to Mal during the war, and the attack on Haven from Preacher's perspective before the crew gets there and discovers the wreckage. A few developments are different in subtle ways: e.g. the intro of Mr. Universe happens in person in the novel, with the crew visiting his moon, but I recall in the film it was done by wave. For fans of this world, this is an excellent way to go deeper and relive the final fates of some of the main characters.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truthfully I don't read many novelizations based on movies or television shows. However as a die-hard Browncoat (the name given to fans of the show Firefly and the movie Serenity) and completist I sought this one out, and I'm glad I did. Mr. DeCandido does a fair job at keeping true to the voices of the Serenity crew, something that's difficult for anyone to do if your name is not Joss Whedon. The novel itself is basically a word-for-word reprinting of the screenplay, but there is the added bonus of additional and extended scenes not in the film in order to produce a more cohesive narrative. For example, instead of just showing the aftermath (like in the film) the Alliance attack on the planet Haven is played out in horrific detail as seen through the eyes of miner and former Independent soldier Bernabe.
I had a minor quibble with the narration. The author would at random intervals revert to long exposition regarding events that occurred on the television show, something not done in the film as it wasn't necessary to reflect on fourteen episodes worth of material for the purposes of the plot. This technique only served to take me out of the story many times, but I can see why it would work for a reader who was not in anyway familiar with the show prior to picking up the book. Overall, I would recommend reading this book. The extra character insight and added scenes are worth it. But watch Firefly first, and then Serenity. And then spend the rest of your life in mourning because thanks to FOX's premature cancellation, the crew of Serenity will continue to fly only in our imaginations and the occasional graphic novel.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the movie. But this novelisation? Ha. No.
The writing was mediocre at best and terrible at worst (Seriously, I nearly laughed during a death scene).
Waaaay too much tell and not enough show (I know you're adapting it from the screenplay, but "The captain was defensive", really?).
The characters weren't true to their characters as established by the show/movie (Nothing else mattering to Zoe except in relation to Mal and Wash? What. The. Heck. It's like the ultimate anti-Bechdel and it's so far from Zoe's actual character that I think I might vomit).
Continuity was patchy in places (You can't say nine people left the ship when there's only eight characters left, on account of one of the nine having died a while back. Likewise, he ain't upstairs if you established earlier that that particular location was downstairs).
A few instances of flat-out NO pertaining to sentence structure (I don't care if it's an action scene; please don't use exclamation marks when writing from the POV of an emotionally dead antagonist. Also, please don't put commas in the middle of sentences for no reason).
And word choice in places left me scratching my head (Shoes don't clank on metal steps unless they're really heavy and/or are made of metal themselves, which Simon's aren't. They might clatter or possibly thud, but they don't clank.)

In short, I found myself thinking "I could have written this so much better" in many, many places.

[David · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is probably intended solely for those that have either watched the TV series or watched the series and the movie. As a self-contained novel, it's quite bad. The laziness on the part of the author is ridiculously apparent with such phrases as "little sister look" or "are you serious? look". This is how emotions and visuals are expressed in this book and it's not even just once but repeated for each instance of said look. If you already watched the series you're likely aware of what these phrases should look like but it still reeks of lazy writing.

Another thing is there's nothing in this book that isn't a carbon copy of the movie--unless we're talking about how pathetically out of character the author goes a few times. I assumed that was the case but I want to make sure everyone is aware of it.

In truth, 70% of Firefly/Serenity fan fiction is better than this. If you have the movie, stick to the movie. If you don't have the movie, buy the movie! It's not going to break the bank and it's a much better representation of ideas than the ink between the covers. Just don't buy this. If someone gave it to you, appreciate the nifty cover photo but don't risk any reading. Seriously.

TLDR?

DO NOT READ

[Azja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Keith DeCandido's novel Serenity is an adaptation of a 2005 film by the same title. Having immensely enjoyed and appreciated the film, I saw this book as an opportunity to relive its events through a written narrative. Going into this novel, I did not expect anything beyond a shot-for-shot adaptation of the film, and I would be completely satisfied if the book delivered just that. The author exceeded my expectations by including not only the scenes that had been cut from the film, but also providing compelling backstory for some new characters, and showing a few events that happened off-screen in the film.

I would recommend this book to anyone who has enjoyed the film and loves Firefly 'verse - it's a great way to spend some extra time with Serenity crew and learn some additional, previously unknown information and backstories. Do not believe the reviews that claim this novel is just a shot-for-shot adaptation of the film - it most definitely is not.

I trust that this novel could also work well as a standalone sci-fi book for a reader unfamiliar with Firefly 'verse, since this story is compelling and filled with complex, well-written characters. Still, I'd recommend watching the film first, or - even better - indulging in the TV series as well, since Firefly 'verse is a unique gem in the sci-fi world.

The novel begins with two preludes that bring us interesting, previously unknown information, about the past events. In the first prelude, we relive the Serenity Valley battle on Hera - we see the scenes previously shown in the TV series Firefly, however this time we don't stop at the capitulation order. Instead, we stay with Mal and Zoe for an additional fortnight, and learn about the ordeal endured by Browncoats in the aftermath of the surrender. As heartbreaking as it had been to watch Browncoats lose the battle in the TV series, this book adds an extra layer of heartbreak by giving us insight into Mal and Zoe's internal thoughts and feelings as they try to make sense of the events. This chapter is a compelling addition to Mal and Zoe's backstory and it gives us even better understanding of their character development, beyond what was shown in the TV series and the film.

The second prelude focuses on Simon -it helps us fill in the gaps pertaining to River's escape from the Academy. This chapter shines the additional light on the topic of coded messages in River's letters, which had been briefly mentioned in the TV series Firefly, and it also explains how Simon cracked that code. Moreover, we discover previously unknown details of the rescue mission itself. The author explains the specifics of the operation - we meet the people who helped Simon, we find out how he gained access to the facility, and we learn how he chose Serenity as their escape ship. We even get a glimpse into how Simon's network from that rescue mission would later help him to organize the Ariel heist in the TV series.

When it comes to the main story, DeCandido takes full advantage of the change to the written medium and its lack of constraints that are inherent to filmmaking. The first benefit of the written narrative is that we gain access to our characters' internal monologue. The author does a stellar job in providing insight into the characters' thoughts and feelings - not only does everyone stay in character and keep their cadence, but also their internal narrative is consistent with what I understood and imagined while watching the film. In my view, the way the author handles the internal narration in this novel adds yet another layer to the film.

The author nailed all of the internal narratives, but I was especially impressed with how he captured the internal voice of River. Her internal voice has proven to be challenging for most authors of the first eight original Firefly novels (Una McCormack being the only one who made River's voice right and consistent so far), therefore kudos to DeCandido for getting it right.

The second benefit of the written medium, is less limitations to the amount of events and details that we can see in the story. Not only does this book include the scenes that had been cut from the film, but also gives us quite a few new scenes. When it comes to the latter, a few examples are: the post-capitulation scenes from Serenity Battle, Simon's meeting with the organizers of River's rescue, a lot of extra scenes on Haven, etc.

This novel also provides us with some brand new information and characters' backstories that were not included in the film. Among others, we learn about how Mr. Universe came to be and how he managed to keep his operations out of Alliance sight. I also appreciated all the new information about Haven - the book shines extra light onto the settlement, its community, and how Haven's ties to Serenity go beyond the crew's friendship with Shepherd Book. I especially loved how the book highlighted Jayne's ongoing friendship with the Shepherd. The result of all the additional time that the novel gives us on Haven is that, as hard as the Haven events hit in the film, they hit even harder in this book.

The novel, unlike the film, can also afford extra time to give us deeper insight into the situation between Mal and Inara. The book includes not only the scenes between the two of them that had been cut from the film, but we also get insight into their respective internal narratives. I regretted that, due to the time and pace constraints, Mal and Inara's dialogue and scenes needed to take a backseat in the film, therefore the book rights this wrong to me.

To sum up, I think that Keith DeCandido not only did the great film justice, but also he managed to add yet another layer of depth to it. Even though I love the film and am very familiar with its plot, the book still managed to surprise and move me. It was an enjoyable read and time pleasantly spent - I will definitely re-read this book in the future.

The only regret is that this novel does not have an audiobook version. I can only imagine how delightful it would be to listen to the narration by James Anderson Foster, who has been doing an outstanding job with the original Firefly novels.

[ϻαđίѕσи ~ I'm gonna be free, and I'm gonna be fine, but maybe not tonight · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok I usually don't write reviews but I saw a lot of bad reviews for this book and wanted to put in my input. People say that it is just like bad fan fiction, but the writer was supposed to stick to the script and the events in the story, so most of it wasn't actually his writing, especially the dialog. I personally loved this book because of how well it stuck to the movie. Although some of the head cannon could have been better I still really enjoyed it!

[Phenex Alarius · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novelization is based on my favorite movie of all time, so I admit to being it biased! But...I 100% enjoyed it from cover to cover. I appreciate how I fleshed out the characters we already know and love. The sequence in the beginning concerning the battle of Serenity, which made Mal who he is, should have definitely been included in the film. I highly recommend this book for anyone into the Firefly series, the Serenity film, or both!

[Dearbhla · Rating 1 out of 5]

Where do you start when you go to write a novelization? Do you just stick to the script, or go off on little tangents of your own? How much can you make up, do you get to collaborate with the director, or talk to any of the actors? Must be pretty hard, imo, to get a good book out of a film, any film.
Full review: http://www.susanhatedliterature.net/2...

[PointyEars42 · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Big Damn Movie novelisation. Unfortunately the writing here just cannot match up to the fanfic I've read, some of which rates 3+ stars. [eustaciavye's "Next of Kin" plus it's sequel are my most recent fanfic read]. We read this because we're Browncoats and just don't know when to quit, but this book was a gorram waste of time. Google a copy of the script instead.

[Anastasia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read the book before I had a chance to watch the movie; and even before I have seen Firefly. Loved the book, it gives a great insight into the minds of the characters, something that's hard to see on screen sometimes. Serenity is one of my all time favourite books.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book, but the movie does not translate as well to print. The first third of the book felt like a ton of condensed info dump for those who've never seen Firefly or Serenity, but the book got better as it went along. Movie is still better though.

[John Yelverton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love to read movie adaptations, because they always add or explain scenes from my favorite movie that I didn't get by just watching the film. This was the first book that stuck virtually, completely to the script. Fortunately, it's a great movie, so it's a good book.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

(This book is based on the screenplay by Joss Whedon for the film Serenity.)
Almost like reading the movie. I liked getting to read the character's thoughts,
which isn't present in the movie.
I love this crew, and Captain Mal was great. (Nathan Fillion portrayed him really well.)
Loved his snarky sense of humor. When he gets on people's nerves... hahaha...


*Spoilers*

Wash's death hurts every time... ug.
What happened to Miranda is unnerving... That gets to me every time. We need ALL of our emotions, even the anger. We can learn control... To think before we act, etc...
They went to far and almost all of the people on that planet just let themselves die slowly...
The others went nuts with anger...

[Libby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wish I could give it 3 1/2 stars. The writing is good, the story is good, but there was a bit too much exposition for my taste. I know it's necessary to explain the story and characters to readers, especially those unfamiliar with the Firefly series, but in places it felt like they were trying to cram the entire series into the book. Much of it felt unnecessary to the story itself.
Beyond the excess exposition, however, I enjoyed the novel. It stayed true to the characters and to the spirit of the show.

[Malcolm Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

A strong novelisation of the movie of the same name and conclusion to the Firefly series (not counting the graphic novels). Pretty much what you see on screen but in text form with a little extra elaboration regarding thoughts and feelings and motivations. This does include the battle of Serenity Valley as seen in the pilot episode and Simon's entry onto Serenity for the uninitiated who never saw the show and need to be brought up to speed (also acts as a good refresher). Definitely worth a read.

[Alexey Gerasimovich · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a big fan of 'Firefly' series and 'Serenity' movie as well. But this particular novel is mostly just a novelization of the 'Serenity' movie. Yes, it definitely gives you more inner emotions and thoughts of characters than a movie can do. But still it is just a text version of the story you know (if you watched the movie), slightly adopted screenplay, I guess.

The novel is good for fans, and I even want to re-watch the original series after that, but really don't expect a lot here.

[Brian Arnold · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fairly decent adaptation of the movie...

I went to the theater to see the movie. I never saw the book adaptation in stores. I've always read book version afterwards just to see where the author and the movie differed. This book had a few thing different than the movie. Sequences of the movie moved around a bit. Some back story that helped to flesh out parts of the movie. This a book I'll be rereading in years to come.

[P.S. Winn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Futuristic science fiction thriller. Readers find themselves five hundred years in the future. When Captain Mal Reynolds makes a living pulling off small crimes and uses his ships for transports to make more money, he ends up leading a motley crew. They unlikely friends become like family and the adventures begin

[Lea · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can't take the sky from me

I loved the movie and to read the book warmed my heart. The way language was used throughout this stayed true to the series and was wonderfully used.