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Wanting to Believe: A Critical Guide to The X-Files, Millennium & The Lone Gunmen
In Wanting to Believe, acclaimed science-fiction writer Robert Shearman critiques and examines the whole of the X-Files universe, including the spin-off series Millennium and The Lone Gunmen. As such, this is one of — if not the only — guide of its kind to cover all 13 seasons of this extremely popular property.With this unauthorized guidebook, X-Files fans will be able to reevaluate these TV series with Shearman (World Fantasy Award winner, Hugo Award nominee, renowned playwright, writer on the new Doctor Who series and all-around nice guy) as he diligently comments upon all 282 X-Files-related episodes (and the two motion pictures), which form one of the most notable TV works of the 1990s — and is every bit as enjoyable today.Armed with Wanting to Believe, you will not only find yourself mulling over Shearman’s insights and opinions about The X-Files — you will want to pull your DVDs and re-watch this amazing and impressive series for yourself.
292 pages, Paperback
First published May 19, 2009
18 people are currently reading
144 people want to read
About the author
Robert Shearman
173 books227 followersRobert Shearman has worked as a writer for television, radio and the stage. He was appointed resident dramatist at the Northcott Theatre in Exeter and has received several international awards for his theatrical work, including the Sunday Times Playwriting Award, the World Drama Trust Award and the Guinness Award for Ingenuity in association with the Royal National Theatre. His plays have been regularly produced by Alan Ayckbourn, and on BBC Radio by Martin Jarvis. However, he is probably best known as a writer for Doctor Who, reintroducing the Daleks for its BAFTA winning first series, in an episode nominated for a Hugo Award.
His first collection of short stories, Tiny Deaths, was published by Comma Press in 2007. It won the World Fantasy Award for best collection, was shortlisted for the Edge Hill Short Story Prize and nominated for the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Prize. One of the stories from it was selected by the National Library Board of Singapore as part of the annual Read! Singapore campaign. In 2008 his short story project for BBC7, The Chain Gang, won him a Sony Award, and he provided a second series for them in 2009.
He is now at work on his first novel.
His first collection of short stories, Tiny Deaths, was published by Comma Press in 2007. It won the World Fantasy Award for best collection, was shortlisted for the Edge Hill Short Story Prize and nominated for the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Prize. One of the stories from it was selected by the National Library Board of Singapore as part of the annual Read! Singapore campaign. In 2008 his short story project for BBC7, The Chain Gang, won him a Sony Award, and he provided a second series for them in 2009.
He is now at work on his first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
June 23, 2015
Robert Sherman's guide is actually really good! I enjoyed reading about his opinions (even though I didn't completely agree with them all) and I still use it so I can remember what happened in each episode. :)
July 8, 2024
This is a fascinating look through The X-Files (or what there was of it circa 2008), plus Millennium and The Lone Gunmen. Robert Shearman’s critiques are considered and thoughtful, and they reward reading your way through the book, as he applies a lot of context to the episodes that have come before. (And those that are still to come.) I’ve never watched the two spin-off series but he makes a good case for what they were trying to do - in Millennium’s case, seemingly a different thing each year.
It’s a long read - don’t let the fairly low page count fool you - with a lot of analysis to get through on thirteen seasons of TV and two movies. There are also synopses for each story written by Lars Pearson; I skipped the ones for The X-Files, having seen the episodes, but appreciated the rest. It might then be best appreciated piece by piece, as you watch the episodes and then return for Shearman’s takes, than all in one go as I did. However you read it, it’s clearly a great resource for fans of Mulder and Scully.
It’s a long read - don’t let the fairly low page count fool you - with a lot of analysis to get through on thirteen seasons of TV and two movies. There are also synopses for each story written by Lars Pearson; I skipped the ones for The X-Files, having seen the episodes, but appreciated the rest. It might then be best appreciated piece by piece, as you watch the episodes and then return for Shearman’s takes, than all in one go as I did. However you read it, it’s clearly a great resource for fans of Mulder and Scully.
May 2, 2015
Znakomite kompendium wiedzy na temat wszystkich odcinków produkcji telewizyjnych obejmujących uniwersum Chrisa Cartera. Poza krótkimi streszczeniami każdego z epizodów seriali "Z archiwum X", "Samotni strzelcy" i "Milenium" do każdego z nich dołączona została obszerna krytyka. Robert Shearman, scenarzysta telewizyjny i radiowy (współpracował m.in. przy tworzeniu słuchowisk BBC, o przygodach Doktora Who), jest jednocześnie zagorzałym fanem seriali Chrisa Cartera, ze szczególnym wskazaniem na "Z Archiwum X". Zna je od podszewki i wiedza, jaką prezentuje w niniejszej książce jest po prostu imponująca. Mimo swego uwielbienia dla The X-Files, nie szczędzi negatywnej krytyki i często - zwłaszcza opisując schyłkową epokę serialu - w ostrych słowach wyraża swój żal względem błędów i wypaczeń twórców.
W mojej opinii książka ta jest wręcz lekturą obowiązkową dla każdego fana serialu (lub seriali) Chrisa Cartera, wyczerpującym temat kompendium, doskonałym sposobem na odświeżenie sobie pamięci przed nadchodzącymi nowymi sezonami "Z Archiwum X" i porównanie swoich wspomnień z rzeczowymi opiniami autora.
Gorąco polecam!
W mojej opinii książka ta jest wręcz lekturą obowiązkową dla każdego fana serialu (lub seriali) Chrisa Cartera, wyczerpującym temat kompendium, doskonałym sposobem na odświeżenie sobie pamięci przed nadchodzącymi nowymi sezonami "Z Archiwum X" i porównanie swoich wspomnień z rzeczowymi opiniami autora.
Gorąco polecam!
June 9, 2021
Great critical retrospective
I was pleasantly surprised to find that the author began his X-Files experience the same way I did - with someone we ended up marrying. Each episode is reviewed based on it's direction and writing, so it's a real must have for any Xphile.
Unfortunately, the author and I differ in the sort of episodes we enjoy. I lived for the monster the week episodes having growing up in the 70s watching Kolchak: The Night Stalker. I never warmed to the sci-fi mythology of the series and so found his dour views on many of the monster of the week episodes, disappointing.
Still, I highly rec this one for its inclusion of the Millennium series and the abysmal Lone Gunmen.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that the author began his X-Files experience the same way I did - with someone we ended up marrying. Each episode is reviewed based on it's direction and writing, so it's a real must have for any Xphile.
Unfortunately, the author and I differ in the sort of episodes we enjoy. I lived for the monster the week episodes having growing up in the 70s watching Kolchak: The Night Stalker. I never warmed to the sci-fi mythology of the series and so found his dour views on many of the monster of the week episodes, disappointing.
Still, I highly rec this one for its inclusion of the Millennium series and the abysmal Lone Gunmen.
August 17, 2023
Shearman is an excellent writer, let's get that out of the way. The TV he's done that I've seen is magnificent, and there's nothing wrong with this, per se, except that it just ... it's hard to describe, but what I kept feeling happening is the review made me want to rewatch The X-Files. But I don't ACTUALLY want to rewatch the damn show, I just want to read commentary about it. But the commentary was either brief or enigmatic enough that I didn't recall most of what Shearman was talking about. So it left me feeling frustrated and cold.
YMMV, obviously.
YMMV, obviously.
July 23, 2025
An excellent guide/review of each episode of the first nine seasons of The X-Files (the original series' run) plus the two feature films. Also included, in similar format, is a complete guide/review of the entire Millennium series and the shit lived The Lone Gunmen spin-off. The author takes a page or two for each episode describing the action and follows that with a critical review and rating system. It's a fun ride--absolutely essential for any binge-watching!
July 11, 2017
An insightful look into the world of Chris Carter, from The X-Files to Millennium to The Lone Gunman. Sherman provides a a synopsis and critique of each episode of all three series. Even when I did not agree with him, I always understood his reasoning into why he liked or disliked a certain episode.
February 2, 2015
I really enjoyed Shearman's take on all 202 episodes of The X-Files as well as the two feature films and its two sister series. While I didn't agree with many of his observations/opinions I did think they were well thought out, well presented and, coming from a TV writer, not without merit. He certainly does not pull many punches in his individual reviews of the episodes. To his credit, though, he is one of the only commentators on the series that I've seen give any credit to season 8 or 9 (which was a refreshing change) so when I did disagree with his analyses I knew he wasn't doing it just to be a troll. A nice trip down memory lane and a good resource for the hardcore Ten Thirteen fan.
October 12, 2013
While I didn't always agree with Shearman's reviews, they're all well written and insightful, which makes his book a must read for every fan of Chris Carter's work. Shearman obviously had fun revisiting the series and writing his reviews. I especially enjoyed his introduction, written right before watching the second film for the first time. It's been twenty years but The X Files still got it and the truth is still out there - it's books such as this one that keep the series alive, even after all these years.
April 27, 2017
Includes a synopsis and then opinion of each episode. Very good. I used it as I watched my way through the "X-Files". I will no doubt refer to it often when I have my viewings of "Millennium" and "The Lone Gunman".
August 29, 2009
Can't wait. Book was supposed to be out months ago. Publisher keeps pulling it back. Can anybody say Sisyphus. Update: Terrific. A must. Buy 2.
April 29, 2011
While I didn't agree with all of Shearman's reviews, this book was an exellent overview of every Chris Carter production. A wonderful book.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews