Long before he became the “king of the world” by directing the massively successful Titanic, James Cameron was a director around whom larger-than-life legends proliferated. Either a brilliant visionary or an abusive egomaniac (or both), depending on whom one talks to, Cameron is one of those filmmakers whose mythology has grown so large it obscures both his genuine achievements and his (relatively few) failures. What makes journalist Rebecca Keegan’s new book, The Futurist: The Life and Films of James Cameron so valuable is the way in which it strips away the hyperbole to focus on the specifics of Cameron’s process. Keegan first became intrigued by the director’s methods while visiting the set of Avatar for a Time magazine article; she quickly gained access to Cameron and his inner circle, and the interviews and set visits that followed allowed her to write this candid and insightful biography. The tone is pitch-perfect as Keegan rightfully acknowledges Cameron’s many innovations without becoming overly fawning and describes his managerial shortcomings and failed marriages without resorting to petty sniping or gossip. The result is a must-read not only for Cameron’s fans, but also for anyone interested in the determinants that shape a director and his career.

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