From Publishers Weekly
Although this unauthorized book "was not prepared, licensed, approved, or endorsed by any entity involved in creating or producing" The Simpsons, Canadian journalist Turner embarks on an encyclopedic exposition of the show's episodes, catchphrases, characters, cultural impact, social commentary, themes and influences. In 1987, 33-year-old cartoonist Matt Groening devised the dysfunctional family during a 15-minute wait before pitching the concept to producer James L. Brooks. Short segments on Fox's Tracey Ullman Show escalated into the full series in 1989–1990, with accolades and awards piling up during the following 15 years. Turner flavors his straightforward Simpsons study with footnotes and facts on everything from Ayn Rand and Columbine to Y2K and Yeats. Unraveling and analyzing plot threads, he views the series as "more anti-authoritarian by far than almost anything else that's ever aired in prime time," and he praises it as a "cultural institution" comparable to the Beatles. Turner's fannish enthusiasm and tsunami of trivia will appeal mainly to devotees, though cultural historians may value it for its vision of Springfield as a satirical mirror reflecting the trials and tribulations of contemporary life. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
On the verge of becoming the all-time longest-running situation comedy, The Simpsons has had unprecedented effect on American popular culture, as Turner convincingly argues. He traces the show's history, from cultural touchstone to beloved institution, and offers lengthy profiles of the characters, elucidated with tidbits from 15 years' worth of episodes. Especially fascinating is his depiction of the online community devoted to The Simpsons, which pores over each episode for arcane references and whose efforts have been subtly acknowledged in metatextual gags on the show. While Turner overstates the case for The Simpsons' cultural importance, even claiming that, since it appeals to all ages, it is in some respects more important than rock and roll, his observations are thoughtful and perceptive, and he conveys them in a breezy, sometimes smart-alecky tone totally appropriate to the subject. Long-winded but never dull, dense but never academic, Planet Simpson may be too much for casual viewers. For the show's sizable hardcore audience, however, especially the most serious-minded viewers, it's a feast. Gordon Flagg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Stop Smiling March 2005
"Everything you ever wanted to know about the making of a popular cartoon show and cultural phenomenon...Enjoyable reading."

Philadelphia City Paper 10/7/04
"Turner's hefty tome... disseminat[es] mounds of meticulous research into clear, concise prose about television's longest-running sitcom."

January Magazine November 2004
"As [Comic Book Guy] might say, this thorough examination of a pop culture phenomenon is Best. Simpson. Book. Ever."

MSNBC.com 12/6/04
"No question, Chris Turner knows his Homer and Bart, chapter and verse. The immaculate detail...proves that beyond a doubt."

E! Entertainment Online 11/15/04
"Turner's book, a fan's-eye perspective of the brilliant show, is part memoir, part series history and part cultural exegesis."

Smoke December 2004
"[An] amusing yet erudite book"

Ruminator Magazine November / December 2004
"Turner claims, '[The Simpsons is] the most important cultural institution of its time'...[and] I have to admit, he's convincing."

Avenue Magazine November 2004
"Award-winning magazine journalist Chris Turner offers and in-depth analysis of the program and how it relates to our world."

Forum 11/2/04
"A provocative read for the thinking "Simpsons" fanatic."

Ruminator Review December 2004
"Convincing...A joy to read. Turner's tone usually finds a perfect pitch between scholarly discourse and normal conversation."

Book Description
Planet Simpson is the first book to bring in-depth analysis to that most important pop-cultural institution of the last decade-Fox TV's "The Simpsons"-and use the show as a microcosm of the Western culture it has hilariously (and mercilessly) reflected and influenced. In an age of unprecedented transformation, "The Simpsons" alone has had the depth, intelligence, scope, and, most importantly, humor to chart the links between popular culture and the world we live in. Planet Simpson is broken down into scathingly funny chapters analyzing each major character's relationship to different facets of the American character: Homer Simpson, the ultimate everyman of the American century; Lisa Simpson, the voice of the show's social conscience; Bart Simpson, punk icon; Marge Simpson, maternal voice of moral authority and anchor of Simpsons family values; C. Montgomery Burns, unchecked capitalism personified...and every bit character on down from Barney to Smithers to Krusty the Clown, coupled with intelligent, friendly, and entertaining analysis of the show's greater themes. Going well beyond a critical discussion of a single television program, Planet Simpson will use "The Simpsons" as a window on the culture at large to deliver first-hand reportage of the Internet boom, the alternative-rock explosion, the triumph of irony, the cultural origins of anti-globalization, and other defining events and trends of our accelerated, confounding era.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

D'oh - it's The Simpsons. And here's the book with the behind-the-scenes story of how America's favorite nuclear family first arrived at a TV near you, how the series grew into a worldwide icon, and who brings it to life so brilliantly week after week, year after year.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Although this unauthorized book "was not prepared, licensed, approved, or endorsed by any entity involved in creating or producing" The Simpsons, Canadian journalist Turner embarks on an encyclopedic exposition of the show's episodes, catchphrases, characters, cultural impact, social commentary, themes and influences. In 1987, 33-year-old cartoonist Matt Groening devised the dysfunctional family during a 15-minute wait before pitching the concept to producer James L. Brooks. Short segments on Fox's Tracey Ullman Show escalated into the full series in 1989-1990, with accolades and awards piling up during the following 15 years. Turner flavors his straightforward Simpsons study with footnotes and facts on everything from Ayn Rand and Columbine to Y2K and Yeats. Unraveling and analyzing plot threads, he views the series as "more anti-authoritarian by far than almost anything else that's ever aired in prime time," and he praises it as a "cultural institution" comparable to the Beatles. Turner's fannish enthusiasm and tsunami of trivia will appeal mainly to devotees, though cultural historians may value it for its vision of Springfield as a satirical mirror reflecting the trials and tribulations of contemporary life. (Nov. 1) Forecast: Although the show is past its heyday, diehard fans will gravitate to this like Homer to donuts. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

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