I saw this at the bookstore the other day and I couldn’t resist. I am interested in the sciences, especially physics, and although I obviously lack the education and training necessary to really explore physics, I still think it’s interesting to read about physics concepts. And to see an author attempting to take the Buffyverse seriously was a pretty awesome thing.

Basically, this book looks at all of the events in the Buffyverse and tries to rationally explain them, using actual scientific concepts. As the author points out, the Buffyverse isn’t always consistent, and the actual probability of having events like these happen is, uhm, extremely low, but it’s still fun to play around with the idea. What if we could make interdimensional portals? What if vampires really did exist? Where do the PTB get their energy?

I don’t know enough about the sciences to know how accurate this book is, but it was great fun to read, and that was kind of the point. Some people find that it’s easier to view things through the lens of pop culture, which is understandable, and I think that if the author got even one person interested in the hard sciences with this book, that makes it worth it. I also liked the neat little illustrations. And the math jokes.

If you’re any sort of Buffy fan, I think you might get a kick out of this book. If I can convince Tristan to read it, I’ll be interested to hear the perspective of a scientist who is also a Buffy fan.

Demographics:

The Physics of the Buffyverse, by Jennifer Ouellette. Published 2006, 325 pages. Science.