Science fiction and fantasy authors, typically immune to the appeal of television science fiction, cannot resist the charms of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”

This collection of irreverent and surprising essays about the popular television series Buffy the Vampire Slayerincludes pieces by leading science fiction and fantasy authors. Contributors include bestselling legend David Brin, critically acclaimed novelist Scott Westerfeld, cult-favorite vampire author Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, and award-winner Sarah Zettel. The show and its cast are the topics of such critical pieces as Lawrence Watt-Evans’s “Matchmaking in Hellmouth” and Sherrilyn Kenyon’s “The Search for Spike’s Balls.”