Blood Body and Soul

<p> The ever-popular Whedonverse television shows--<I>Buffy the Vampire Slayer Angel Firefly</I> and <I>Dollhouse</I>--have inspired hundreds of articles and dozens of books. Curiously the focus of much of the scholarship invokes philosophical ethical metaphysical and other cerebral perspectives. Yet these shows are action-adventure shows telling stories through physical bodies of many varied and unique forms. Characters fight and die suffer grave injuries and traumas and are physically transformed. Their bodies bear the brunt of their battles against evil corruption and injustice.</p><p> Through 17 insightful and captivating essays this collection centers the physical spectacle of these televisual series. Chapters examine how both disabled and super-powered individuals navigate their differing levels of ability; how the practice of medicine and medical practitioners are represented; and how wellness is understood and depicted both physically and mentally. Other essays focus on storylines involving specific body parts the intersection of literal and metaphorical trauma and the processes of recovery from injury illness and impairment. Each author offers a unique and thought-provoking analysis in an area previously under-explored or altogether missing from existing scholarship on the Whedonverse.</p>