Will Shetterly on Learning From Buffy

[deborahjross]

davetrow and I watched all seven seasons of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, much of it while chopping (guavas, kiwis, apples, pears) for (jam, preserves, wine -- which did not turn out well, guava wine). We enjoyed the first few seasons quite a lot -- there's nothing like attacking fruits with a knife while the Slayer is attacking blood-suckers with a stake.

Will Shetterly offers a wonderful reflection on the series, what worked and what didn't, and why. Much of what he says is specific to BtVS, but it's especially worth reading for the general principles. For me, here's the money shot:

Every series has at least one metaphor, though the writers may not realize it and may not exploit it. It's the metaphor of the genre. This is going to be a gross oversimplification (and for the first and only time, uh huh), but to some extent, all genres have an implied metaphor:

In mysteries, the world is a lie, and only the dedicated seeker can find the truth. In romances, the world is lonely, but love conquors loneliness. In fantasies and westerns, the community is threatened by greed or power, but selfless perseverence can set things right. In superhero stories, the world is always under assault, but struggling anonymously will bring the reward of knowing you've done the right thing. In science fiction, the universe seems like a strange and threatening place, but knowledge will save you. In horror, the universe is a strange and threatening place, and you'll only survive with the right combination of the virtues and luck. All of those propositions say something that's true about being human.

But the best series also have a specific metaphor that distinguishes them from others of their type. In Buffy 's case, the specific metaphor for the first three seasons was "high school is hell." That metaphor gave us shows in which popular kids acted like hyenas, teachers were monsters, parents had their minds taken over, the principal was evil, and no one recognized that the supposedly uncool kids were really the heroes. You know, the basic high school experience that everyone can relate to.

And that specific metaphor was layered onto the genre metaphors of fantasy, horror, and superheroes. That's a great combination when it's explored well.