Friday, 24 October 2025

Alrightreads: TV XXI

Nikki Stafford, Once Bitten: An Unofficial Guide to the World of Angel

2004 / Ebook / 440 pages

****

Snappy summaries and the most interesting trivia about every episode is all I needed. It's also padded out with less interesting time-capsule articles and a single season of Buffy to complete her previous book.


Mark Morris, Doctor Who: The Bodysnatchers

1998 / Audiobook / 280 pages

**

An unadventurous third outing for the literary Eighth Doctor, retreading a well-known story in an overfamiliar historical setting. What's the point?


Mike Tucker and Mat Irvine, BBC VFX: The Story of the BBC Visual Effects Department

2010 / Ebook / 240 pages

****

A celebration of creativity and explosions. Most of the programmes predate me, but this effectively channelled phantom nostalgia regardless.


Laura J. Burns and Melinda Metz, Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Stake Your Destiny – Colony

2005 / Audiobook / 256 pages

***

The most long-winded prose sections and fewest choices I've ever seen in one of these makes it more firmly a story than a game, which was probably the right call. Some readers may also enjoy the second-person dysmorphia of being a magical high school girl.


Chris McDonnell, Rebecca Sugar and artists, Steven Universe: Art & Origins

2017 / Ebook / 240 pages

****

I was mainly here for the aesthetics, but it was interesting seeing how it all came together, while not letting on to future reveals.