h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

There appear to be a number of entries on the subject, but none that I would call suitable for the guide. I've completed a couple of entries myself which are going through the motions, but I feel more could be done, especially on the Angel front of which I am not that great a fan as I am about Buffy. Can you help?

The_Xand

Well there used to be a whole BBC dna sub-site for the Buffy and Angel cult people. So it's hardly surprising that, until that was shut down, no-one thought there was much of a lack of material in the vicinity.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/cult/

Alot of the fans used to hang around in the cult Buffy pages. Personally, alot of them were a little too on the young side for me to have a decent conversation about Buffy, without them saying something along the lines of 'Spike is kool.. I luv 'im'. Which teneded to drive me just a little crazy.

However, they all seem to have moved on due to the chat portion of the Buffy site being closed, as you say. I'm hoping by putting up some intelligent pieces about the show into the edited guide, we may be able to retrieve some of the more devoted fans back to the site and less of the T-shirt squad.

I have added some entries to PR and could use your help with commeents and suggestions on how to improve them.

Join the Watchers Council at A13162682

Okay! I got some entries accepted into the guide - two awaiting final acceptance - but I've come to bit of a blank as to what to write next, so as one of our favourite characters might say 'Questions, comments' about the next entry would be helpful.

Perhaps:

Techniques of monster/creature make-up. Not entirely Buffy of course but much sci-fi and horror.

The alternate buffiverse - listing and describing all those additional demon dimensions. Even classifying all the demon types from the show would take some doing.

I have all this already. My friend - Black Eyed Girl - and I did a whole book on the subject of Buffy, including an entire listing of demons and vampires from the show. I could add that.

The entry on Angel is, like the Buffy entry, in serious need of updating. A separate entry on the original Buffy film would be good too, as the Buffy entry has only a very basic summary.

Buffy merchandise - the stories told in the comics and books. The Buffy videogame, the different characters that have been selected to be made into toys by the different manufacturers (have you seen the Anya bunny-suit figure?).

Continuity in Buffy the Vampire Slayer - how Joss Whedon told the story using 'story arcs' - for example how the information given in Buffy's dream at the end of series three began to have relevance in series five, or how the arrival of Dawn was clever because it came as a shock (Buffy had been an only child prior to series five, but suddenly has a sister, which led to the writers playing with the audience and teasing them). Plus the numerous flashbacks that tell the stories of the various regular vampire characters, and how we learn their backstories across eight years (seven on Buffy, five on Angel, which overlaps for four years and continued for one more).

Or just Races and Monsters in the Buffy and Angel universe. The culture of the people of Pylea, the basic facts that we learn about vampires in Buffy - look at my entries on Hammer Horror to see which ideas were ditched for Buffy from common vampire legends - such as the idea that running water can kill a vampire, or that rosewood can weaken them - in Buffy, it's mainly just direct sunlight and a stake, but there are new elements that Buffy brings, such as the fact that Dracula cannot be staked!!

That enough to keep you going for a while?

"or how the arrival of Dawn was clever because it came as a shock (Buffy had been an only child prior to series five, but suddenly has a sister, which led to the writers playing with the audience and teasing them)."

That was amazing - it was such a shock!

"or how the arrival of Dawn was clever because it came as a shock (Buffy had been an only child prior to series five, but suddenly has a sister, which led to the writers playing with the audience and teasing them)."

Although the clue of her arrival was given in the final episode of season 4 'Restless', when Tara - who appears in Buffy's dream - says "Be back before Dawn".

As with the rest, I can help you out on the Buffy related subjects, but as for Angel, not so much, only the basics.

I have many books and have even written (with the help of Black Eyed Girl, or should I say I helped her) an entire book, covering all the demons, vampires and other evils that have roamed Sunnydale. Including a season guide with trivia, music and bloopers.

Basically (with all the material and memories I have, I can more than take on this, but don't be surprised if I suddenly shout help at some point.