Crash Into Me: The World Of Roswell

by Robyn Burnett

A new spin on the concept of teen alienation. Roswell is an intense, intelligent drama inviting the question: what if aliens survived the famous U.F.O. crash of 1947? Based on the popular book series Roswell High by Melinda Metz, the show explores the lives of three alien/human hybrid teenagers as they struggle with their human allies to keep their genetic secret while eluding the FBI, battling enemy forces, and most importantly, simply trying to grow up. Roswell incorporates the usual themes of romance, friendships, parental conflicts, and rebellion while incorporating an old sci-fi mystery that took America by storm. Roswell was instantly popular when it first aired in 1999, and both fans and the media loved the show. When the wb announced Roswell’s impending cancellation in 2000, fans petitioned the network and received a second season. When it happened again, fans turned their sights to UPN, the network that was thinking of taking over the show from the WB, and sent them 12,000 bottles of Tabasco sauce (the alien’s drink of choice). Floored by the fan reception, the network picked up the show. Crash Into Me features biographies of the actors and creators of the show, along with details on the original crash of 1947. Author Robyn Burnett includes in-depth commentaries on each episode, as well as exploring the alien mythology that has influenced the storylines. The focus of Crash Into Me is Roswell’s incredibly resilient fan base, which will stand behind the show no matter what.

250 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2002

Reviews

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very extensive and well-researched guide to the original Roswell television series. It includes a number of fun and fascinating features, along with the usual photographs and biographies and lists, such as jokes, quizzes, fan activity, etc. Most of the internet-related bits are no longer extant, but it's still interesting. The list of music that accompanied the episodes was quite interesting, too, especially since a lot of the originals didn't make it to the DVDs. The author also offers some commentary about each episode, much of which I agreed with, and there's some information about the original 1947 historical mystery and the series of kids' books from which the show sprang. It's great for fans, but probably of little interest to others.

[Samantha Glasser · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the definitive source for information about Roswell, the television show. It is obviously written by a fan whose painstaking research created a thorough tribute published in 2002, the same year Roswell ended.

The book begins with a brief, yet detailed history of the Roswell incident that many believe proves the existence of extra-terrestrial life. This information is vital to anyone interested in the show because it is what the show is based on.

There are decent mini-biographies of each of the major cast members including how they got their roles on Roswell and what they had done previously. Accompanied to these are biographies of their characters and their relationship to the others.

There is a detailed account of the fan participation, the reason that Roswell remained on the air for three seasons instead of only one. This is relevant and exciting because most of the information regarding the various fan events and efforts is scattered and different depending on who one talks to. It is nice to have an account composed of various sources in one location.

There is a chapter dedicated to the "shippers," or fan groups who have given themselves names according to which people or groups they are affiliated with. This book included a section for several fan websites. This information loses reliability as time goes on because of the instability of fansites, but it is nice to have in case the sites are still available. There are quizzes to judge one's knowledge of the show, a "Why did the chicken cross the road" section with responses by each of the characters, including minor ones. It is mildly funny and makes sense only to the hard core fans, but pays tribute to the creativity of the fans on www.crashdown.com, the main Roswell website from which the idea was taken.

The pages are littered with photographs, both in color inserts and black and whites. Many are from private collections from fans, meaning most are rare candids.

[Jules Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am one of the few who still loves "Roswell," even years after its cancellation. With the impending CW remake, I thought it would be a good time to finally read this excellent and detailed history of the original show. Featuring interviews with the main cast (Shiri Appleby, Katherine Heigl, Brendon Fehr, Colin Hanks, Emilie de Ravin and more!), recaps of every episode (including a song list! THANK YOU!) and other fun behind the scenes info, "Crash Into Me" is a must read for any "Roswell" fan.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect for any Roswell fan.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bought this book from Amazon because I was sad to give it back to the library and not have it anymore ^^ Let's say I liked it.