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

Smart Pop

by Glenn Yeffeth (Editor), Drew Goddard (Foreword)

This collection of irreverent and surprising essays about the popular television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer includes pieces by leading science fiction and fantasy authors. Contributors include bestselling legend David Brin, critically acclaimed novelist Scott Westerfeld, cult-favorite vampire author Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, and award-winner Sarah Zettel. The show and its cast are the topics of such critical pieces as Lawrence Watt-Evans's "Matchmaking in Hellmouth" and Sherrilyn Kenyon's "The Search for Spike's Balls." An informed introduction for those not well acquainted with the show, and a source of further research for Buffy buffs, this book raises interesting questions concerning a much-loved program and future cult classic.

Genres: Nonfiction, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Vampires, Pop Culture, Essays, Tv, Anthologies

226 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Glenn Yeffeth is CEO and Publisher of BenBella Books.

Reviews

[Anastasiaadamov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Foreword: Taste our steel by Drew Goddard
I was not fan of the foreword by this writer and the collaborator of the show. I think it came from a much smaller place than it was supposed to and the quirky jokes it delivered missed the mark because of it. I acutely felt that I was left out from the targeted reader audience and this foreword did not age well…

1) Buffy Vs. The Old-fashioned „Hero“ by David Brin ★★★
There were some thought provoking and bold statements in this short essay. But the most memorable quote for me was:
„Kings and wizards may seem romantic, but they had 6000 years to deliver human happiness, and all they did was push us around like vampires.“

2) Is that your final answer…? By Roxanne Longstreet Conrad ★★★★
My first impression on this one was that I did not like it from the first look at the page. Once I started reading it I got much more amiable to the format it was written – I even liked the many silly footnotes. This essay embodies the Buffy the Vampire Slayer for me!

3) Sex and the single Slayer by Nancy Kilpatrick ★★★★
There were some really strong lines in this one:
„…there is something about those preternatural guys who live out their dark side that make them simply irresistible.“
„But a hero does not a good husband make, and fate, it seems, saved you from what would have been a huge mistake.“

4) The search for Spike's balls by Sherrilyn Kenyon ★★★★
What a bold little essay! I don't like how accurate it seems…

5) A Slayer comes to town by Scott Westerfeld ★★★★
Very elaborate system of defining fantastical stories and worlds.

6) Skin pale as apple blossom by Peg Aloi ★★★★
This essay felt like an ode to the character of Tara and the actress Amber Benson. The sheer passion with which the author described all the physical atributes of the said actress and the characters wardrobe is quite endearing! I am glad that there are people this inspired by side characters of a TV show!

7) Lions, gazelles, and Buffy by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro ★★★★
The premise of this essay is very intriguing. Buffy and the whole vampire ecosystem make a lot of sense and the analogy is quite sound. I agree with this point of view that the role of the Slayer has never been about eradicating the vampires but rather to keep them in check.

8) The good, the bad, and the ambivalent by Laura Resnick ★★★★★
Very detailed overview of all the main characters and how complicated and dimensional they are. Most of the characters go through stages on all sides of the good and bad spectrum.

9) For the love of Riley by Michelle Sagara West ★★★
Some sound points are made about the best boyfriend and growing up in this one. But I fear the author missed the main point of most people watching TV shows with supernatural elements – we want to see supernatural characters, and Riley Finn with all his good characteristics is a regular human Joe.

10) A Buffy Confession by Justine Larbalestier ★★★
There were so many parts of this essay I felt strongly about and then there were some parts I was glad I am not so deep into the crazed fan category. I felt the complete contradictory effect with the author being a staunch defender of the show and then boldly claiming how bad some parts of it were…

11) Dating Death by Jennifer Crusie ★★★★★
This essay was in many ways eye-opening and I felt deep validation I never knew I needed! Who better to open my eyes and explain things than a romance writer! Loved it!

12) The Meaning of Buffy by Marguerite Krause ★★★
I can understand where the author was going with this essay but I tend not to agree with most of the points. Love of Willow and Tara has been done beautifly but I don't see it as the ultimately the best relationship in the show. Therefore, the meaning of Buffy in this context is essentially flawed!

13) When did the Scoobies Become Insiders by Sarah Zettel ★★★
This essay on the Insiders and Outsiders ends on a call for expansion of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer and maybe the author did not get the chance to read trough graphic novel continuation or even digested the season seven ending fully – but that is exactly what it was delivered!

14) A Reflection on Ugliness by Charlaine Harris ★★★
While I agree and am also annoyed by the vampires ugly faces there is one demon I would like to talk about with the author of this essay – Clem! Clem is a disgusting looking demon and one of the most lovable characters in season seven. And I think if I tried hard enough I might find few more loopholes in the premise of this essay. I expected more from you Mrs. Harris…

15) Power of Becoming by Jacqueline Lichtenberg ★★★
I was a bit annoyed at the footnotes and the shameless self promotion in them. Most footnotes seemed redundant for any person that watched the TV show and payed any attention at what was going on. As for the premise of the essay and the „Becoming“ theory: it has certain merit but there were better ways to present it than the author used. Rating is based on pure annoyance about footnotes and I regret nothing.

16) Unseen Horrors & Shadowy Manipulations by Kevin Andrew Murphy ★★★★★
I loved this little insight into the network life and imediate response issues the series had had. At the time the TV show was coming out I was totally out of the loop and had no knowledge on some of these at all!

17) Innocence by Carla Montgomery ★★★★
I was waiting for the essay that is going to tackle on the subject of sex in the show. This one covered most o fit but there were somethings I think deserved to be talked about more. The form of this essay was by far the most appealing to me so far.

18) Where's the Religion in Willow's Wicca? By Christie Golden ★★★★★
Very informative essay with some educational and overall positive vibes. Made me want to learn more on the subject.

19) Love Saves the world by Jean Lorrah ★★★★
Very well essay with good flow of points and intent. The family angle is familiar yet nicely done and presented with vigor.

20) A world without Shrimp by Margaret L. Carter ★★★★
Elaborate essay on the alternative worlds that appeared in the show. The distinctions between world origins and viewers point of view were clearly presented. Alternate reality theory was mostly easy to follow and the examples from the show were well utilized.

21) Matchmaking on the Hellmouth by Lawernce Watt-Evans ★★★★★
While I mostly agree with the assessment provided by the author I have the luxury of reading on after season seven of Buffy and after season five of Angel. This gives room for more candidates and while the author operated in the mostly known Buffyverse in search for her candidate I have a broader scope to look from. Good choice from the author, even though I don't agree whit the end result I think her categorization is sound.

22) Slayers of the Last Arc by Nancy Holder ★★★★★
Just like the last episode of the show, so did this last essay left me with high spirits and a desire to watch it all again, look up some stills from the show and read some fanfiction.

[K the Vampire Slayer · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars, though due to the nature of the book being a collection of essays by 22 different authors, the whole thing is of varying quality throughout. I admit, after reading a few of the rough ones near the beginning, I was almost ready to write the thing off entirely because some of these are just plain wrong, even if some are opinions and technically can't "be wrong" in that respect, somehow they are, drastically missing the point of the show on one end as it not just flies over their heads but is launched with a missile launcher, or just rehashing what's already obvious about it on the other end, while also often being littered with forced attempts at humour that ranged from mildly cringey to literally painful to just downright offensive. I thought it was basically setting me up to make a list of "authors I'll definitely never read," but then we finally hit a gem or two for a moment of brief respite that convinced me to keep going. So, in the spirit of being fair, after the first few, I took review notes on each of the essays individually.

Foreword by Drew Goddard.
Has some forced quirkiness and jokes that didn't age well, and a voice that I think misunderstands its primary audience... and the show's primary draw, but it's technically not one of the essays up for trial here so...

Buffy vs. The Old-Fashioned Hero by David Brin
Tolerable, but nothing special, a basic look at Buffy compared to other major heroes, some questionable wording, but alright and short. 3/5

Is That Your Final Answer...? by Roxanne Longstreet Conrad
Longstreet's "quirky" essay format being written from the point of view of a demon taking a final exam became rather tedious after a while and doesn't exactly age well. Though it has some okay points, I disagree with its main thesis in how it follows the tradition of taking the spotlight away from our heroine or the fact it's a team effort and puts all the credit on the Everyman again, sigh. And I may be a buzzkill, but I just found the gimmickyness in which it was written annoying and out of character to the show in a way that was trying way too hard to emulate it by becoming painful exaggerated parody of it. 2 or 2.5/5

Sex and the Single Slayer by Nancy Kilpatrick
This one was just straight up creepy in how it referred to and discussed the teenage characters of the show. You're not funny or smart, Nancy Kilpatrick, you're not. It's honestly messed up how hers is worded when Buffy is 16, even if the show itself is heavily focused on sex, the way Kilpatrick approaches the topic is distasteful and disrespectful, using that forced tedious humour and repetitive phrasing in a way that doesn't work at all, peppering in offensive terms, and glossing over all other facets of the show in favour of instead making a few horny "jokes" and begging Buffy to have sex sooner. 1/5

The Search for Spike's Balls by Sherrilyn Kenyon.
This one, god, this one, I want to revoke Sherrilyn Kenyon's rights from talking about Buffy ever again, this is the favourite author of someone I don't particularly like and I can see where she gets it from now. Much like Kilpatrick's before it and a few that follow, this one was chock full with an obsession with surface level "girl power" that somehow bordered on both misandry and misogyny at the same time, erasing all the real heart of Buffy as a character and going further to prove my belief that no one who compares their heroines to Buffy actually understands what made Buffy work. It's angering, empty and devoid of real substance, none more so than this one. Sherrilyn Kenyon, shut the f-ck up, shut the f-ck up. Oh my God, queen of missing the f-cking point here. Her essay is the one where I was seriously considering ripping out pages because how can one look at season 2 of Buffy and come to these conclusions and observations, I wanted to punch her. Buffy is a teenager and S2, when she sleeps with Angel and he loses his soul is a f-cking obvious, very clear and well acknowledged metaphor, Miss Kenyon, you f-cking asshole, the episode is literally titled Innocence, symbolizing in a way a loss of Innocence as Buffy grows up and is forced to face a world where the guy she thought she loved turns into something else, and she's not "whiney" for reacting to this seriously or with less humour, what the actual f-ck. And Buffy doesn't "suck the masculinity" out of guys, nor do they become her punching bag after knowing her, what kind of piss poor take is that, to see a show about growing up, to see how Buffy's kindness and strength and view of the world makes them want to do better, be better, be like her or change what couldn't change before and think that's a sign of being weak? The wording of this entire essay is maddening in ways you wouldn't believe and again attempts for it to be funny fall more into cringe territory than ever. It physically hurt me to read it. Grossly cynical and out of touch with the true strength of Buffy as a character. 1/5 but if we're being petty, -1000/5.

A Slayer Comes to Town by Scott Westerfield
This one was alright as it was one of the first ones in the whole book with something at least marginally interesting to say/observe about the show on a technical level and how it compares and contrasts to other shows of its kind. His observations are sound and his callback to Oz's reaction to learning about vampires apt to his point. He also gives a mention to The Prom Class Protector Award, my favourite scene, so you know, I'm biased. Decent, nothing special though. 3/5

Skin Pale as Apple Blossom by Peg Aloi
The wording Aloi uses to describe the female characters is... bad, it's just bad, somehow praising them while also sounding bizarrely sexist and uncomfortable, especially the way she talks about how these actresses look, even if it's just so she can compare Tara, it leaves a bad taste. While after this rough start, the analysis of the costume design and color theory has some merit, it's short and still tainted by this odd "sexualization humour." Though I cede some points for the latter half as it touches on different parts of Tara's impact in s6 in a semi poetic way, the overall style again feels forced in a way that makes me cringe. 2/5

Lions, Gazelles and Buffy by Chelsea Quinn Yarbo
I actually found Chelsea Quinn Yarbo's take fascinating as it again actually delves into a different look at how Buffy works and how the character works on a more fundamental level. It makes some good points and references to back it up too without resorting to gimmick, the best of the essays so far mentioned. 4 or 4.5/5

The Good, The Bad, and the Ambivalent by Laura Resnick
Laura Resnick keeps a passionate but professional tone to her essay and she covers some good points which can apply not just to Buffy but to any good shows with complex characters, while it didn't blow me away, some of her wording definitely stood out to me as particularly well articulated and universal. 4/5

For the Love of Riley by Michelle Sagara West
Michelle Sagara West's essay, now, I think she gets it, the way she refers to the metaphor and the intensity of high school and teenage emotion in her discussion of Buffy's romances, and how Riley fits in or rather didn't fit into that, the way she understands what his character was meant to represent and her great respect for him with acknowledgment of why it didn't work anyway presented in a way you'd be hard pressed to find from most anyone else due to their bias, I respect that so much, and I respect her looks at different angles of people's perspectives of what did happen and what could have happened. 4.5 or 5/5

A Buffy Confession by Justine Larbalestier
This one had an interesting start, some lines I agreed with her, her defense of s4 hit the right points, though I wholly disagree with her assessment of Angel being tedious and the worst partner and Riley being most interesting when doing the whole vampire sex thing. Nor do I agree with some of her assessments of "bad" early episodes. This essay is heavily opinionated ymmv fare that flip flops left and right. Her beginning stance contradicts a lot of what she says later without giving good reason, or any reason, and reason is key. So is balance and the ability to enjoy things while also being able to criticize them when need be, which Larbalestier seems to struggle with, opting for rose tinted love or boiling hate with no in between. I do agree with the rewatch assessment of Ted, but again many of her personal opinions are just that, personal with no nuance, and even then they go against each other. The Zeppo as best of s3? Who? What? And I really don't like her needlessly rude snip at Dawn in the Gift either, or her absolute vitriol for old camp episodes or the like, which again contradicts herself to the point of annoyance. Her assessment of Help alone, my eye is twitching with how truly utterly hateful it is because her initial statements show desire for balanced critique, but the more she writes, the more it feels almost spiteful, even if on occasion warranted, it's presented incredibly poorly before yet again going back to the initial stance on balance between love and hate in such a whiplash way, never putting into practice what she preached. And then the whiplash again in her appall for season 7! Which again, while not unwarranted in criticism is certainly unwarranted in such intensely hollow and strong fiery hate from someone who couldn't agree with even herself the whole essay. And to top it all off, she ended with a truly horrendous opinion of wanting Buffy to have ended on the episode Normal Again, and may I just say, F-CK that. This had such a horribly cynical and sour ending to an equally horribly Pollyanna beginning, unable to ever achieve the balance she criticized herself. It was needlessly petty and only showed her inability to consume or look at media critically in a normal way. 1/5

Dating Death by Jennifer Crusie
Gordon Ramsay "Finally some good f-cking food".jpeg, finally some good f-cking analysis of the romantic and sexual aspects of the series without making it creepy or falling prey to bias. This whole essay was incredibly well said with deeper looks and equal weight put into all of Buffy's romantic relationships and the metaphors surrounding them. 5/5, possibly the best essay in the book.

The Meaning of Buffy by Marguerite Krause
I had no particular qualms with this one, I just didn't find it had anything particularly new to say and it was too quick to discount other interpretations or non romantic relationships, with a very black and white bias toward their thesis that ignored certain events of the show. 3/5

When Did the Scoobies Become Insiders by Sarah Zettel
A few interesting points of note, but overall a downer that leaves a bitter taste. 2/5

A Reflection on Ugliness by Charlaine Harris
Having read some of Harris' work, her criticisms, while some initial ones being valid enough, are also extremely hypocritical given how she writes her own characters. And is she really complaining the demons look like demons? I'm sure after this, she became a big fan of Twilight *rolls eyes*. Not only that, but she's looking too deeply into and making a mountain out of a molehill of something that has a simple answer. 1. The monsters look like monsters because this is a monster show, that's more interesting visually for TV, especially camp supernatural TV but also 2. Network execs don't want these kids going around killing what looks like normal people because it would be disconcerting for ratings in blurring the moral lines of the protagonists. But also on that note, that's the point, and Charlaine Harris conveniently glosses over how this evolves through the seasons on purpose to push her thesis even when the show directly contradicts it. Did she happen to skip the episode Lie to Me in its entirety? Or did she again like the other bad essays in this book miss the whole clear point of the show and how it does seem to start in that very black and white worldview, (bad guys always in pointy hats, good guys always stalwart and true, you know the drill), but as Buffy grows up, those lines between good and evil become more blurred, and it's not as clear cut as monstrous looking monster/vampire vs slayer anymore. Again, I point to Lie to Me, I point to Faith, I point to Glory, I point to the trio and Willow and etc. Harris' critiques completely ignore the fact that she's cherry picking information. Also, side note, I don't think Warren being flayed alive is a good example to her argument of evil being ugly, what the actual f-ck. Did she forget who did the flaying? Her points could have had valid critique, there's the possibility for an actual argument in there, especially in terms of the lack of diversity, but the examples she uses to back herself up are silly and hollow. If she wants normal humans or sexy f-ckable villains so much, go watch something else. Her essay is shallow. 1/5

Power of Becoming by Jacqueline Lichtenberg
I like when they take such a scholarly approach to Buffy like it deserves, going through the stages of analysis, comparing it to other shows of the time and how it took pieces from those while also starting something wholly new. This essay really looks into the gears of the machine, and I think Lichtenberg has a good take on the heart of what makes the show work and what really makes it more complex. Her comments on what makes great literature can also be applied universally and makes me think of what made this other show I watch work so well/have the same effect as Buffy did on me as well. 4 or 4.5/5

Unseen Horrors and Shadowy Manipulations by Kevin Andrew Murphy
I'm mostly fascinated he mentioned the Loa and the big talking hamburger from Angel, almost thought that was a fever dream. This essay was alright, a straightforward/informative piece on censorship with a couple interesting facts or examples of what they faced, not too exciting. 3/5

Innocence by Carla Montgomery
Finally, someone else acknowledging the canonical use of metaphor in all the storylines. Montgomery shows good understanding of the real mission statement of the show and also approaches the topic of sex in the show with seriousness and respect as it deserves. 4 or4.5/5.

Where's the Religion in Willow's Wicca by Christie Golden
Simple, straightforward, informative and to the point. This essay has a narrow focus on a singularly Willow-centric topic, which makes it tight, but not particularly wowing. 3/5

Love Saves the World by Jean Lorrah
I think this essay had a good thesis about the power of love in Buffy but I disagree with some of the observations and analogies. 2/5

A World Without Shrimp by Margaret L. Carter
Despite its title harking back to one of my favourite random running gag lines, this essay just felt like a bunch of wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff with quite a few notes of repetition that could have been tightened up. 2/5

Matchmaking on the Hellmouth by Lawrence Watt-Evans
I respect the respect for Clem, but as for the conclusion, they were very right that I wouldn't guess it because no, nuh uh, it's ridiculous. A bad argument with little support that gives us a crack pair up and then ends abruptly without further elaboration. 2/5

Slayers of the Last Arc by Nancy Holder
This one was a back to basics, no frills approach to storytelling structure with a stable sense of reverence and adoration. 3/5

And thus concludes my way too long review.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why read: Received for review.

What impressed me: Many authors I had read, or at least heard of, contributed essays to Seven Seasons of Buffy. I didn't agree with everything the essayists put forth, but appreciated the contrasting opinions that made me consider other outlooks. This book is a celebration of everything that Buffy was, but doesn't hold back when presenting theories and ideas that show fans may rabidly disagree with.

What disappointed me: With any anthology of this nature, some essays were drier than other and some essayists seemed less familiar with the subject that they should have been. It wasn't perfect, but it was one of the better books that look deeper into Buffy.

Recommended: Buffy fans, obviously, but the more fanatical the better.

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed this. As a person who was a late Buffy fan (I started watching when I was 25) m, it was so interesting to read a collection that came out right after the finale. I’m someone who thinks Buffy is outstanding, from Season 1-7. I think The finale was one of the most outstanding finales to ever grace television, and I was perturbed to find that some viewed it as disappointing.

This sort of anthology is how I want to consume fandom. For the most part, even the essays that I disagrees with were absolutely excellent.

I rated this down to a 4/5 because there were three essays that I felt should have been eliminated entirely.

“The Search for Spike’s Balls” was so disgustingly sexist I was appalled. I was even more horrified that a woman wrote it. It was misogynistic, uninformed, and almost embarrassing. I wish it had been cut completely.

The essay on Ugliness in Buffy I also found to be somewhat useless and poorly argued. I will admit that it’s a little bit because I think Charlaine Harris is an atrocious writer so I set no store by her opinions. And the essay regarding Buffy potentially having a relationship with Wesley Price was a bit off the wall, too. It had the flavor of someone trying to be subversive by just grasping at straws blindly.

The true subversive choice here is that the “right” boyfriend for Buffy is that women don’t need boyfriends to thrive and be happy.

Oh - and the one about Willow/Wicca. Overall, that one seemed to have little to do with Buffy and a lot to do with someone just being an offended Wiccan.

Overall, I love love loved such a collection of thoughtful and nuanced pieces on what is now my favorite show. I particularly adored the final essay, which outlines all of my personal feelings re: Why Season 7 is the absolute perfect ending to Buffy, and why it is one of the single most incredible television shows every produced.

It would be really interesting to see a revisitation of these essays now.

[Hayley (Gory B Movie) · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was a journey! This is a collection of academic essays written in 2003 after the series finale. Some are amazing, some are awful. My biggest complaints are desperate attempts to simulate the show's witty writing and a few essays that were either poorly researched or so negative that they seemed misplaced in a collection intended to explore and celebrate the show. I've sorted them as follows:

Amazing
Dating Death by Jennifer Cruise
Power of Becoming by Jacqueline Lichtenberg
Where's the Religion in Willow's Wicca by Christie Golden

Pretty Good
A Slayer Comes to Town by Scott Westerfeld
Is That Your Final Answer by Roxanne Longstreet Conrad
Lions, Gazelles, and Buffy by Chelsea Yarbro
The Good, the Bad, and the Ambivalent by Laura Resnick
The Meaning of Buffy by Marguerite Krause
When Did the Scoobies Become Insiders? by Sarah Zettel
A Reflection on Ugliness by Charlaine Harris
Unseen Horrors & Shadowy Manipulations by Kevin Andrew Murphy
Innocence by Carla Montgomery
Love Saves the World by Jean Lorrah
A World Without Shrimp by Margaret L. Carter
Matchmaking on the Hellmouth by Lawrence Watt-Evans
Slayers of the Last Arc by Nancy Holder

Unremarkable
Buffy vs. the Old-Fashioned 'Hero by David Brin
Sex and the Single Slayer by Nancy Kilpatrick
Skin Pale as Apple Blossom by Peg Aloi
For the Love of Riley by Michelle West

Awful
The Search for Spike's Balls by Sherrilyn Kenyon
A Buffy Confession by Justine Larbalestier

The book gets better as it goes along and there are only two truly awful essays. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys the academic study of film & television or diehard fans of BTVS.

[Lea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some were really interesting and some were really bad. I wrote down a few words after reading each essay but the only one I want to point out right now is 'The Search for Spike's Balls' which was one of the worst things I've ever read. What sexist bullshit and it's even written by a woman. That's probably more horrifying than this essay.

[Wee Lassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent deep dive into what made the seven seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer so great. Answer: Practically everything, it just depends who you ask.

[TammyJo Eckhart · Rating 3 out of 5]

22 essays in this collection, all of them seem written quickly after the series finale of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." I wonder if the time that has passed, more than 15 years now, would change what these authors wrote or not. I think it has given me more time and thus I think I read the essays more critically than I might have within the first year or two after the show.

Let me say that I have seen the entire series from start to finish 3 times -- live and then twice on DVD over these past years. I've seen individual episodes up to a dozen or so times. I think in some cases, these essays could have used more time particularly Sherrilyn Kenyon's essay "The Search for Spike's Balls" which seems to have completely ignored every flashback and discussion the show gave us about his past. This was the only essay in this collection that I didn't believe in any shape or form.

7 essays were weak -- I could see what the author was trying to say but I felt they either lacked evidence or the essay needed some edited to make it flow more coherently. Sadly these included essays from Justine Larbalestier and Sarah Zettel.

8 essays were strong with solid evidence but they didn't make me nod my head or say "That's right" when I read them. They had evidence but didn't say something that truly resonated with me. Among these were Lawrence Watt-Evans and Jacqueline Lichtenberg's pieces.

That leaves 6 essays that I no only agreed with but felt were wonderfully crafted in terms of argument. Among these were essays by Laura Resnick and Jennifer Crusie.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s difficult to accurately rate a book that is a collection of essays written by over 20 different people. I could rate each one individually, but won’t. This book edges towards a 3.5 for me. Some of the essays really clicked with me and while none of them were bad, some just did not resonate with me as well. I did find some errors and inconsistencies in multiple of the essays (not sure if fault lies with the author, editor, or others), but frustrating when some referenced episode numbers were inaccurate (wrong episode number and once wrong season). Other errors that bugged me (call me nitpicky if you will) included mentioning that something foreshadowed the arrival of Faith, despite happening six episodes after Faith’s initially appearance or misattributing which ship Captain Janeway commanded. There was also the (20+ years after the fact) elephant in the room of such praise to Joss Whedon, now knowing some of the horrible things he’s done.
All of that being said, if you’re a BtVS fan, there’s something for you in this collection of writings.

[Olivia Ambrose · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting collection of essays about Buffy. A bit too focused on Angel or Spike, but I did particularly like the essay "When did the Scoobies become Insiders?" by Sarah Zettel which talked about how the Scoobies moved from outsiders to insiders over the course of the series and how that affected the show. I've read better written and more critical essays, but it was a fun read. Good for any Buffy fan.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

A few of the articles were spot-on, in my opinion, and a few missed the mark, but in that way that I can respectfully disagree with. So why didn't I enjoy it more? I guess maybe it hasn't aged well, I don't know, but I found myself skimming more articles than I usually would.

[Tiffany · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was okay. Some essays were enjoyable, others were terrible and tedious. I wanted to DNF so many times but I was reading this book for a specific challenge and so I carried on. Wouldn't really recommend.

[Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book contains Literary criticism of Buffy by various little known authors. It’s heavy on the criticism and virtually every author says the same thing. The only entries I liked (and coincidentally I had heard of the authors before) were by David Brin and Charlaine Harris.

[Cheryle Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent collection of highly interesting essays.

[JulieJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read for any Buffyphile into analyzing the show and its characters.

[Doug Cornelius · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only for fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I'm one of those. Mrs. Doug and I are big fans of the show. This essay anthology dives deep into the themes of the show.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun stuff. I will always love Buffy. It's good to share that appreciation with others as they describe where and why your love exists.

[Becca · Rating 2 out of 5]

No. Just no.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun. Mostly seem to be written for a conference.

[Taschima · Rating 4 out of 5]

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Are you the kind of Buffy fan that declares that Buffy was the ultimate T.V. Series? Are you the kind of Buffy fan that bought the series and watched it over and over and over again? Are you the kind of fan that discusses with your fellow Buffy mates various points of the series? Like what went wrong, what went great, and things like that? If you answered yes to any of these questions then this IS the book for you. This book will give you plenty of things to ponder long after you finish reading it. The essays will stay with you for days, even the ones that annoy you because they just don't think like you think. And at the very least I can asure you that after finishing it, or heck even while reading it, you will go to your special DVD space, pick up that beloved yet used up box set and sit down to watch it all over again.

The Smart Pop books are not like normal books. Smart Pop books are basically a bunch of essays put together that deal with a specific main thing in pop culture, literature, etc. This book in specific deals with a pop culture phenomenon that is very close to my heart, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. How much of a vampire slayer geek am I? I love it with every fiber of my being. The show, the characters, the romance, relationships, bonds, Spike, Spike, Spike, everything! And speaking as a Buffy Geek I can tell you that it was fun to read various different ideas when it comes to Buffy. Some of these essays went against everything I believe in when it comes to the Buffy universe(like one essay discusses how Willow and Tara's relationship is not the healthiest relationship in the entire Buffy Universe -I think it is-, and Spike not being the ultimate mate for Buffy -which he totally is and I could write my OWN essay listing the reasons why) and some others had me screaming "YES!", "Exactly!", and "I am go glad you pointed that out!".

Some of my favorites:

Is That Your Final Answer...? by Roxanne Longstreet Conrad
The Meaning of Buffy BY MARGUERITE KRAUSE
Love Saves the World BY JEAN LORRAH
Dating Death BY JENNIFER CRUSIE
A Buffy Confession BY JUSTINE LARBALESTIER (It was a good essay even if the ending sort of screw it up a bit)

There are a LOT of essays. So because of this these book won't go by in the blink of an eye like if it was a normal fictional story. You have to take your time and not hurry yourself through it because if not you will not completely enjoy it. That's my advice. What I found interesting about the essays is that I enjoyed the essays written by people that I basically know nothing about, but the people I do know something about (Charlaine Harris, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Scott Westerfeld) I didn't enjoy as much.

There is definitely a little of everything for everybody. A lot of different interesting opinions. Like I said if you love Buffy and love talking about it and discussing it read this book. It's totally for you.

PS; something that disappointed me is that no one tackled the question of who is in reality the better man, who is gooder (if that is even a word), Angel or Spike? This question is one me and my fellow friend talk about a lot. We think Spike is the better man, more good, for many many reasons.So, disappointed nobody tackled that, but maybe I will take the time sometime to tackle this in an essay on my own free time.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been a Buffy fan since the early years and at one point in time, I might have been one of those crazed fans that collected all things Buffy, but my love for the TV series waned with the start of season four, not only because Angel left (I personally might have cried when he left at the end of season 3, even knowing that he was getting his own show the next season, yet I never really wanted Angel and Buffy together as I thought that he deserved better....) but because of the show just seemed so pointless and the upheaval of characters and such altered the show. Despite how pointless season 4 felt, I hung in there and watched til the end. I have all 7 seasons on DVD, numerous books, poster and other Buffy/Angel odds and ends. So when I found this book, (and I literally mean found it, abandoned in a free pile of stuff), my inner geek girl kinda squealed. Fast forward about 3 years and here I am, finally reading it and to my surprise... getting rid of it.

This collection of essays started off slow for me and I worried that the first entry was a sign of things to come, thus causing me to almost stop there but there were entries from authors that I knew and liked so I marched forth. The 2nd essay was humorous to me and the next few that came after weren't bad but weren't memorable either. The long winded ode to Tara/Amber Benson was a bit much for me, even though I liked the character and the actress just fine.

Justine's Larbalestier's slight "Angel-fan" bashing was a bit much for me, as yes, I am one of those people that came to enjoy the show "Angel" much more than I ever did "Buffy" but I am still a Buffy fan not only because that is where we first come to know Angel but other characters as well. The two are interconnected and to lightly bash on the other fans isn't endearing, to say the least.

Jacqueline Lichtenberg's essay was long winded and more footnote self-promotion than anything.
Kevin A. Murphy's essay at least mentioned actual Angel episodes as most of the other essays acted as if Angel no longer existed after second 3 or that Buffy never ended his world after season 3.
Margaret L. Carter's entry was another long-winded one that I was quite sure it would never end. I was rather bored by it and felt that it, out of all the submissions lacked a purpose or even a place in the book. The rest of the contributions were fine, even if they didn't stick out.

This book strikes me as something for the diehard fans only as nothing much will interest the casual viewer nor do it hit me as the type of book that would interest someone into checking out the show for the first time. I expected it to be better, as I have no problem with fans pointing out flaws of a show but some of these tales read like hate letters to the show and Joss.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

As always, when reading a collection from many different contributors, it's impossible to like them all equally. My favorite essays were written by Roxanne Longstreet Conrad (loved her frisky creativity), Scott Westerfeld (his ideas about story types intrigued me), Laura Resnick (liked her writing and it rang true to me), Justine Larbalestier (really loved her voice and her "festival" ideas), Kevin Andrew Murphy (interesting behind-the-scenes info about making the show), Christie Golden (another fresh and frisky voice, explaining just why Willow isn't a Wiccan) and Lawrence Watt-Evans (offering an unexpected choice for a Buffy love interest).

Several of the other essays were interesting enough but not standouts, and a couple didn't support their arguments very well or took things to a weird, and in my opinion, overly-serious level.

Also, the intro by Drew Goddard had me laughing out loud.

Fun collection and a must-read for Buffy fans.

[Alexandra Michaelides · Rating 2 out of 5]

Since finishing Buffy and Angel I've become a voracious reader of Buffyverse academia and have enjoyed most of it. I read the companion book Five Seasons of Angel and loved it. It was clever and well-written. It was with high expectations that I read Seven Seasons of Buffy, and was sadly, quite disappointed. First, this essay compilation needs a much better editor. Basic information about the show was incorrect, at least one character's name was misspelled, and a couple of essays suffer from far too much repetition, so much so that I was reminded of former students' padding their papers to reach a certain page length. Second, and more importantly, the essays were not nearly as thought-provoking, interesting to read, or unique as the aforementioned book on Angel or other Buffyverse academia.

Bored now.

[Eric Juneau · Rating 2 out of 5]

A lot of the essays in this book start getting samey. The power of friendship, sexiness of vampires, who should Buffy be with, wiccan good, love the earth, woman power. It starts feeling like refined versions of online editorials, only by professional authors.

And that's saying something because, unlike most things, I did not lurk on Buffy web sites. I didn't read the analyses or identify with a main character or get into discussion groups. Mostly because I wanted to avoid spoilers, but because I thought the TV show, by itself, was perfect. Anything extraneous would sully it, like dumping a bunch of toppings on ice cream.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since I'm re-watching Buffy currently with my fella, who has never seen it, I found this especially delightful to re-read. It also let me look forward to reaching S7, which I don't think I've watched since it originally aired as I didn't enjoy it as much as Seasons 1-6 (and especially not as much as seasons 2-5, the best Buffy years, imho). I'll be glad to remember how it all shakes out and re-experience it, especially now that this book has helped me remember some of that joy. As always, the essays in SmartPop anthologies are thoughtful, insightful, and get me arguing with the author- which I think is an excellent sign! A good read for any fan of BtVS!

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, I admit I didn't read this book cover to cover. I just hopped around chapters as the mood grabbed me. The fact this book even exists seems ludicrous, 23 well-established authors writing about a TV series?! You'd think they'd run out of wise insights or issues to discuss. But, as fans of Buffy know, they don't run out of topics to passionately discuss. And THAT is the beauty of this show. My "Buffy knowledge" dwarfs in comparison, but several times while reading I realized, "Hey, that's why I'm a Buffy fan!" The book has spoilers, so don't read until you've finished all seven seasons. And if you haven't watched Buffy -- well....give it a try. Then come read the book.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is fascinating to see other peoples' opinions on this show and the meanings behind it. A few of the essays were hard to swallow; I felt they were too harsh and did not supply realistic views. To quote Ms. Larbelestier, "Don't they WANT to enjoy the show?"
I was intrigued by Matchmaking on the Hellmouth. Having seen the first four seasons of Angel, I can actually see it working with the Rogue Demon Hunter. *sigh* But alas we shall never see how that would have played out...
And, I'm sorry, but no matter how much they defend Riley, I'm still not going for it.

[Jenny Angelo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a collection of essays written about BTVS by other famous science-fiction and fantasy authors, including Sherrilyn Kenyon and Charlaine Harris, among others. An entertaining and informative read that I would recommend to any Buffy fan. I only have two complaints - some of the essays got to be repetitive after a while (many of the essays delved into Buffy's love interests), and it's not terribly well-edited. I noticed quite a few grammatical and formatting errors, as well as misnumbered episodes.

[Katherine Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. My friend Mark and I are doing a Buffy, the Vampire Slayer podcast, and I am reading pretty much any Buffy book I can get my hands on. This was a fun compilation of science fiction and fantasy writers, lovers of Buffy all, who wrote about particular themes or characters. I took so many notes. Why can't I be rich? This is one of those books that I wish I had my own copy of. I'll be doing a lot of xeroxing. The book gave me terrific ideas for themes to discuss on the podcast, questions to raise, and games and possible spin-off standalone episodes. Fun book.

[Cindywho · Rating 2 out of 5]

Most of these essays are on the silly side, intentionally or not. The only writer I'd actually read before was Sarah Zettel and I liked her essay that made some sense of the difference between the high school seasons and the post high school seasons - why the latter didn't work as well. I haven't been watching reruns, but it will probably be fun in a few years after memory has faded. (January 17, 2005)