Seven Seasons of Buffy: Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Discuss Their Favorite Television Show

I'm just saying it isn't always easy to find other people as willing as I am to discuss the socio-political ramifications of Willow and Xander's unfaithful and near-incestuous kissy-face episode. If this sort of discussion is missing in your life, grab this book, make a comfy spot on the sofa, and read some terrific insights, commentary, and criticism of the first order on the finest example of the new Televison Art Form yet.

While, in my opinion, this book wasn't as good as it's sister collection, Five Seasons of Angel, it was still very entertaining, insightful, and often humorous. Essays were very well done and most of them had very good points to make. Essay subjects ranged from the censorship of the show to individual character studies, to thinking about elements of Joss Whedon's complex universe. The thing that surprised me the most, though, was that some of my favorite essays had to do with characters who weren't part of the core four (Buffy, Xander, Willow, and Giles). Two of my favorite essays were the ones about Tara and Riley, and they really got me thinking of how good each of those characters are (although not many people will agree with me about Riley). Although I also enjoyed the essay about Xander, one reason being the creative format of the essay, and I think that my favorite overall was the final one, dealing with how season seven and the series finale not only tied up the last year the way it should have ended, but also ended the series the way it should have. With a few exceptions, this was a great read, and any Buffy fan should consider at least borrowing this book.

I have read two previous "Buffy" anthologys "fighting the forces: whats at stake in buffy the vampire slayer" and "buffy the vamire slayer: fear and trembling in sunnydale". This book, however,takes the cake. It is, of coarse, at an adavantage due to the fact that this is the only of the three which was relesed AFTER the series finalie. The two other books constantly speculate what MAY happen in the series' close, this however is able to consider all aspects of the series. This book is also and easy read. . .or well at least easy-ER then the previous two. The intorduction by Buffy writer Drew Goddard is rather interesting. Especialy is ur as big a fan as i am. Goddard wrote an amazing 5 episodes in the shows final season, more even then series creater joss whedon.His episodes included some of the seasons best:"selfless", "conversations with dead people" and "dirty girls". His knowledge of the show is really a plus due to his insite into the series. And i think over all the essays are extreamly well done, my favourite being "finding spikes balls" many of the essays are hilarious and all are insitefull. A must read 4 any true Buffy fan!!!

I have read a lot of serious essays on Buffy: all of the essays on www.buffy.tv, and the entirety of the contents of the collections edited by Kaveney, by South, and by Wilcox and Lavery. But this new collection is far and away the best of the lot. I believe there are two reasons for this. First, the writers of the essays in this volume have the tremendous advantage of being able to look back on all seven seasons of Buffy and speak with some authority on what actually happened. If you read the other collections, there was always constant speculation about what might happen in the future. Now we know what happened. But the second and more important reason this collection is so superb is the fact that it was written almost exclusively by creative writers rather than academics. Although I am an academic myself, too many of the academic essays written on Buffy seem to me transparent attempts to graft unconnected academic interests onto the writers' favorite TV show. The writers here, however, are truly trying to tease out the meaning of the show on its own terms, and not trying to force the themes of the show fit the needs of philosophical, cultural, or feminist theory.Another advantage of this collection is that just about every selection in the volume is excellent. I might want to differ with a couple, like the one that defends Riley as the best boyfriend for Buffy or the one that lavishes extensive praise on Tara (I don't dislike Tara, and loved her singing in "Once More, With Feeling," but I can't really get excited about her, either; I do, however, really dislike Riley, like a majority of Buffy fans), but even those take up positions that are fun to argue with. Some of the pieces are flat out outstanding, such as an early one that is cast as a essay question on a test in which a demon is asked to explain which is the most powerful force for good in Sunnydale and why (answer: Xander, with an interesting defense). In the other anthologies, there were essays I had to suffer through in order to get to others more to my liking. There isn't a clunker in the bunch here.If I had a complaint--though I really don't--it would be that too many of the essays are fixated on the romance aspects of Buffy. I would estimate that well over half of the essays primarily are focused on one or more of the romances in the series. My own interests have always focused on the ethical aspects (e.g., did Spike's actions in Seasons 5 and 6 give him something like a soul before the shaman gave him one at the end of Season 6?, or on the extraordinary optimism that pervades the series that people can grow and become more than they are, that leopards can indeed change their spots), but clearly anyone who hates romance is not going to enjoy Buffy for very long. My lone complaint is that there isn't a bit more diversity of subject matter. There are just a few too many articles focusing on romance than I would have liked.Still and all, this is a great, great book,