Although it has been three years since the final episode of Sense8 is aired, the fandom behind the show is still alive. Fandom Sense8 phenomenon is being explored and documented in the upcoming book by British-based academics Deborah Shaw and Rob Stone called Sense8: Transcending Television.
As a quick recap, the science fiction series of Lana’s visionary and Lilly Wachowski have a roller coaster ride on Netflix and still one of the most unique titles of streaming services so far. It continues to produce two seasons before the cancellation prematurely and after a large fan reaction and a hard struggling campaign, it was bought back for the last film that looked binding loose tip.
Now, Fandom is being celebrated (like the show itself) in a new book titled Sense8: Transcending Television. Written by Deborah Shaw, who is a professor at Portsmouth University, and Rob Stone, who is also a professor but at the University in Birmingham.
We managed to talk to Deborah and Rob recently via email where we had to ask a few questions about books and sense8.
Thank you for taking the time to answer a few questions for us in your new book – Can you take us through what book and for whom?
The book genesis comes from a group of brilliant films and academics of the screen study which is a series fan and will chat about it informally on Facebook. We took a leap to combine our fan with our academic self and decided to collectively write a book. While our love in the series and the character comes through this also means that we must provide critical eyes on it and discuss where there are some criticisms such as representation and levels of as-centrism. Even so, we all like their ambitions and for what this series. Each of us wrote about various series aspects and we contacted other people to fill the gap. So, for example, there is a chapter on its role in Cosmos Netflix and television evolution; The role of music in the cluster; Strange, trans, and polyamor identity; Fans and Sense8, Sense8 as a new belief system, and Orgies and Pride get a lot of attention!
Both of you are academics in UK universities, can you talk about why this show in particular personally and professionally appealed to you?
Rob: I remember confused about the first episode but was quite interested in watching the second, and then gradually ordered by all the premises until anything? The scene in episode four when all themes and characters come together and I really want to be on the roof in Mumbai with. I grew to love world development, a better human feeling that we can all ideals and I like to use music throughout, from aligned songs from all over the world all of which are in my favorite playlist. Personally and professionally, that is, because two things are not completely separate, which is why my chapter in our book is about music in the series and how functions in relation to empathy, synchronicity and multiplicity.
Deb: I like it from the start. Utopis is needed ‘What if we are all connected to the premise’ and make it work through extraordinary stories. I like that way to integrate all characters and connect gay characters, trans, and it is said to be straight from all over the world and then make clusters that go beyond self and individual identity. This is a television fulfillment of hope you suspend distrust to connect with fictional clusters and their struggle and pleasure. It’s magical and real, sci-fi and social reality; Mixed gender and genre – what can I say, I like it as a fan and as a thinker and editance together and write the book is a joy.
Did you have any surprises while researching the book and did you speak to anyone behind or involved with the show?
Rob: We were very surprised by how excited and widespread fanbase sense8. Find clusters, fan sites, groups and Twitter accounts dedicated to this series are very interesting. We were also surprised by recruiting Sense8 for the purposes of research during the pandemic and found how cheerful, how the themes of virtual togetherness resonate so deeply in our experience to connect online, soon and collaboratively, even though our respectively far and at all. Even though it’s alone.
Deb: Sometimes there is confidence that studying movies or TV shows it reduces pleasure because it is a job, but I am very happy that this does not happen to me. I have to replay the series in working on the introduction to the book with Rob and for my own chapter, and the senses are getting better with each rewatch. Chapter Contributors also give me new insights and help me understand the main aspects such as the use of several genres, and parallel series and relationships with the Netflix streaming platform.
To date, Sense8 has been one of the very few shows Netflix has its cancelation decision on to give the show an ending. Why do you think Sense8 managed to buck this trend despite there being many other strong fan campaigns for canceled shows?
Rob: I think some of the poor Wolfgang Cliffhanger is a hidden blessing. It’s not like Deadwood, for example, which ends suddenly but without a big cliffhanger. In terms of 8, the sense of premature cancellation is exacerbated by the fact that the story is very incomplete. No one can deny that this is a big adverse for fans.
Deb: agree and then there are fans. There are no fans like sense8 fans. Series are connected with so much throughout the world in a very intimate way. Many people come out as lesbians, gay or trans after watching the show. This series gives so many people who are safe and loving, the space of hope where they can see themselves as their own heroes. They endlessly in their campaign and one special final will not have a massive cost of the entire series but will give fans of gifts from the end.
And we ask all of the people we interview this, what have you both been watching on Netflix? Any good suggestions for fans of Sense8?
Rob: I really like Queen’s Gambit for unique sensitivity, feminist themes and beautiful cinematography. I also enjoy the Mindhunter for the intensity and details of the period, and sex education because of his love for life and warm hugs of equality and diversity. And I chased behind with Brooklyn nine-nine, which was ridiculous and charming and made me laugh out loud.
Deb: I Recommended Rob Echo from the Queen of Gambit and sex education. Following the theme of sense8, disclosure, documentary about the history of trans representation in film and TV, brilliant and has the features of Lilly Wachowski and Jamie Clayton from Sense8. I also like posing that has a very large and cute, tragic and wasteful heart. I just started watching Star Trek: the next generation (very late, I know), but I think I’m interested in the series that presents the possibility of a better world and the family chosen and I really enjoyed it.
Can you fill us where we will be able to find the book and when it released?
This book came out in June (June 17) and can be ordered in advance from the Bloomsbury website and there are promotions until the end of June that gave a fan of reduction of 35% if they entered the iamawe code (it was “me”. Without spaces – get it?).