Yeffeth - Seven seasons of Buffy: science fiction and fantasy authors discuss their favorite television show

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FROMBENBELLABOOKS

Joss Whedon:

The Genius Behind Buffy

Possibly the finest book of the century; its exactly like A Tale of Two Cities, but with 30% more me.

Joss Whedon

Candace Havens nails the guy who nailed the zeitgeist. This dishy dissection of a true TV genius is smart, surprising and vastly entertainingjust like Buffy itself. Even Sunnydale know-it-alls will adore this book.

Michael Logan, TV Guide

Joss Whedon explores the life and work of the brilliant Joss Whedon, the creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Fray and Firefly and the Academy Award nominated screenwriter behind Toy Story, Speed, and Alien Resurrection.

When Joss Whedon set out to create Buffy, he wasnt just looking to create a successful show. Whedon deliberately set out to create a cult phenomenon. I wanted Buffy to be a cultural phenomenon, period... that was always the plan, Whedon confesses. Joss Whedon describes the reasons behind Whedons intense creative drive and shows how he, very deliberately, crafted a cult sensation.

An intellectual thrill-ride through
the world of THE MATRIX.
Available at fine bookstores.

Now Available From BenBella Books:

WINNER

LORD RUTHVEN AWARD
for Best Vampire Novel Winner,

LORIE AWARD
for Best Paranormal Romance

Lorrahs vampire lore and the twists and turns her revelation of it entail make her novelan interesting combination of mystery, romance, and horrorworth reading.

Booklist

A suspenseful and thoroughly satisfying look into
the future of vampirism.

Booklist

Ably integrates fiction lore with science fiction intrigue in a novel which should have broad appeal.

Library Journal

Satisfyingly complex.

School Library Journal

NOW AVAILABLE

In a now-infamous Salon article, David Brin takes on the virtually sacred Lord of the Rings trilogy, pointing out that the works celebrate the attempts of the hierarchy of a feudal order to squash the revolt of a more egalitarian society. As Brin points out, in the Lord of the Rings the good guys strive to preserve and restore as much as they can of an older, graceful and natural hierarchy, against the disturbing, quasi-industrial and vaguely technological ambience of Mordor, with its smokestack imagery and manufactured power rings that can be used by anybody, not just an elite few... Brin goes on to note Hollywoods inherent bias toward feudal systems and dynastic elites, citing Star Wars as another prominent example. But Brin does credit one Hollywood creation with deliberately subverting hierarchy and embracing the common folk. And that creation is...

W HAT DOES IT TAKE to be a shining new star in Hollywood these days?

Well, if youre female, it helps to be beautiful. An ability to act? Kind of useful. Success may also come with knowing the right people. That much has always been true.

But nowadays another essential trait has been added to the list of starlet requirements. You gotta be able to kick ass.

Think about it. Can you name any hot new Hollywood sensations who cant do a leaping decapitation kick? From La Femme Nikita and Charlies Angels to Witchblade and Xena, the trend has been amazingly consistent. And leading the charge has been the winsome but mighty Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Oh we still like our heroines to be gorgeous. Were still terribly sexist. But you have to admit, its a more respectful sexism. Thats how progress comes, in stages.

Nowhere is this progress better typified than in Buffy, with its wonderfully charming mix of the silly and the serious, the assertive and the sweet. Old-fashioned values of love and romance are retained while making it clear that women are no longer willing to be pushed around.

And it goes much deeper than that. For Buffy hearkens to the greatest modern movement, though one we hardly ever comment onthe momentous movement to change the way people view authority. A movement that pervades our culture, calling into question the whole issue of conformity and obedience. Unlike any other culture, ours has taken to sayingprove it!

In Buffy, an expert or authority figure is judged good or evil by a simple set of standards that have nothing to do with their status or class or birth. Even a vampire can be a good guy. The sole criterion that matters is whether you treat others decently.

Nor is Buffy alone pushing this message. Take Xena and Hercules, two fairly lowbrow popular television series in which authority figures were portrayed as evil in direct proportion to their rudeness or callousness toward commonfolk. Xena might rescue an exiled king from invaders and restore his throne, but only if he treats people nicely and promises to set up a democratically elected city council. Any time someone is abused by an Olympian, that god is sure to face dire punishment from our heroine!

Yes indeed, Buffy aint alone. Shes leading an important movement. Our myths are the way we prepare our minds to think and our wills to act. And her stories are right up there, promoting individualism, tolerance, eccentricity, openness, and suspicion of anything that reeks of snooty superiority.

Ah, but she has her work cut out for her. The will toward worshipping Olympians and demigods still roils within us. After all, we spent thousands of years in feudal settings that were totally undemocratic. Social structures were pyramid-shaped, with a narrow elite dominating ignorant masses. Starting with Homers Iliad and Gilgamesh, nearly all of the bards and storytellers worked for the chiefs, aristocrats, and kings who owned all the marbles.

In his famous book about The Heros Journey, Joseph Campbell spoke lovingly about the positive aesthetic elements of these old myths... without even once mentioning their dark side, like the deep assumption that humans come in neatly packaged social castes. That secrecy and mystery are more important than cooperation and skill. The surrounding society doesnt matter. Neither does daily life.

None of this is true of Buffy, who values daily life and the vibrant society around her. What does she need after a stint of saving the world? A bath and then a trip to the mall! Shes normal and likes it. Well... all right, maybe above average. All right, shes