From the Publisher
A lighthearted yet often insightful romp into the Simpsons universe and its cultural impact. Lydia and James’s writing elegantly paints a picture of Springfield in my head, as though I were right there at 742 Evergreen Terrace.”
—Josh Strider, YouTuber at PhantomStrider
“Did The Simpsons really, truly predict anything? I predict you’ll have to purchase this book to get the true story.”
—Bill Oakley, Simpsons writer and producer
“A perfect book for any fan of animation!”
—Stephen Carver, YouTuber at Saberspark
“As a member of the Stonecutters, I can assure you that if anything in this book were true, we wouldn't have let it be printed… A must read for anyone who wants to know how we do it.”
—Jefferson Weekly, Simpsons prop designer
“The Simpsons accurately predicted that I would love this book! A must read for Simpsons die-hards.”
—Johnny2Cellos, cohost of the Cartoons that Curse podcast
“Full of analysis and callbacks from all eras of the show, this book is sure to embiggen the knowledge of even the biggest Simpsons fan and help them recontextualize how the show is put together.”
—Al-Tariq, YouTuber at ToonrificTariq
“Just when you thought you knew it all, Lydia and James manage to open up a whole new can of Simpsons theories that’ll blow every fan’s mind!”
—Brendan Dando, cohost of the Four Finger Discount podcast
“Simpsons fans will enjoy this overview of three decades’ worth of animated dysfunctional family life and its analysis of the show’s ability to foreshadow future events.“
—Lisa Henry, Library Journal
Library Journal
09/01/2021
The Simpsons, the longest running scripted series in history, has seemingly predicted the future on numerous occasions. Poulteney and Hicks, creators of the YouTube channel The Simpsons Theory, examine the most famous examples (Donald Trump's presidency, murder hornets) and lesser-known ones (robot librarians, mutant tomatoes, London's Shard skyscraper). The authors also disprove faked examples (no, The Simpsons didn't predict Donald Trump's death, the 2019 fire at Notre-Dame Cathedral, or the Capitol riots) and offer a lesson on detecting doctored screenshots. The book is full of fun tidbits, like the Simpsons writers' passion for math—in one scene from the episode "The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace," Homer scrawls a complex mathematical formula on a blackboard, which predicts the mass of the Higgs boson particle 14 years before it was discovered. Poulteney and Hicks also discuss theories as to how the series has made so many predictions, including creator Matt Groening's supposed involvement in the Freemasons, and consider the possible locations of the Simpsons' hometown of Springfield. VERDICT Simpsons fans will enjoy this overview of three decades' worth of animated dysfunctional family life and its analysis of the show's ability to foreshadow future events.—Lisa Henry, Kirkwood P.L., MO
