Rating: 
Summary: a solid body of academic work on the series
Review: As a collection of critical essays on pop culture, I'd probably only give this 4 stars, but this is head and shoulders above the rest in comparison with the other collections of Buffy academia I've slogged through lately. (Reading the Vampire Slayer and Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Philosophy - both good in their own right, but rather unpolished).This collection has both the widest number of topics, and some of the best written essays on the show I've read. We get the usual ones like feminism, female representation, and race, as well as some extremely interesting ones on language uses and a nice homage to the creator. Like all collections of this type, there's a nice hefty appendix of sources and references, mostly online due to the relative lack of published work, but a surprising amount of them reference 'ordinary' fans (those of us without a PhD. in media studies). We also get a nice healthy examination of fanfiction and the fan dynamic, unlike one rather anemic essay in another volume. If you're having a hard time deciding how to get into cultural critisism, ignore the rather stuffy cover and check this out.
Rating:
Summary: Great!
Review: I had to read this book for a Buffy class that I took at my school this past spring. I found it pretty interesting, and a lot of authors are very insightful as to the meaning behind different dialogues, actions, dress, etc. Many authors had differing views on many of the same scenes, but that's what makes each essay unique. Plus, my prof had written one of the essay's in the book, and I would just like to mention that she is THE ABSOLUTE best! :) I would def. recommend this book to most Buffy fans who would like to understand other points of view!
Rating:
Summary: Amazing book for those who like Buffy for it's depth
Review: If you watch Buffy because of the great fight scenes and the pretty people, this book is probably not for you. But if you watch this show because you see the amazing depth of the characters, the metaphor and mythology it uses expertly, or if you'd like to understand those things more, this book is amazing. It contains essays on everything from gender and postmodern politics to the uses and purposes of fanfiction and fairy tales. These are the types of topics I discuss after viewing the show, but much more in-depth due to the writers expertise. (Many of them are processors of film, literature, media studies, women's studies, etc.) It's a facinating read for anyone really interested in the show, and for those who don't watch, it will show you that the show is much more than you think.
Rating: 
Summary: Fighting The Forces:What's At Stake In Buffy The Vampire Sla
Review: In reading this book, I thought I would get a sense of how scholars veiw the television series as a whole. I got that and a whole lot more. Although I did not agree with everything that was said about the series, I found that people didn't think of it as simply a idiotic show with no moral value. People, experts mainly, dig deeper and see the show from a cultural and social stand point.
So basically they agreed with me, in that, Buffy is a television show that has substance and moral values. Even if many in the population don't agree.
Rating:
Summary: Cogent, scholarly, entertaining
Review: Now, let me start by saying that I don't typically read scholarly books about television series. Quite frankly, most of them are just chock-full of flowery, useless speech and precious little actual information or well-argued opinion. I picked up this book because I'm a huge fan of Buffy and I wanted to see how badly a bunch of academics would mangle the themes and structures Joss & Co. employ on a weekly basis. Odd as this sounds, I was disappointed to find myself greatly enjoying each and every essay. Now, not each one is a perfect gem and a couple of them made me wonder if the writer had ever actually sat through and enjoyed a single episode, but some of those essays were the most entertaining because they were quite thought-provoking. I would recommend this book to anyone who's a long-time viewer of the show, regardless of academic experience, although it doesn't hurt to have a B.A. in something under your belt. This book receives four stars simply because of a few minor grammar and spelling errors. In any other book, I'd let it slide, but this is supposed to be made by real professionals and should be perfect in that regard.
Rating:
Summary: A great collection of academic essays on Buffy
Review: There is no such thing as a perfect anthology, but by any reasonable standards, this one is first rate. The inherent problem with the anthology is that its contents are comprised by the contributions of a number of individuals. On the one hand, not every reader will find all the essays in any anthology of equal interest, while on the other, not every essay in a collection is going to be on the par of every other selection. In FIGHT THE FORCES, this is as true as well. The volume is edited by Rhonda V. Wilcox and David Lavery, the editors for the online journal SLAYAGE: THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BUFFY STUDIES (www.slayage.tv). As both a lover of Buffy and an academic, I have been somewhat surprised and delighted with the embrasure of Buffy/Angel by academics and intellectuals. At the moment, there are three academic anthologies on Buffy currently available, and three more that I know of on their way (Christopher Weimer's forthcoming MONSTERS AND METAPHORS: ESSAYS ON BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, Lisa Parks's RED NOISE: TELEVISION STUDIES AND BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, and Glenn Yeffeth's SEVEN SEASONS OF BUFFY: SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY WRITERS DISCUSS THEIR FAVORITE TELEVISION SHOW, which should be out just a few days from the moment I am writing this review). What is most amazing about all this interest is that none that I have encountered is at all dismissive of television as a medium, as so many who write on TV shows are. All these writers assume that a truly great television show can warrant as much or more attention that a great movie or the body of work of a great film director. As of this moment, I would rate FIGHTING THE FORCES as one of the two finest academic books available on Buffy, along with Roz Kaveney's READING THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, and above James South's BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER AND PHILOSOPHY. Most of the essays in this collection are at least interesting, and several are fascinating. Though at a disadvantage to the South collection by having been written with only knowledge of the fifth season, the essays all have relevance beyond. My favorite essays tended to be in the first section, entitled "Forces of Society and Culture: Gender, Generations, Violence, Class, Race, and Religion." Many of the essays are exceptional. Some are less than gripping, and one, a Jungian analysis of the dreams in Buffy, is one of the hardest-to-ingest essays I have ever read (I have decided that I must be completely immune to the purported charms of Jung). For Buffy fans, I would recommend that only those with some academic proclivities give this book a try. Understanding academic articles doesn't depend on intelligence as much as habit, and if one hasn't worked through a number of academic essays before this, it isn't likely to be much fun or shed any insight on Buffy. On the other hand, academics who remain disdainful of Buffy probably need to go work through at least the first five seasons of Buffy and the first two of Angel before giving this collection a whirl.
Rating:
Summary: A great collection of academic essays on Buffy
Review: There is no such thing as a perfect anthology, but by any reasonable standards, this one is first rate. The inherent problem with the anthology is that its contents are comprised by the contributions of a number of individuals. On the one hand, not every reader will find all the essays in any anthology of equal interest, while on the other, not every essay in a collection is going to be on the par of every other selection. In FIGHT THE FORCES, this is as true as well. The volume is edited by Rhonda V. Wilcox and David Lavery, the editors for the online journal SLAYAGE: THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BUFFY STUDIES (www.slayage.tv). As both a lover of Buffy and an academic, I have been somewhat surprised and delighted with the embrasure of Buffy/Angel by academics and intellectuals. At the moment, there are three academic anthologies on Buffy currently available, and three more that I know of on their way (Christopher Weimer's forthcoming MONSTERS AND METAPHORS: ESSAYS ON BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, Lisa Parks's RED NOISE: TELEVISION STUDIES AND BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, and Glenn Yeffeth's SEVEN SEASONS OF BUFFY: SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY WRITERS DISCUSS THEIR FAVORITE TELEVISION SHOW, which should be out just a few days from the moment I am writing this review). What is most amazing about all this interest is that none that I have encountered is at all dismissive of television as a medium, as so many who write on TV shows are. All these writers assume that a truly great television show can warrant as much or more attention that a great movie or the body of work of a great film director. As of this moment, I would rate FIGHTING THE FORCES as one of the two finest academic books available on Buffy, along with Roz Kaveney's READING THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, and above James South's BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER AND PHILOSOPHY. Most of the essays in this collection are at least interesting, and several are fascinating. Though at a disadvantage to the South collection by having been written with only knowledge of the fifth season, the essays all have relevance beyond. My favorite essays tended to be in the first section, entitled "Forces of Society and Culture: Gender, Generations, Violence, Class, Race, and Religion." Many of the essays are exceptional. Some are less than gripping, and one, a Jungian analysis of the dreams in Buffy, is one of the hardest-to-ingest essays I have ever read (I have decided that I must be completely immune to the purported charms of Jung). For Buffy fans, I would recommend that only those with some academic proclivities give this book a try. Understanding academic articles doesn't depend on intelligence as much as habit, and if one hasn't worked through a number of academic essays before this, it isn't likely to be much fun or shed any insight on Buffy. On the other hand, academics who remain disdainful of Buffy probably need to go work through at least the first five seasons of Buffy and the first two of Angel before giving this collection a whirl.
Rating:
Summary: A Must For Any Buffy Fan..Although Some Essays Miss the Mark
Review: This book is a great read for any fan interested in relating the hit show "Buffy" with academic insight. Some of the essays target the right themes of the show and flesh them out with contemporary insights. Popular Culture has never seen a book like this! Although a gem not to be missed there are some flaws that forced me to not give it a five star rating. ... Helford claims this dialouge trys to turn Kendra into a cartoonish hero failing to realize that Bianca Lawson, the actress who played Kendra, was also the Pink Ranger on the series. Despite some pitfalls this book rocks!!!
Rating:
Summary: Fighting the Forces - Loving the Reading!
Review: This book is great for any Buffy fan, anyone wanting to see why the show is so deep and meaningful, or anyone who wants an interesting look at how pop culture can depict, and help us deal with, everyday life. Anyone who has watched Joss Whedon's cult hit knows that it's one of the best written, most realistic, relatable, allegorical shows on tv today. Through metaphor, snappy dialogue, and characters we can all empathize with, BtVS uses its fantastical elements to show the daily battles of teenage life. Here, Ms. Wilcox and Mr. Lavery have compiled over twenty scholarly essays that look at different aspects of the Buffyverse, from female empowerment to race to sex to Freudian dream analysis, to speech as a weapon and back again. The editors also include an introduction that provides a good starting point for anyone wanting an interesting outlook on the ways Buffy can be defined as quality television and realistic material. Following the essays is a look at the show's creator, Joss Whedon, and a basic episode guide for the first five seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the first two seasons of its spin-off series, Angel. If you are a fan of the show and are looking for some sophisticated yet approachable writing about BtVS and its various themes, this book covers it all. It's extremely "quotable" and would make an excellent resource for anyone wanting to show (or know) "what's at stake" in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I chose Fighting the Forces over its competitor, Reading the Vampire Slayer, because it seemed much more complete (certainly because this book was in progress for far longer than the other) and I had been reading intriguing reviews of Wilcox and Lavery's book for months before its release. Needless to say, I was not disappointed - and I still have a number of essays to read. The book is sophisticated, but also well written and accurate (throughout all that I've read, I've only noticed one tiny error - they accidentally said that Graduation Day Part 1 was postponed, when in fact only the second half's airing was delayed). It reads pretty much like it is - like academic essays - but anyone interested won't have trouble following. Whether you're a Buffy fanatic or someone simply willing to approach the Verse as a "newbie" you can be sure that this book will be both fun and enlightening. Get into it at your own speed, bookmark the parts that interest you most; access this collection in your own style, but you will undoubtedly enjoy it. Fighting the Forces is an immensely satisfying and approachable academic resource filled with rich analysis of an ever growing international phenomenon. I can't praise it enough!
Rating: 
Summary: A lot of people need tenure . . .
Review: This book is over-blown, poorly written, and in places utterly nonsensical. I would be hard pressed to say which was worse, the "academics" who are adept at using many words to sat nothing, or the journalists who prove that the use of proper grammar and clear, direct writing are a thing of the past, even among so-called professionals in the field. For the reader who has not chosen to pursue an advanced degree in Literature, parenthetical remarks such as the Mayor is " . . . incidentally, an avatar of "Richard the Third . . ." or the comment that Buffy inhabits a place that " . . . pretends to be nowhere (which is what "Utopia" originally means) . . ." function as so much verbal filler, as these comments are never expanded upon within, or even tied to, the text. Many of these essays would fail the "so what" test applied by many graduate professors (anything that could inspire a reader to ask "so what" better supply that answer in short order--and if it doesn't, the remark doesn't add value to the work). I expect better from my undergraduate students. My initially reaction to the poor editing and grammar use what that it was an impression caused by the use of UK grammar standards, but as I continued to read it became clear that the impression resulted from a general disregard to any grammar standards or word choice logic. In short, save yourself a few bucks, buy the DVDs, and listen to the writer commentary. Had the authors of the essays in this collection chosen to pay attention to what the Buffy/Angel writers have to say about their work (in the DVDs and in numerous interviews) they wouldn't have had to waste so many trees with these over-analytical studies that do more to impose each essayists aesthetic or political agenda on the subject than to illuminate the deeper themes of the over-all arc of the story line.
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