Books About Pop Culture, Fandoms, and Trends

Talk about a media and fashion icon! If you loved the looks at the recent Met Gala, there is no Vogue magazine without the legendary fashion editor and cultural reporter, André Leon Talley. Talley is the first Black American to serve as creative director and editor-at-large for the historical fashion magazine, but it came with its challenges. In his last book, Talley opens up about his strained relationship with Anna Wintour and dealing with fatphobia and racism in an industry that he helped diversify. With over six decades of journalism experience, the Southern man who was also a French lit expert, brought to the industry diverse voices that transformed the business of high fashion.

Written with inside access, comprehensive research, and a down-to-earth perspective, Phasers on Stun! chronicles the entire history of Star Trek, revealing that its enduring place in pop culture is all thanks to innovative pivots and radical change. Author and Star Trek expert Ryan Britt charts an approachable and entertaining course through Star Trek history; from its groundbreaking origins amid the tumultuous 1960s, to its influence on diversifying the space program, to its contemporary history-making turns with LGBTQ+ representation, this book illuminates not just the behind-the-scenes stories that shaped the franchise but the larger meaning of the Final Frontier.

Who invented reality television, the world’s most dangerous pop-culture genre? And why can’t we look away? In this revelatory, deeply reported account of the rise of “dirty documentary,” Emily Nussbaum unearths the origin story of the genre that ate the world, as told through the lively voices of the people who built it. At once gimlet-eyed and empathetic, Cue the Sun! explores the morally charged, funny, and sometimes tragic consequences of the hunt for something real inside something fake. The rollicking saga of reality television, a “sweeping” (The Washington Post) cultural history of America’s most influential, most divisive artistic phenomenon, from the Pulitzer Prize–winning New Yorker writer — “a must-read for anyone interested in television or popular culture” (NPR).

A sweeping, genre-bending “masterpiece” (Minneapolis Star Tribune) exploring Black art, music, and culture in all their glory and complexity — from Soul Train, Aretha Franklin, and James Brown to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Whitney Houston, and Beyoncé. Filled with sharp insight, humor, and heart, A Little Devil in America exalts the Black performance that unfolds in specific moments in time and space — from midcentury Paris to the moon, and back down again to a cramped living room in Columbus, Ohio.

It might be a powerhouse of popular culture, but South Korea is so much more than BTS and bibimbap – and with this book, it’s yours to explore. Dive deeper into the country behind Hallyu and discover why it was long known as the Hermit Kingdom, who the incredible haenyeo divers of Jeju Island are and how age was once calculated in three different ways. Along the way, you’ll get to know the people who’ve shaped the country and its customs, uncover the makings of the Hallyu and, of course, explore the global exports we all know and love.

With words that roast, ignite, and burn while connecting to and coalescing around a singular thesis, That’s How They Get You emphasizes how and why Black American humor is uniquely transfixing. This is a mixture of not just observational anxieties and stream-of-consciousness lucidities but also acute political clarity about America. Edited and with an introduction by Damon Young, the critically acclaimed author of What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Blacker, the collection features new material from an all-star roster of contributors, including Hanif Abdurraqib, Mahogany L. Browne, Wyatt Cenac, Kiese Laymon, Deesha Philyaw, Roy Wood Jr., and Nicola Yoon.

Japan is the forge of the world’s fantasies: karaoke and the Walkman, manga and anime, Pac-Man and Pokémon, online imageboards and emojis. But as Japan media veteran Matt Alt proves in this brilliant investigation, these novelties did more than entertain. They paved the way for our perplexing modern lives. Artfully packaged, dangerously cute, and dizzyingly fun, these products gave us new tools for coping with trying times. They also transformed us as we consumed them, connecting as well as isolating us in new ways, opening vistas of imagination and pathways to revolution. Through the stories of an indelible group of artists, geniuses, and oddballs, Pure Invention reveals how Japan’s pop-media complex remade global culture.

The ’90s brought about a revolution in the human condition and a shift in consciousness that we’re still struggling to understand. Happily, Chuck Klosterman is more than up to the job. In The Nineties, Klosterman dissects the film, the music, the sports, the TV, the pre-9/11 politics, the changes regarding race and class, sexuality, the yin/yang of Oprah and Alan Greenspan, and (almost) everything else. The result is a multidimensional masterpiece, a work of synthesis so smart and delightful that future historians might well refer to this entire period as Klostermanian.

Jia Tolentino is a peerless voice of her generation, tackling the conflicts, contradictions, and sea changes that define us and our time. In this dazzling collection of nine original essays, written with a rare combination of give and sharpness, wit and fearlessness, she delves into the forces that warp our vision, demonstrating an unparalleled stylistic potency and critical dexterity. Trick Mirror is an enlightening, unforgettable trip through the river of self-delusion that surges just beneath the surface of our lives. This is a book about the incentives that shape us, and about how hard it is to see ourselves clearly through a culture that revolves around the self.

Like many people, Jen Sookfong Lee was obsessed with pop culture, especially in her youth. As a Chinese girl living in Canada, Lee used popular culture to learn more about herself and the world around her. Lee admits that pop culture helped her learn about other cultures and identities. She also used pop culture as a vehicle to distract her from grieving the father she lost at a young age. Lee examines her life and revisits personal moments that happened during her life that correlate with major events in pop culture history. Presented in a series of essays, Lee explores how her current self navigated through many growing pains while submerging herself into Western pop culture as a descendant of immigrants.

In this nostalgic and raucous collection of 16 original essays, Ira Madison III — critic, television writer, and host of the beloved Keep It podcast — combines memoir and criticism to offer a brand-new pop-culture manifesto. In this hilarious, full-throttle trip through the ’90s and 2000s, he recounts learning about sex from Buffy the Vampire Slayer; facing the most heartbreaking election of his youth (not George W. Bush’s win, but Jennifer Hudson losing American Idol); and how never getting his driver’s license in high school made him just like Cher Horowitz in Clueless: “a virgin who can’t drive.” Brimming with a profound love for a bygone culture and alternating between irreverence and heartfelt insight, Pure Innocent Fun will leave you entertained and surprisingly enlightened.

The Bachelor franchise has been a mainstay in American TV viewers’ lives. Since it premiered in 2002, the show’s popularity and relevance have only grown. Los Angeles Times journalist Amy Kaufman is a proud member of Bachelor Nation and has a long history with the franchise — ABC even banned her from attending show events after her coverage of the program got a little too real for its liking. She has interviewed dozens of producers, contestants, and celebrity fans to give readers never-before-told details of the show’s inner workings. Kaufman also explores what our fascination means, culturally, including how this enduring television show has shaped society’s feelings about love, marriage, and feminism by appealing to a marriage plot that’s as old as the best of Jane Austen.

Over the 50 years that Lorne Michaels has been at the helm of Saturday Night Live, he has become a revered and inimitable presence in the entertainment world. He’s a tastemaker, a mogul, a withholding father figure, a genius spotter of talent, a shrewd businessman, a name-dropper, a raconteur, the inspiration for Dr. Evil, the winner of more than a hundred Emmys — and, essentially, a mystery. Lorne will introduce you to him, in full, for the first time. With unprecedented access to Michaels and the entire SNL apparatus, Susan Morrison takes readers behind the curtain for the lively, up-and-down, definitive story of how Michaels created and maintained the institution that changed comedy forever.

Considered “The Voice” by many artists, critics, and fans alike, the life and talent of Whitney Houston still touch millions worldwide. Despite her vocal talent and box-office and record-charting hits, her personal life kept the paparazzi locked into Houston’s every move. Houston’s childhood friend, Crawford, who later became her manager, shares how the two New Jersey girls grew up together and how fame impacted their relationship personally as well as professionally.

After Warhol propelled from artist to celebrity, it seemed as if everything Warhol captured landed in magazines or the news. Eventually, Warhol enlisted women to join him at his infamous Factory — his art studio, which was also the source of his branded projects. As Warhol expanded his art mediums, he also embraced film. Between the parties and his ability to capture in-the-moment photographs and film that are now part of history, Warhol was accused of drawing young women into harm’s way with his lifestyle. In Warhol’s Muses, bestselling biographer Laurence Leamer shines a spotlight on the complex women who inspired and starred in Warhol’s legendary underground films —The Chelsea Girls, The Nude Restaurant, and Blue Movie, among others.

When President Kennedy was in office, it was hard to tell if he knew how history would regard his family for years to come. But even after the assassination of the president, JFK Jr. captured the hearts of Americans and abroad. Despite his celebrity life, those close to him and in his social circles, such as the biographer Gillon, published this unauthorized biography that was released shortly after his untimely death. According to Gillon, Kennedy did not always enjoy the spotlight, but Kennedy was from a famous political family, lived in New York City, and often mingled with celebrities.

The iconic entertainer, spy, and philanthropist, Josephine Baker, lived a life of glamour, oppression, celebrity, and love. During the Great Depression, Baker took her act to Paris, France, where she described how she fell in love with the city of Paris because it loved her more than her home country, the US. While in Paris, she worked with resistance groups and was able to infiltrate using her celebrity to help free Europeans from the tyranny of the Nazis. Outside of her action-packed, jet-setting life, Baker recalls how she got involved with the Civil Rights movement in America. Originally printed in French, this memoir is a must-have for anyone obsessed with pop culture history and heroines.

You may not know his name, but you know this actor’s face and voice. Best known for his roles as Omar in “The Wire,” as well as his unforgettable roles in “Boardwalk Empire,” and most recently, “Lovecraft Country.” His posthumous memoir will tug your heartstrings as he relives the painful experience of battling addiction, his love for music (especially house), and how he began working in entertainment as a backup dancer after being inspired by Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation video. While new and seasoned fans mourn the loss of his untimely death, his art and presence will never be forgotten.

If you have not had the chance to make it to the Smithsonian to see the African American Museum exhibits, this book is a great crash course to have on hand. Inside, readers will be delighted to submerge themselves in Afrofuturism, which continues to dominate in pop culture today. From music to film to fashion, Afrofuturism can be seen and heard every day. Dive into over 100 images that center Black identity within mainstream pop culture. From Star Trek and Black Panther to Sun-Ra’s futuristic instruments, this one-of-a-kind book is perfect for pop culture and art nerds alike.

After working for more than eight decades in Hollywood, the charming sensation known as Billy Dee Williams lets his personality shine in this memoir. As a young boy, Williams embraced the arts at an early age. Growing up in Harlem, NY, Williams started acting in school with another pop culture icon, Diahann Carroll. Recalling his first film role, The Last Angry Man, Williams states that it is in that moment he knew his entire life would revolve around entertaining. He talks intimately about his personal and professional wins and losses, but gives readers hope that they can reach for the stars just as he did.