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Published in 1998 and based on an ethnographic study nested within a PhD, this is indeed a solid work of cultural studies. During that period, the field was dominated by good research and well-considered theory. Significantly, this research stands out as superior to the extraordinarily poor research on fandom that has emerged since the mid-2000s. The latter lacks any theorization of the political economy or digitization. However, where this book is solid but not excellent lies in the questions of why fandom exists and precisely what fans gain from their commitment. Additionally, the researcher does not fully address the "problem" of his own fandom and fan knowledge, and how that impacts his research. At times, his experience is overly generalized. What this book does capture, though, is what we have lost in popular cultural studies. A book like this, a PhD like this, could not come into being now. That is a great pity. But this book serves as a testament to a more interesting and intelligent era in the international humanities.
