Books

A bibliography of books containing essays and other critical analyses of the series and a bibliography of general guides to the series.

Essays & Critical Analyses

Adams, M. (Ed.). Slayer slang : A Buffy the vampire slayer lexicon /. Oxford ; New York: Oxford University Press.
Slayer Slang is a collection of essays in which the language of Buffy is analyzed. The book contains a glossary of the show's unique slang terms including parts of speech, etymology, definitions, and quotations.

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Battis, J. Blood relations : Chosen families in Buffy, the vampire slayer and Angel /. Jefferson, N.C: McFarland.
Blood Relations is a look at the various conceptions of family as illustrated by the shows Buffy and Angel, specifically the nontraditional "chosen" family versus the biological family.

Estill, A. (2007). Going to hell: placing the library in Buffy the vampire slayer. In J. E. Buschman, & G. J. Leckie, The Library as Place (pp. 235-250). Westport, Connecticut: Libraries Unlimited.
In this chapter, the concept of "library as place" is examined through the lens of the imagined library in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. "…the library's place enables negotiations around the acquisition of knowledge, the relationship between research and power, the drive to create community, and the desire for sanctuary." (p. 236)

Jowett, L. Sex and the slayer : A gender studies primer for the Buffy fan /. Middletown, Conn: Wesleyan University Press.
Sex and the Slayer, written for undergraduate gender studies students, employs a feminist cultural studies approach in order to explore the themes of femininity, masculinity, and gendered relations, including sexuality and sexual orientation in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Levine, E., 1970-, & Parks, L. (Eds.). Undead TV : Essays on Buffy the vampire slayer /. Durham: Duke University Press.
Undead TV is a collection of essays discussing popular culture, issues of gender, race, sexuality, ethnicity, and youth, through the lens of media studies.

Pateman, M. The aesthetics of culture in Buffy, the vampire slayer /. Jefferson, N.C: McFarland.
This book examines the cultural commentary of Buffy through its representation of issues faced by teenagers in today’s society and its critique of popular culture.

Riess, J. What would Buffy do? : The vampire slayer as spiritual guide / (1st ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
What Would Buffy Do? explores the spiritual, religious, and mythological ideas represented in Buffy the Vampire Slayer; in this context, themes, including sacrifice, redemption, self-reliance, friendship, and humor, are explored.

South, J. B., & 1960- (Eds.). Buffy the vampire slayer and philosophy : Fear and trembling in Sunnydale /. Chicago: Open Court.
This book contains 23 philosophical essays discussing the ethical and metaphysical issues present in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Stevenson, G. Televised morality : The case of Buffy the vampire slayer /. Dallas: Hamilton Books.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is used as a case study in which to explore the nature of morality on television; the book discusses the ways in which messages of morality on television are often misconstrued due to the focus on violence, sex, and profanity by moralists.

Wilcox, R. Why Buffy matters : The art of Buffy the vampire slayer /. London ; New York : I.B. Tauris: Distributed in the United States and Canada by Palgrave Macmillan.
Written by a woman considered to be the expert in "Buffy Studies", Why Buffy Matters explores patterns present throughout the show such as the hero myth, imagery of light, naming symbolism, Buffy's relationship with Spike, sex, and redemption. The book also focuses on and examines some of the more noteworthy Buffy episodes.

Wilcox, R., Lavery, D., & 1949- (Eds.). Fighting the forces : What's at stake in Buffy the vampire slayer /. Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield.
A book of collected essays in which the show is analyzed from various viewpoints. The show's social and cultural issues are examined as well as its literary influences and allusions.


Guides to the Series

Golden, C., Bissette, S., & Sniegoski, T. (2000). Buffy the vampire slayer the monster book. New York: Pocket Books.
A guide to the monsters of Buffy and beyond, this book features interviews with the creator and other writers of Buffy as well as behind the scenes information and photos.

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Golden, C., Holder, N., DeCandido, K. R. A., & Ruditis, P. (1998). Buffy, the vampire slayer the watcher's guide. New York: Pocket Books.
The first volume of the official companion to the show, Watcher's Guide contains character profiles, behind the scenes information, exclusive interviews, photos, and more.

Holder, N., Mariotte, J., & Hart, M. (2000). Buffy the vampire slayer the watcher's guide 2. New York: Pocket Books.
The second volume of the official companion to the show, this book contains character profiles, behinds the scenes info, interviews, photos, summaries, and more.

Miles, L., Pearson, L., & Dickson, C. (2003). Dusted the unauthorized guide to Buffy, the vampire slayer. New Orleans: Mad Norwegian Press.
Dusted is the ultimate unauthorized guide to Buffy. It contains detailed reviews of all 144 episodes of the series, behind the scenes information, a kill-count, character development information, a music guide, and more.

Ruditis, P. (2004). Buffy the vampire slayer the watcher's guide volume 3. New York: Simon Spotlight.
The third volume of the official companion to the show, this book contains a breakdown of all of the episodes from the final three seasons, a deconstruction of the portents in the season four episode, Restless, as well as essays from a variety of contributors.

Stafford, N. (2007). Bite me! the 10th Buffyversary guide to the world of Buffy the vampire slayer. Toronto: ECW Press.
Contains information about all seven seasons of the show and even includes information about the season eight comic book series.

Topping, K. (2004). Slayer: a totally awesome collection of Buffy trivia. London: Virgin.
Includes trivia from all seven seasons as well as "top tens", "worst fives", best lines, famous guest star information, body counts, vampires dusted, and more.

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