A Taste of True Blood: A Fangbangers Guide, edited by Leah Wilson and published by SmartPop Books, will be available at bookstores and online on June 29th. I was fortunate enough to get an early copy to peruse and review for you lovely fan(g)s.

This collection of essays, like all collections, contains some offerings that are better than others, some topics were more interesting to me, and the organizational system left something to be desired (the order felt random).

That aside, the book was a lot of fun. It’s aptly titled for fangbangers, as it’s not pretending to be intellectual or academic. Rather, the essays tend to feel more like thoughtful (albeit long) posts, or a discussion that would occur between friends over vampire-kiss martinis during a True Blood marathon. I appreciate that honesty in the book’s definition and intended audience, and I think it makes for a better read.

The book focuses on the show, only dipping into the world of Southern Vampire Mysteries in a particularly nice little essay on the unique challenges of adapting stories to the screen. The True Blood-related topics covered aren’t particularly unique: they include the imagery in the opening credits (although without acknowledging the film Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus, which even DigitalKitchen credits), whether or not True Blood is soft-core vampire porn, the implications of Sookie “hearing” everyone all the time, Maryann’s magic, how Vampire Bill has changed since episode 1.1, the significance of Merlotte’s, shape-shifters, Jason’s sex addiction, etc. They’re the same topics fan(g)s have seen on various threads since the beginning of the show. I’ve personally read and written on many of them, but not everyone has the time (or desire) to be on a community board like I have for the past year and a half.

The various writers have very different backgrounds and credentials, and I didn’t always agree with what the essays were arguing. Some are obviously on “Teams” and write from that bias. There were errors here and there (one poor soul described the Fishers, from Alan Ball’s Six Feet Under as WASPs, at which point I had to raise my eyebrows and wonder how she missed all of David’s Catholic angst). There was a bit of Alan Ball worshiping going on, not that I’m opposed to that, as I think he’s grand too.

SmartPop is offering, in addition to the book, on-line updates throughout Season 3, which is interesting in of itself. A Taste of True Blood also contains a really handy episode guide for the first two seasons and notable quotes, perfect for the poster who needs a quick reference.

In conclusion: This collection of essays, while not new fodder for the die-hard fan(g) or perfect in its execution, is presented in an easy, conversational tone that makes for an extremely engaging read.

Posted in Books, Reviews