Daniel M. Kimmel – författare

As the title Jar Jar Binks Must Die indicates, Daniel M. Kimmel is not only a film critic with strong opinions, he's also a fan. In this collection of essays, he covers movies from Metropolis (1927), answering the absurd claim that the restoration of this silent classic negated its status as a science fiction film, to how Star Trek, Avatar, Moon, and District 9 may have made 2009 a "e;miracle year"e; for the genre. Along the way he looks at neglected works like Things to Come (1936), explains why remakes aren't always bad, and how seeing E.T. in an empty screening room changed his mind about Steven Spielberg. Whether to rediscover old favorites or add new titles to your Netflix queue, this is a must-have for lovers of SF movies.Jar Jar Binks Must Die was a Hugo Award nominee in the category of Best Related Work. One of only five finalists on the ballot in 2012, it was both author Daniel M. Kimmel's first Hugo nomination, and the first for publisher Fantastic Books.Daniel M. Kimmel is a past president of the Boston Society of Film Critics. When it was discovered he is also a science fiction fan he started getting invitations to participate at a number of SF conventions, which he continues to do. He reviewed for the Worcester Telegram and Gazette and now writes for Northshoremovies.net. He is a correspondent for Variety, the "e;Movie Maven"e; for the Jewish Advoacate and teaches film—including a course on SF and horror—at Suffolk University. His essays on classic science fiction films have appeared in several publications includuing Clarkesworld, Space and Time, and the Internet Review of Science Fiction. He is the author of a history of FOX TV, The Fourth Network (2004) which received the Cable Center Book Award. His other books include a history of DreamWorks, The Dream Team (2006) and I'll Have What She's Having: Behind the Scenes of the Great Romantic Comedies (2008).Reviews:"e;[Kimmel's] writing is intelligent and entertaining.… his knowledge of SF movies is encyclopedic.… This is the guy you want sitting next to you when Channel 45 has a weekend 'sci-fi' movie marathon.… For anyone who likes SF movies, this volume is worth the price of admission."e; —Don Sakers, "e;The Reference Library"e;, in Analog Science Fiction and Fact."e;Kimmel's a terrific guide to classic though underappreciated works such as Things to Come, and is especially sharp on 1950s sf movies, David Cronenberg, and the art (or lack of same) of movie remakes.… his brief essays are addictively readable and yes, a lot more fun than watching Revenge of the Sith."e; —Elizabeth Hand, "e;Books"e;, in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction."e;Kimmel displays expertise on the subject along with a lively sense of humor—scarcely a page is turned that doesn't yield a few good laughs.… Readers who already take science fiction seriously will enjoy the book's panoptic breadth and it's frank jubilation in its subject matter.… [Kimmel] makes it his business to guide his readers to science fiction films that are worthy of our attention as social commentary, whiz-bang spectacle, or works of entertainment that carry an extra edge.… the best advice to take with you on your foray into Jar Jar Binks Must Die is this: keep your Netflix wish list at the ready. You're going to revisit movies you hadn't thought about in years and be irresistibly tantalized by films you've never seen, and maybe never even heard of."e; —Kilian Melloy, in Edge Boston.

2014 Compton Crook Award FinalistThe Brogardi appeared out of nowhere, and—telegraphing their peaceful intentions—they landed in the middle of nowhere: New York State's Catskills Mountains resorts. It was an alien invasion, of the most peaceful, friendly kind. But there had to be something sinister behind it all, right?Movie executive Jake Berman lives fiction for a living, promoting movies to the masses. He's happy, and only moderately harried. But his peaceful existence is thrown into overdrive when one of the aliens sets his sights beyond the decaying resorts of the east—when he decides it's time to invade Hollywood!Daniel M. Kimmel is a film critic and professor of film. His book on the history of FOX TV, The Fourth Network received the Cable Center Book Award. His other books include a history of DreamWorks, The Dream Team, and I'll Have What She's Having: Behind the Scenes of the Great Romantic Comedies. His collection of essays, Jar Jar Binks Must Die… and other Observations about Science Fiction Movies, was a 2012 nominee for the Hugo Award for Best Related Work. He is a past president of the Boston Society of Film Critics, and current co-chair of the Boston Online Film Critics Association. This is his first novel.Reviews:"e;[A] freewheeling, laugh-out-loud satire of the movie industry."e; —Publishers Weekly"e;This first novel by Kimmel… throws caution to the winds as it spins a whimsical, amiable satire on alien first encounters, the movie industry, and American society."e; —Library Journal"e;[Kimmel's first novel is] a true joy… let's hope there are more to come."e; —Don Sakers, Analog Science Fiction and Fact"e;This is the book we've been waiting for from Dan Kimmel—funny, knowing, fast paced, full of humor, and told with a big heart. An absolute joy."e; —Robert J. Sawyer, Hugo Award-winning author of Red Planet Blues"e;Dan Kimmel's first novel is a funny and delightful tour de force that will appeal to movie fans as well as science-fiction readers."e; —Michael A. Burstein, John W. Campbell Award-winning author of I Remember the Future"e;Exceptionally funny… pretty damned spectacular… this is the funniest book of the year and one of the best debut SF novels in ages!"e; —Chris Garcia, The Drink Tank

While film genres go in and out of style, the romantic comedy endures—from year to year and generation to generation. Endlessly adaptable, the romantic comedy form has thrived since the invention of film as a medium of entertainment, touching on universal predicaments: meeting for the first time, the battle of the sexes, and the bumpy course of true love. These films celebrate lovers who play and improvise together, no matter how nutty or at what great odds they may appear. As Eugene Pallette mutters in My Man Godfrey (1936), "All you need to start an asylum is an empty room and the right kind of people." Daniel Kimmel's book about romantic comedy is like watching a truly funny movie with a knowledgeable friend.

When Garth Ancier left NBC for the start-up FOX network, NBC head Grant Tinker told Ancier he was making a terrible mistake. "I will never put a fourth column on my schedule board," Ancier recalls Tinker telling him. "There will only be three." Today, fewer than twenty years later, FOX is routinely referred to as one of the "Big Four" television networks while more recent arrivals like UPN, PAX, and the WB strive to be number five. The Australian-born media mogul Rupert Murdoch, Barry Diller, and the many executives who have worked at the FOX network over the years changed the rules of the game. They showed it was possible to build and sustain a fourth American television network through innovations in prime-time shows, sports, children''s entertainment, news, and new business models that challenged the assumptions of how the industry operated. Daniel Kimmel''s lively account of the FOX story carries the reader from the launch of the ill-fated Joan Rivers Show in 1986 to the challenging media environment of the twenty-first century-an environment FOX helped create. The Fourth Network is filled with behind-the-scenes wheeling and dealing, outsized personalities, improbable risk-takers, and the triumphs and disasters that led to such signature television series as The Simpsons,Beverly Hills 90210,The X Files, and America''s Most Wanted. For better or worse-or perhaps a bit of both-the story of the rise of FOX is the story of contemporary American television.

On November 24, 1947, the most powerful men in American film met in New York's plush Waldorf-Astoria Hotel to decide how to address the Communist witch hunt being carried out by the House Un-American Activities Committee. Twenty-four hours later they emerged having created the Hollywood Blacklist. The Waldorf Conference by Nat Segaloff, Daniel M. Kimmel and Arnie Reisman dramatically speculates on what went on in that room. Runtime: 1:27

While film genres go in and out of style, the romantic comedy endures-from year to year and generation to generation. Endlessly adaptable, the romantic comedy form has thrived since the invention of film as a medium of entertainment, touching on universal predicaments: meeting for the first time, the battle of the sexes, and the bumpy course of true love. These films celebrate lovers who play and improvise together, no matter how nutty or at what great odds they may appear. As Eugene Pallette mutters in My Man Godfrey (1936), "All you need to start an asylum is an empty room and the right kind of people." Daniel Kimmel''s book about romantic comedy is like watching a truly funny movie with a knowledgeable friend.

Time On My Hands investigates the myriad time travel troubles over which most science fiction readers have pondered, but it presents a fresh take on the time travel novel by adhering to the Aristotelian Unity of Time: it all takes place within a single day. In the book, Professor Price tells the story of how he came to be in possession of a time travel device (which he may or may not have invented), and how he found his future hiding in his past. But the discovery of time travel will necessitate far more than just building a really cool machine: it'll take the efforts of many people to figure out how to talk about time travel, the requirements necessary to be an ethical time traveler, and just whose office it is when my yesterday becomes your tomorrow without the courtesy of a knock on the door. Film critic and professor Daniel M. Kimmel has taught film and media classes at Emerson College, Boston University, and Suffolk University. His book on the history of FOX TV, The Fourth Network, received the Cable Center Book Award. His other books include a history of DreamWorks, The Dream Team, and I'll Have What She's Having: Behind the Scenes of the Great Romantic Comedies. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Rochester (where much of Time On My Hands is set) and his law degree from Boston University. Reviews:"e;This layered contemporary science fiction tale takes its time unfolding, but eventually reveals a moving emotional core.… explores the technical, ethical, and emotional ramifications of his device and his travels in entertaining and thought-provoking ways, with satisfying results."e; —Publishers Weekly "e;Instead of avoiding the time paradox, this book grabs it by the time loops and breaks it open, examining the ethical implications of using time travel."e; —John DeNardo, Kirkus Reviews "e;Here's Daniel M. Kimmel again, and time travel will never be the same.… In Time On My Hands, his two satirical targets are time travel and academia. The result is a fun and funny tale.… Kimmel addresses just about every question about time travel that has ever emerged in science fiction.… Kimmel knows his stuff, both as an academic and as a longtime scholar of science fiction. His characters ring true, and he ties together all the many threads of the plot into a satisfying whole. The book is a breezy, enjoyable read, and… it'll definitely give you more than its share of chuckles."e; —Don Sakers, Analog Science Fiction and Fact "e;Kimmel offers an engaging often humorous time-travel story that manages to hit most of the expected themes of the genre while retaining a fresh feeling.… In addition to the plot, Kimmel mixes in some interesting speculations on the ethics of time travel—for example, the whole question of altering history by deliberately changing some action in the past, or the problem of meeting an earlier (or later) version of yourself during your travels. His solutions are original.… This one's a fun read, with fresh takes on classic SF material.… You may not find Time on My Hands at a local bookseller, but you can order it directly from the publisher or from most online booksellers. You won't regret it. —Peter Heck, Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine

What happens when a struggling writer falls in love with an unemployed Muse? Only the Fates know… Writers have spent centuries praising and cursing the Muses, as their artistic talents have waxed and waned. But it's a rare writer indeed who can attract not only the attention of a Muse, but her love, too. Meet Sherman Biberman, a fair-to-middlin' writer who actually meets his Muse in the park. You thought there were only nine? Where have you been? Sherman and Komikós (the Muse of Humorous Genre Fiction) are parting ways, but Komikós knows another, out-of-work Muse, who just might be good for Sherman, and vice versa. That begins Sherman's relationship with Vinteokaséta, the erstwhile Muse of Blockbuster Video stores. She's currently unemployed, and looking for some inspiration herself. Hugo Award-finalist, Skylark Award winner, and Cable Center Book Award winner Daniel M. Kimmel showcases his wide range of writing talents in A Talent to Amuse, introducing us to Muses greater and lesser, offering tales in myriad genres, and topping it all with heaping dollops of the humor and pathos that has made him such a beloved writer.Reviews: "e;...clever and surprisingly touching."e; --The Somerville Times

In 1818, Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein, creating the iconic concept, and incidentally creating modern science fiction. In 1935, Elsa Lanchester married the monster. And now, Daniel M. Kimmel updates the myth, and tells us the tale from the point of view of the most important character: the Father of the Bride of Frankenstein. This is not Ms. Shelley's monster, but (dare we say it?) a dazzling urbanite, literate and thoughtful… and Jewish? Science has always outrun the guidelines of ethics. It's not unthinkable that interspecies relationships will be the next big question. And with those relationships will come a father's love for his daughter, and that father's fears for his bankbook when his doting daughter plans the most outrageous of weddings. Making your daughter happy can be a wild ride when her fiancé is being called subhuman, sued because of his very existence, and trying to keep a good Jewish home. Also includes the bonus, rarely seen short story "e;Cinema Purgatorio."e; Film critic and award-winning author Daniel M. Kimmel is the author of the Hugo-finalist non-fiction volume Jar Jar Binks Must Die… and Other Observations about Science Fiction Movies, and the novels Shh! It's a Secret: a novel about Aliens, Hollywood, and the Bartender's Guide, and Time On My Hands: My Misadventures In Time Travel. He is the winner of the 2018 Skylark Award (formally known as the Edward E. Smith Memorial Award for Imaginative Fiction), which is given by the New England Science Fiction Association for lifetime contributions to science fiction. Reviews:"e;Trust Daniel M. Kimmel to identify and explore a previously-neglected niche in the Frankenstein story.… It's all great fun, and we can be sure no actual monsters were harmed in the writing of this book."e; —Analog Science Fiction and Fact "e;Hilarious! The funniest of Kimmel's novels to date.… There's more to this wedding than a mile-long checklist; public interest, legal challenges, and mounting costs all converge to create connubial conniptions that would confound even the fiercest Bridezilla."e; —EDGE Media Network