The Psychology of Joss Whedon: An Unauthorized Exploration of Buffy, Angel, and Firefly
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Book Overview
First there was "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"; then its spin-off "Angel"; then the cult hit "Firefly"; and its follow-up film, "Serenity." They all had two things in common: their creator, Joss Whedon ... and their surprising psychological depth. Revisit the worlds of Joss Whedon ... with trained psychologists at your side. What are the psychological effects of constantly fighting for your life? Why is neuroscience the Whedonverse's most terrifying villain? How can watching Joss's shows help you take on your own psychological issues? It's all the best parts of Psych 101--without Professor Walsh. * Robert Kurzban explains how Mal's morals are a form of evolutionary pornography, and why we like to watch * Thomas Flamson explores free will in the Whedonverse--with prophecies, sacred duties and the long arm of the Alliance, does anyone actually have any? * Carole Poole demonstrates how Buffy and Spike's season six relationship could be considered metaphor for narcissistic personality disorder--and concludes that Buffy may have been better off continuing it * Bradley J. Daniels looks at River's Alliance-altered brain, and the real effects of "stripping" the amygdala * Mikhail Lyubansky shows why, psychologically, death really is Buffy's gift * And editor Joy Davidson takes on Angel's mommy issues--how the course of his whole extraordinary existence can be traced back to the woman who made him a vampire
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:1933771259
ISBN13:9781933771250
Release Date:November 2007
Publisher:Smart Pop
Length:224 Pages
Weight:0.84 lbs.
Dimensions:0.5" x 6.3" x 9.0"
Customer Reviews
3 ratings
Decent Joss shtick
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 15 years ago
This book goes into the psychology of Joss Whedon's TV shows (buffy, firefly/serenity, not much dollhouse), but tends to cover the same ground several times; this falls at the feet of the editor. Perhaps there isn't more out there. We read about strong female characters and how the various sidekicks complete the main character. I'd say this is an OK book, but not outstanding.
Perfect for the casual reader
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 15 years ago
If you're not a psychology student/ scholar this is the book for you. It's interesting, informative and explains, in easy to understand words, the psychological terms it employs. So even if you've never taken a psych class you can still enjoy the book, and probably even learn a few things about your own psyche in the process. Like the other reviewer said, I've seen essays referring to all seasons of Buffy and Angel, and every episode of Firefly. So it's definitely better if you have seen every episode before reading the book, just so it doesn't ruin watching the show for you.
Interesting and informative
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 17 years ago
This is the first book I have read in the Psychology and Popular Culture series, and I enjoyed it. Although I have taken a university psych course and had some background knowledge on the topics discussed, the book still would have been easy to understand if I hadn't. The book covers mostly Firefly/Serenity and Buffy, although there are a few essays about Angel. The contributors do reference all seasons / episodes of the series, so this is a book that's best to read after you've watched all episodes (unless you want to be spoiled).
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