Buffy the Vampire Slayer (novel)

The subject of this article is non-canonical.
While created as part of licensed material, it has not been confirmed as part of the "real" Buffyverse continuity.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a Buffy the Vampire Slayer novel. It was written by Richie Tankersley Cusick as an adaptation of Joss Whedon's screenplay. It was originally published by Simon Spotlight Entertainment in August 1992.

Synopsis[]

The fourth teenage girl in L.A. has disappeared in less than two months! But Buffy's oblivious. She's brainstorming a theme for the senior dance. One nightmare later, she meets a stranger named Merrick who tells her she bears the mark of the order: only she — the Pom-Pom Princess of California cheerleaders — can stop the vampires before they engulf L.A. They're everywhere… she can't even trust her best friends! Merrick has brought her knowledge, physical and mental powers beyond her wildest dreams, and a terrifying enemy: Lothos, King of the Vampires, who is determined to have Buffy for himself! All she has are a stake, a cross and a mission: destroy the evil — even if it takes her own life!

Appearances[]

Individuals[]

Amilyn
Andy
Benny
Robert Berman
Wally Bessel
Cassandra
Dracula (Only mentioned)
Grueller
Maryanne Heinel (Only mentioned)
Howard (Only mentioned)
Jack the Ripper (Only mentioned)
Jennifer
Kimberly
Mr. Kramer (Only mentioned)
Jeffrey Kramer
Lothos
Merrick
Gary Murray
Nicole
Pike
Buffy Summers
Hank Summers
Joyce Summers
Thompson
Zeph
Indian princess (Only mentioned)
Unidentified barmaid Slayer (Only in flashbacks)
Unidentified Dark Ages Slayer (Only in flashbacks)
Unidentified Dark Ages Watcher (Only in flashbacks)
Unidentified Budapest Slayer (Only mentioned)
Unidentified Hong Kong Slayer (Only in visions)
Unidentified Magyar Slayer (Only mentioned)
Unidentified Virginia Slayer (Only mentioned)
Unidentified knight (Only in flashbacks)

Organizations and titles[]

Los Angeles Police Department
Order (Only mentioned)
Potential Slayer (Only mentioned)
Slayer
Vampire-King (Only mentioned)
Watcher

Species[]

Locations[]

Bahamas (Only mentioned)
China (Only mentioned)
El Salvador (Only mentioned)
Europe (Only in flashbacks)
- Hampshire, England (Only mentioned)
- Spain (Only mentioned)
Los Angeles, USA
- Barber High School (Only mentioned)
- Café Blasé (Only mentioned)
- Hemery High School
- Pike's apartment
- Seton High School (Only mentioned)
- Summers residence (Los Angeles)
- Warehouse
- Zeph's Auto Repair
Oxnard, USA (Only mentioned)
Pasadena, USA (Only mentioned)
Virginia, USA (Only mentioned)

Objects[]

Blood
Cross
Holy water
Soul (Only mentioned)
Stake

Death count[]

An unidentified vampire, staked by the barmaid Slayer outside the inn (in flashbacks).
The barmaid Slayer, bitten outside the inn by Lothos (in flashbacks).
Grueller, sired by Wally Bessel in a park.
Benny, sired (only mentioned).
Robert Berman, staked by Buffy in a cemetery.
Unidentified female vampire, staked by Buffy in a cemetery.
Cassandra, killed by Lothos in the school building.
Unidentified vampire, staked by Buffy in an alley.
Unidentified vampire, staked by Buffy near a playground.
Unidentified vampire, staked by Buffy with a guitar near a playground.
Grueller, staked by Buffy in a construction site.
Two unidentified vampires, staked by Buffy in a construction site.
Unidentified biker, suffocated by Lothos outside the school gym.
Unknown number of vampires, staked by Buffy outside the school gym.
Unidentified student, bitten by a vampire at the school gym.
Unidentified vampire, staked by Pike in the school gym.
Unidentified vampire, staked by Andy in the school gym.
Nicole, bitten by vampires outside the school gym.
Unidentified vampire, staked by Pike in the school gym.
Benny, staked by Pike in the school gym.
Amilyn, staked by Buffy in the school building.
Lothos, staked by Buffy with a pencil in the school building.

Behind the scenes[]

Production[]

Instead of the final movie itself, Cusick based this novelization on Whedon's original script for the Buffy the Vampire Slayer film.
The cover features promotional pictures taken for the film.
Dove Entertainment Inc. released the novel as an audiobook in July 1992, read by the film's main actress Kristy Swanson.

Pop culture references[]

Buffy and Nicole describe the Omniplex theater as not having THX high fidelity audio/visual reproduction nor Dolby audio noise reduction. Jennifer and Nicole then suggests they go to the Beverly Center shopping mall and the AMC Theatres chain, but the group decides to go to the theater in the Westside Pavilion shopping.
Pike and Benny both wear Dr. Martens boots.
Jeffrey drives a BMW convertible car.
Jeffrey changes the channel from the film Dracula (1931).
Buffy's parents tells her not to drive the Jaguar car.
Buffy mentions Sting as an environmental activist, but Kimberly says she thought he was an activist for the cause of indigenous people instead. Sting founded the Rainforest Foundation Fund in 1987, both dedicated to drawing attention to rainforests and defending the rights of indigenous peoples living there.
Jennifer suggests using the phrase "Don't Tread on Me," which is from the Gadsden flag.
Buffy lists wanting to marry the actor Christian Slater.
Buffy and Merrick play in a Game Boy (1989) console and the game Super Mario Bros. (1985).
Buffy asks a priest to bless a pack of Perrier mineral water.
Lothos holding his victim is compared to the sculpture Pietà by Michelangelo.
Pike listens to the song "Help Yourself" (1990) by The Posies.
Pike tells Benny that he "almost did a Jimi Hendrix," in reference to the musician having aspirated his own vomit and died of asphyxia while intoxicated.
Buffy walks the streets singing the song "Feelings" (1974).
Merrick drives a Dodge Dart car.
Merrick mentions the Stonehenge monument as near the place he was born.
Buffy compares Jeffrey with the character Tarzan.
Pike has a Dodge car.
Lothos comments that he doesn't know how Amilyn made it through the Crusades (1096–1271).
Buffy takes a Harley-Davidson motorcycle from a biker.
Merrick says "Get thee behind me," a quote in the New Testament of when Jesus rebukes the devil.
Nicole and Kimberly arrange Styrofoam cups for the dance.
A vampire puts a record to play "Teen Angel" (1959) during the fight between students and vampires.
Buffy asks Lothos if he's ever thrown up in the front row of a concert of the singer-songwriter Richard Marx.
Students drink Slurpees in the mall.

International titles[]

Czech: Buffy, zabíječka upírů
Portuguese (Portugal): Buffy, a Caçadora de Vampiros