Book: Joss Whedon: The Genius Behind Buffy
Written by Candace Havens (Benbella Books)
Reviewed by Erick Mertz

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I picked up Joss Whedon: The Genius Behind Buffy with the same measurable bit of trepidation that I would any other television biography based on a seemingly teen oriented horror show. A few pages in, an alarm came over me as I found it wasn't the star worshipping tripe I'd feared, and before I knew it I was engrossed in careful examination of myth and film ethos that was detailed and informative.

Author Candace Havens breaks down her subject into segments, from growing up to his career as a script doctor and through Buffy into its eventual spin-offs. Havens is careful in putting Whedon's creative processes and aims before her editorial assessments. This trap, which often leads to pages upon pages of fluff, is averted and the reader ultimately puts down Joss Whedon with a greater understanding of the artist and his medium. Havens freely admires the outstanding elements of Whedon's career but brings people from his past strongly into the fray (such as old film Professor Dr. Jeanine Basinger) to cement her point.

Havens' book is most interesting where it dissects single episodes throughout the seven seasons Buffy spent on the air. While a body of work over 100 episodes long seems a monumental task to analyze, Havens does so sometimes with a film scholar's insight. Even the true completists among Buffy fans will be driven to cycle back through their DVDs or video tapes for re-evaluation.

Make no mistake, Joss Whedon: The Genius Behind Buffy is driven largely toward the interests of series fans and does possess more than a little tabloid panache. Its insights, however, key into what separates Buffy from other series, and makes an enthralling informative angle to anyone with a creative inclination to write. Joss Whedon is an interesting Hollywood personality, one to watch as his skills continue to season. With one overwhelming cult phenomenon already to his credit, who knows how high the bar is set for this self-acclaimed "geek" turned auteur.

© 2003 - Erick Mertz