Slayers of the Last Arc

It’s over. When the final episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer aired in May, fans celebrated the groundbreaking show and mourned its end. But don’t mourn, eulogize. Editor Yeffeth presents a batch of essays from sf and fantasy writers that examine the show’s scope, the evolution of its characters, and the affect it had on its many fans. Nancy Kilpatrick sympathizes with Buffy’s search for love (and a little lovin’), while Sherrilyn Kenyon sees Buffy as a demasculinizer of the men in her life. Peg Aloi toasts Tara, Willow’s quiet, reserved lover. Roxanne Longstreet Conrad insists that it was Xander, Buffy’s wisecracking, superpowerless pal, who was actually the most powerful force for good in Sunnydale. Justine Labalestier describes defending the show to critical fans, even as she admits her own dislike of the seventh season. Laura Resnick examines the mixtures of good and evil in even the most heroic Buffy characters. Bright and witty, just like the show they’re commenting on, these pieces are must reading for the Buffy-devoted