The Book of Revelations: Available for Preorder!

Seeing as how this is, after all, my website, I'm exercising my editorial privilege of deviating from the regular format to give you the latest update on my new novel, The Book of Revelations. 

Now, it must seem to you as if I’ve been talking about this for a long time. (And if so, imagine how long it must seem to me!) But I come to you with some big news: The Book of Revelations is now available for preorder! And yes—there’s a reason to do it now instead of waiting. So here’s the deal.

From now through June 23, both editions are available at a reduced preorder price:

• The print edition drops from $14.99 to $11.99. (Order here)
• The ebook goes from $5.99 to $4.99. (Order here)

If you’re planning to buy it anyway, there's no reason to wait—you can’t beat a deal like this!

Here’s a preview of what to expect:

Intrigued?

The Book of Revelations is a meditation on memory, guilt, and the limits of protection. It asks what remains when everything familiar is taken away, and whether some absences can ever be filled—or whether they’re simply carried forward, until the moment the last story is finally revealed.

You can read more about it at the book's website, mitchellhadley.neocities.org. (And while you’re at it, sign up for my free monthly newsletter!)

Between you and me, I can honestly say that, out of everything I've written over the years, this book is the one that's most personally affected me; it's also the best work I've ever done. Go grab it while the preorder price is still good—you’ll be glad you did. TV

If you enjoy the content here and want to support my broader creative work, please consider leaving a tip at my Ko-fi page. Any amount you contribute helps me continue writing, researching, and sharing these articles and projects. Thank you!

And now for something completely different

If you subscribe to my monthly newsletter (and if you don't, why not?), then you know I've got another book coming out this year. 

After years of writing about television and its makers, I’ve turned to something more personal and inward: The Book of Revelations, a quiet, literary novel that follows one fractured life across decades through changing voices and memories. At its heart is a child whose world collapses in a single night, and the long, uneven aftermath—how absence reshapes identity, how the past refuses to stay buried, and how some promises, made in childhood, wait decades to be kept. It’s a departure from my usual work, more meditative than historical, more concerned with what lingers inside than what appears on screen. 

It's my first novel in a decade, and I must admit I've thoroughly enjoyed my return to writing fiction. It was my first writing love, and even though I've been at the television beat for more than fifteen years, fiction remains my favorite type of writing. There's something liberating about building a world from the inside out—starting with the blank page, letting characters speak in fragments, trusting the reader to what's said, and what's left unsaid. 

The first draft of The Book of Revelations weighs in at just over 70,000 words. (For comparison, The Electronic Mirror ran a little more than 80,000 words, including the appendix. That's still available, by the way, so if you don't have a copy yet, you know what to do!). Even though it's taken me only four months to write the initial draft, it's a story that's been with me for more than a decade, growing slowly and quietly, much like the life it follows: one careful sentence at a time, no hurry, no spotlight. 

As writers like to say, now that the initial version is done, the real work begins: line-by-line editing, Beta readers, revisions, and probably two or three more passes through. Even though authors never like to say that their books are done, eventually The Book of Revelations will go to press, and then, hopefully, to your hands. If you're curious about how it took shape—early drafts, discarded scenes, the small decisions that shaped the final book—sign up for my monthly newsletter on the sidebar. I'll share updates, occasional excerpts, special offers, and the occasional glimpse behind the curtain, always keeping it brief and without clutter. And when the publication date comes, you'll be the first to know! As for what the future holds, I've already got a file full of notes for the next novel, and as long as the Lord's willing and the creek don't rise, I'll be working on the initial draft by the end of this year.

In the meantime, as you've noticed, work continues apace here at It's About TV. I won't pretend it's easy working on both projects at the same time; there are times when it feels as if I have very little left to share regarding television, but thanks to the wonders of TV Guide (and a fairly sizable backlog of posts), new posts keep popping up at the rate of four per week. You may have detected an increase in the number of reruns (or "encore presentations," as the business likes to call it), but in choosing them, I've tried to dip into the past, choosing articles from a few years back, ones that might not be quite so familiar to you. I can't promise that it won't continue this year; all I can say is that I'll do my best. Eventually, of course, this grand experiment in mixing television and culture will come to its natural conclusion, but until then, I appreciate your continued support, and as always, I thank you for being here. TV

If you enjoy the content here and want to support my broader creative work, please consider making a donation at my Ko-fi page. Any amount you contribute helps me continue writing, researching, and sharing these articles and projects. Thank you!

How classic television foresaw the future

Xx  Unless you're a complete stranger to this website—and if so, what took you so long?—you know that for years, I've been beating the drum for the value of classic-era television as a primary document of sorts, a glimpse into not just the history of television itself, but of our culture: the trends, the influences, how it reflects our national and cultural history, and how, in turn, how it has been influenced by it. 

However, if you require any further proof of this, my new book Darkness in Primetime: How Classic-Era TV Foresaw Modern Society's Descent into Hell gives you a precise look at our current world—as it was envisioned by the writers of television shows in the 1950s and 1960s. With remarkable foresight, these writers applied the lessons they'd learned from history—the French Revolution, the rise of Communism, the McCarthy era of the Blacklist—to a view on what the world might be like twenty, thirty, fifty years from now. It was, in many ways, a depressing look, filled with totalitarian images, widespread consumerism, constant surveillance, oppressive governments, and a purposeless society that had descended into an endless quest for pleasure. By then, many people had abandoned God altogether, content with their reinvention as their own gods, masters of the environment, controllers of the mind, arbiters of the soul. In place of the individual, there was only the monolith: the State, the collective, the society in which all must look alike, think alike, be alike, in order to avoid confronting our worst fears.

If we'd paid more attention to these programs at the time, and what they were saying—ah, but that ship has long since sailed. As cultural historians, we can only look back at the themes of these shows and what they reveal about the world that helped spawn them. These programs served as more than simple entertainment, though entertaining they often were; the problem was that even the television industry didn't take them seriously enough. My efforts to track down some of these programs were ample proof that when it came to preserving its own history, television took itself no more seriously than many of its critics did. It was, as I write, as if "painters were to throw out their canvases following an exhibition, or playwrights burned their manuscripts after a performance." Hopefully, in addition to informing readers about the fascinating history of these programs, it will serve as a reminder that television can do more than produce cheap laughs, real-world exploitation, and dramas that carry no moral weight.

Many of you have probably seen this already, but for those of you who haven't, this is the trailer for Darkness in Primetime. Please take a couple of minutes to watch it, and feel free to share with others who have an interest in classic-era television.

Darkness in Primetime will be available in August; you can sign up for updates on when you can preorder, as well as information not only about this book but the others that I've written. I feel confident that after you've read Darkness in Primetime, you'll have a new appreciation for the value of classic-era programs, and the light they can shed on our history: who we were and who we are. TV  

My books—FREE for a limited time!

I think the time has come to turn Labor Day into one of those gift-exchange holidays. After all, it's not as if it has a lot going for it right now, other than a three-day weekend: it's the end of summer, there's nothing to look forward to until Thanksgiving, and, unlike those of us who sit behind a desk and type for a living, many real laborers don't get the day off. Jerry Lewis isn't even on anymore. So why not liven things up a bit with some presents, maybe a party, and a nice card? (I'm surprised Hallmark hasn't already started a line of Labor Day cards.)

So that nobody can accuse me of not doing my part, I have an excellent gift suggestion: check out my Bookstore and, if you haven't already, make a gift of one of my books. And this week only, as an incentive, I'm making these books my gift to you—and you won't have to pay a dime! You heard that right! For the next five days—from now until Sunday—the Kindle versions of The Electronic Mirror, The Car, and The Collaborator are absolutely free. It's my way of promoting the daylights out of my books thanking you for your loyalty over the last 11+ years. All I ask in return is that you submit a (hopefully positive, but above all honest) review afterward; easy for you, and helpful for me. 

I'll be the first to admit that, besides the ad that runs permanently on the sidebar, I haven't done nearly as much as I should to promote these books, and the last couple of years of shutdowns haven't helped. But I wouldn't be asking you to check them out if I didn't think they were worth your time, and it will never be easier, or cheaper, than this.  

THE ELECTRONIC MIRROR: WHAT CLASSIC TV TELLS US ABOUT WHO WE WERE AND WHO WE ARE

This collection of essays looks at TV during its formative years and examines how this most personal form of mass communication reflects the culture of its time, how it has fulfilled (or failed to fulfill) its initial promise, and how TV has—intentionally as well as unintentionally—predicted the future, with sometimes disturbing results. It is the sometimes humorous, occasionally ironic, but always interesting story of how classic television indeed is an “electronic mirror.”

THE CAR 

It begins with the car. But for Winter, an ordinary man living an ordinary life, it will not end until he learns what has happened to the car’s owner and why the car has been left abandoned and ignored on a city street. As Winter’s curiosity turns to obsession, his search for the missing owner intensifies and he finds the car taking him on a journey that he never expected, one of dreams and reality in which nothing–and no one–is what it seems. Not even him.

THE COLLABORATOR 

In this eerily prescient novel, a wildly popular new Pontiff promises reforms designed to focus the Catholic Church on inclusion, social justice and modernization. He is opposed by the powerful Prefect, a cardinal dedicated to preserving the traditional teaching of the Church, who fears the Pontiff’s plans will destroy the Church. Their inevitable confrontation is brought to a head by a Journalist’s investigation that uncovers a story of ambition, loss, deceit and more.

Pick up one, or try all three. There's nothing authors appreciate more than the sense that others are reading their words. Just remember that this promotion ends on Sunday. And if you don't, I'll just keep plugging them more and more frequently until you do. After all, it works for public broadcasting, doesn't it? TV  

Around the dial

And they say men don't like to go shopping. I remember when department stores had a room like this for console sets. Of course, I also remember department stores.

Speaking of shopping, big news: The Electronic Mirror is now available for the Kindle! At a price of only $2.99, you've got absolutely no excuse for not buying it. And since my job has become a victim of the virus-related economic downturn, your unemployed scribe could use a few royalties. All three of my books are now available as ebooks; you can get all the details here.

Boy, does this speak to me: Comfort TV's "get off my lawn" list of five annoying sitcom kids. The only difference between David and me is that I don't restrict my shouting to sitcoms with kids; it covers, oh, perhaps 95% of the shows on TV today. I might be underestimating, though.

At Garroway at Large, Jodie continues her bits & pieces features with a look at five-year-old Dave's first car: a wooden build-it-yourself with his grandfather. It was a sporty drive, too: zero to six with two Eskimo Pies.

The latest issue in The Twilight Zone Vortex's look at The Twilight Zone Magazine takes us to January/February, 1983. What's in store? An interview with Roald Dahl, a look at the past year in fantasy films, the story behind "Carol For Another Christmas," and more.

My sympathies to John at Cult TV Blog, who's had a stressful past few weeks; know what you mean, brother. What better way to relax than with one of his favorite Avenger episodes, "Death's Door." I have to get this series back in the queue.

An unravished bride is a terrible thing to waste; in this week's Hitchcock Project at bare•bones e-zine, Jack looks at the Morton Fine and David Friedkin episode "Thou Still Unravished Bride," with performances from the young actors Sally Kellerman and David Carradine.

Yet another classic TV veteran passes on with the death of Fred Willard this week, and at A Shroud of Thoughts Terence looks at the long and vital career of this "very nice man."

Plus, of course, some of my fellow TV bloggers participated in the National Classic Movie Day blogathon last Saturday, so be sure to check them out as well. TV  

It's never too early

In case it's escaped your attention, next week marks the beginning of October, and everyone knows that once this milestone has passed, it's only a quick jump to Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Talk about being caught unaware.

Fortunately, you can avoid the holiday rush and get your shopping done earlier, with a gift that's perfect for your friends, family, and loved ones: one of my books!

Naturally, most of you will be most interested in The Electronic Mirror: What Classic TV Tells Us About Who We Were and Who We Are (and everything in-between), my book of essays on the relationship between classic television shows and our popular culture. If you like It's About TV!, I can promise you'll love The Electronic Mirror.


That takes care of you (make sure to ask someone special to buy it for you!), but what about your friends who aren't TV buffs, hard as that may be to believe? For the fiction-lover on your list, try out my two novels, The Collaborator and The Car. The Collaborator is a tense, theater-of-the-mind story of conflict in today's Catholic Church; while The Car takes you on an existential mystery about dreams and reality and what it means to leave your mark on the world.

All three books are available at Amazon, as well as other online retailers; find out more about them here. The Collaborator is also available in a Kindle edition, and I'm hoping to have the same for The Car shortly. (I'll let you know!) If you want a personally signed copy, just drop me an email with your name, address, and what you'd like inscribed, and I'll send you an autographed bookplate.

I'm not here to B.S. you; I wouldn't recommend these books, even though I did write them, if I didn't think you'd enjoy. So get an early start on your holiday shopping and buy your copies today! TV