Go Ask Malice
Encyclopedia
Go Ask Malice: A Slayer's Diary is an original novel
based on the American television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The author, Robert Joseph Levy, also wrote the Buffyverse
novel The Suicide King
.
The book's title references Go Ask Alice
, a controversial book which was an account of drug abuse
. In turn, that book's own title is a reference to the Jefferson Airplane
song, "White Rabbit
", which includes the lyrics, "Go ask Alice when she's ten feet tall." Grace Slick
wrote the song after noticing possible drug references in Alice in Wonderland
.
and the supernatural, far from the real-life horrors of the waking world.
Now, taken away from her mother by Social Services and shipped off to a foster home, Faith learns that some nightmares are all too real, that the inventions of her childhood really do haunt the night, hungry for blood. Enter Diana Dormer, a Harvard
professor and representative of the Watchers' Council who has come to tell Faith of her destiny, to train her, to prepare her for what is to come: Faith is the Chosen One. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons, and the forces of darkness.
But she's not alone. When Alex, her childhood companion, returns in her dreams, she warns Faith that someone else is coming for her, a force so deadly and unforgiving that it has inspired fear in the underworld for a thousand generations. Its name is Malice.
As memory and fantasy begin to merge, Faith's two worlds collide, with cataclysmic results. A violent battle for the soul of the Slayer
is staged, winner take all.
, such as this one are generally not considered by fans as part of canon. They are usually not viewed as official Buffyverse reality, but are novels from the authors' imaginations. However unlike fan fiction
, 'overviews' summarizing their story, written early in the writing process, were 'approved' by Fox, who in turn may or may not have sought approval from Whedon (or his office). The book will be published as official Buffy merchandise.
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
based on the American television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The author, Robert Joseph Levy, also wrote the Buffyverse
Buffyverse
The Buffyverse, also known as the Whedonverse or Slayerverse , is the shared fictional universe in which the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel are set. This term, originally coined by fans of the TV series, has since been used in the titles of published works, and adopted by Joss...
novel The Suicide King
The Suicide King (Buffy novel)
The Suicide King is an original novel based on the U.S. television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The first in the line of Buffy "Stake your Own Destiny" books, Suicide King gives the reader a large series of choices. Once a choice is made, the page number to turn to is given...
.
The book's title references Go Ask Alice
Go Ask Alice
Go Ask Alice is a controversial 1971 book about the life of a troubled teenage girl. The book continues its claim to be the actual diary of an anonymous teenage girl who became addicted to drugs, but this has been dismissed as false. Beatrice Sparks is listed as the author of the book by the United...
, a controversial book which was an account of drug abuse
Drug abuse
Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, refers to a maladaptive pattern of use of a substance that is not considered dependent. The term "drug abuse" does not exclude dependency, but is otherwise used in a similar manner in nonmedical contexts...
. In turn, that book's own title is a reference to the Jefferson Airplane
Jefferson Airplane
Jefferson Airplane was an American rock band formed in San Francisco in 1965. A pioneer of the psychedelic rock movement, Jefferson Airplane was the first band from the San Francisco scene to achieve mainstream commercial and critical success....
song, "White Rabbit
White Rabbit (song)
"White Rabbit" is a song from Jefferson Airplane's 1967 album Surrealistic Pillow. It was released as a single and became the band's second top ten success, peaking at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100...
", which includes the lyrics, "Go ask Alice when she's ten feet tall." Grace Slick
Grace Slick
Grace Slick is an American singer and songwriter, who was one of the lead singers of the rock groups The Great Society, Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Starship, and Starship, and was a solo artist, for nearly three decades, from the mid-1960s to the mid-1990s...
wrote the song after noticing possible drug references in Alice in Wonderland
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is an 1865 novel written by English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. It tells of a girl named Alice who falls down a rabbit hole into a fantasy world populated by peculiar, anthropomorphic creatures...
.
Plot summary
Faith has always been a loner. Growing up in a broken home in South Boston, shuffled from relative to relative, her only companion was an imaginary friend named Alex, who helped her escape into a fantasy world of monstersVampire (Buffyverse)
Vampire, in the fictional world of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, is a species of demon which inhabits and animates a human corpse...
and the supernatural, far from the real-life horrors of the waking world.
Now, taken away from her mother by Social Services and shipped off to a foster home, Faith learns that some nightmares are all too real, that the inventions of her childhood really do haunt the night, hungry for blood. Enter Diana Dormer, a Harvard
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
professor and representative of the Watchers' Council who has come to tell Faith of her destiny, to train her, to prepare her for what is to come: Faith is the Chosen One. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons, and the forces of darkness.
But she's not alone. When Alex, her childhood companion, returns in her dreams, she warns Faith that someone else is coming for her, a force so deadly and unforgiving that it has inspired fear in the underworld for a thousand generations. Its name is Malice.
As memory and fantasy begin to merge, Faith's two worlds collide, with cataclysmic results. A violent battle for the soul of the Slayer
Slayer (Buffyverse)
A Slayer, in the fictional Buffyverse established by Buffy and Angel, is a young female bestowed with mystical powers that originate from the essence of a pure-demon, which gives her superhuman senses, strength, agility, resilience and speed in the fight against forces of darkness...
is staged, winner take all.
Writing
Robert Joseph Levy said that in this book, he hoped "to explore the choices [Faith] made and the choices that were taken away from her, and to explore what it is to be the Chosen One without a support system of friends or family." He hoped to provide a context for the character's behavior and the way it developed during the third season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and beyond. "A lot of things about Faith's character are supposed to be assumed by the viewers - a troubled childhood, delinquency and she's a loose girl. I wanted to subvert expectations, and it's one of the reasons I did it as a diary".Characters
- Faith LehaneFaith LehaneFaith is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Played by actress Eliza Dushku in the TV series and by Whitney Thompson in the motion comic series, Faith was introduced in the third season of Buffy and was a focus of that season's...
- Keeper of the diary. - Professor Diana Dormer – A professor of folkloreFolkloreFolklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
and mythologyMythologyThe term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
at Harvard UniversityHarvard UniversityHarvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, and Faith's first WatcherWatcher (Buffyverse)In the fictional Buffyverse established by the television series Buffy and Angel, a Watcher is a member of a secret organization, the Watchers' Council, which seeks to prepare the Slayer to fight demonic forces.-Description:...
. - Alexandra – Faith has been seeing visions of an apparently imaginary young girl she knows from childhood as 'Alex'.
- Clark Rutherfold (Gable) – Boyfriend of Faith's mother who is heavily involved in crime.
- Faith's mother – A woman who has largely been absent from Faith's life.
- Faith's father – Faith has been told by her mother that her father died when she was young.
- Jess – Friend of Faith during her time with the Joneses and slightly beyond.
- The Jones Family – A ChristianChristianityChristianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
family who take Faith under foster care. They had a son, Robert, whom they tell Faith is now dead. - Kakistos – An ancient vampire so old that his hands are actually cloven hooves. In ancient GreeceGreeceGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, he commanded the MaenadMaenadIn Greek mythology, maenads were the female followers of Dionysus , the most significant members of the Thiasus, the god's retinue. Their name literally translates as "raving ones"...
s, and battled the Slayer Artemia. - Kenny (Killian) – Drummer of a band called "Freak Wharf." He has the ability to make parts of his imagination come to life. Kenny dates Faith for several months.
- Andra – Girlfriend of Kenny. She was killed by Mister Trick in a cemetery. Using the powers of his mind, Kenny was effectively able to bring her image back as an unusually powerful hallucination.
- Sensei Kanno – A martial artistMartial artsMartial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
who trained Potential Slayers and Slayers, including Faith. He was driven by the need to take revenge against vampires whom had killed his family. - Steve – Faith's boyfriend during early 1998.
- Tommy – Faith's best friend during high school. Like Faith, he is a fan of Freak Wharf.
- Vanity Collins (V) – A social worker who regularly met Faith.
Continuity
- It is revealed that Faith's birthday is December 14. Her WatcherWatcher (Buffyverse)In the fictional Buffyverse established by the television series Buffy and Angel, a Watcher is a member of a secret organization, the Watchers' Council, which seeks to prepare the Slayer to fight demonic forces.-Description:...
, Diana Dormer hints that her Cruciamentum (which takes place on a SlayerSlayer (Buffyverse)A Slayer, in the fictional Buffyverse established by Buffy and Angel, is a young female bestowed with mystical powers that originate from the essence of a pure-demon, which gives her superhuman senses, strength, agility, resilience and speed in the fight against forces of darkness...
's 18th birthday) is approaching in winter 1998; if this were the case and Faith was turning 18 years-old on December 14, 1998, then this would make her around one month older than BuffyBuffy SummersBuffy Summers is a fictional character from Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer franchise. She first appeared in the 1992 film Buffy the Vampire Slayer before going on to appear in the television series and subsequent comic book of the same name...
(who turned 18 years-old in January 1999).
Canonical issues
Buffy novelsBuffy novels
Buffy novels have been published since 1998. Originally, under the Pocket Books imprint of Simon & Schuster they are now published by Simon Spotlight Entertainment which launched in 2004...
, such as this one are generally not considered by fans as part of canon. They are usually not viewed as official Buffyverse reality, but are novels from the authors' imaginations. However unlike fan fiction
Fan fiction
Fan fiction is a broadly-defined term for fan labor regarding stories about characters or settings written by fans of the original work, rather than by the original creator...
, 'overviews' summarizing their story, written early in the writing process, were 'approved' by Fox, who in turn may or may not have sought approval from Whedon (or his office). The book will be published as official Buffy merchandise.
Timing
- Set from December 1997 to June 1998. These months precede Faith's first appearance in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode "Faith, Hope & TrickFaith, Hope & Trick (Buffy episode)"Faith, Hope & Trick" is the third episode of season 3 of the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer.- Plot synopsis :The episode begins with Willow babbling to Oz about how they are seniors and now allowed to go off school campus for lunch. Still, it takes Xander, Cordelia, and Oz to get her to...
" in autumn 1998.
Faith-related Buffyverse comics and novels
- The Book of Fours
- Wisdom of War
- HauntedHaunted (Buffy comic)Haunted is a trade paperback collecting comic stories based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer television series. The story features the first appearance of Faith in Buffy comics -General synopsis:Faith tells Angel a story that takes place immediately after she was put into a coma...
Book
- Whedonesque.com - Whedonesquers speculate about the book before it is released
- Whedonesque.com - Whedonesquers discuss the book in April 2006
- Simonsays.com - Publisher's webpage for this book