For more than forty years, science fiction, fantasy and horror have been captivating television audiences around the world. The imaginary worlds of Star Trek, The X-Files, Xena: Warrior Princess and Buffy the Vampire Slayer have become resources for lucrative multimedia franchises, their fictions extending beyond television into films, novels, video games and a wide range of other merchandise. Cult television series, once associated with small and marginalized groups of avid viewers, have stormed the mainstream.

Television, Cult and the Fantastic considers the commercial success of...