Reviewing the Mail: Week of January 3, 2026

This year, I got one book as a Christmas present - and it wasn't even something I bought for myself! (I got myself a computer, which is why I didn't buy myself any books.)

So this notice is actually a week late, because I've been busy being on vacation the past week or so.

The book is Mystery Science Theater 3000: A Cultural History, part of a larger series of books about notable TV shows from the Rowman & Littlefield publishing house. This one is written by Matt Foy and Christopher J. Olson, both academics who seem to specialize in TV and TV-adjacent studies. It sounds a lot like The Worst We Can Find, a different history of MST3K I read in mid-2025, so I suppose I should get to  it quickly enough that I can compare the two in my head.

How many histories of a basic-cable comedy puppet show does the world need? As with anything else: it's not a question of need, it's about who wants to do it and if they can get it published. And at least these two did - I bet there are several more, too.