Inside Joss' Dollhouse: From Alpha to Rossum

by Jane Espenson (Editor)

Though Joss Whedon's television show Dollhouse ended in January 2010 after its second season, its small but devoted cult following is still reeling from not only from its mind-blowing plot twists but also its challenging, dystopic look at the ethics of new technology.

Inside Joss' Dollhouse is a fitting tribute to this complex, engaging show. The anthology's 18 sometimes funny, always insightful pieces cover Dollhouse from anticipated start to explosive finish. Drawn from an international contest judged by fan favorite Whedon screenwriter Jane Espenson, its essays get right to heart of what Dollhouse viewers loved most about the show.

Espenson also acts as the book's editor, offering context and extra insight on its topics and the show—a role she played in previous anthologies Finding Serenity and Serenity Found , also on Joss Whedon creations.

From programmer Topher's amorality to the accuracy of the show's neurobiology, Inside Joss' Dollhouse brings Dollhouse back to life with a depth sure to satisfy its many still-mourning fans.

Genres: Nonfiction, Pop Culture, Essays, Tv, Buffy The Vampire Slayer

224 pages, Paperback

First published October 5, 2010

About the author

Jane Espenson is an American television writer and producer who has worked on both situation comedies and serial dramas. She had a five-year stint as a writer and producer on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and shared a Hugo Award for her writing on Conversations with Dead People. Between 2009-2010 she served on Caprica, as co-executive and executive producer for the series. In 2010 she wrote an episode of HBO's A Game of Thrones, and joined the writing staff for Series 4 of Torchwood, which will air on Starz in the US and the BBC in the UK in 2011. She will be co-writing the pilot episode for the US remake of Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased).

Reviews

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inside Joss' Dollhouse: From Alpha to Rossum by Jane Espenson is candy for the soul for those of us obsessed with Whedon. Dollhouse, which was terminated after only 2 seasons, was a particularly evocative series, clearly created to be thought and written and spoken of. Creepier than vampires, Whedon has created a world in which 1) Eliza Dushku gets to show off all her acting talents and 2) neuroscience has been developed into the devastating weapon only hinted at in Firefly As always, the show glitters with his trademark wit but the goings on at Rossum were far scarier than those at Wolfram & Hart.

The essays are thought-provoking. Each one gave me material to mull over for days. Of course, it sort of helps (as in is necessary) to be interested in Whedon's take on the moral universe and, naturally, to be familiar with the series.

On the other hand, a look at a couple of these essays might be the way in to a pretty cool adventure.

[Oriana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is highly out of character for me; I rarely watch television, and when I do it's usually light fun fare, like The IT Crowd or 30 Rock or whatever. But in a bizarre way, this book is actually responsible for my watching Dollhouse: I copyedited this a couple of years ago even though I'd never even heard of the show, and I think some of the minutia of the essays must have lodged in my subconscious or something, because although I had forgotten all about the book, I was somehow moved to start watching the show.

And whoa. It was so good.

I'd never even seen Buffy or any other Joss Whedon before, but I loved Dollhouse in a way I can't remember loving any TV since My So-Called Life when I was sixteen. So, completing the circuit, I wrote to the publisher and asked for a copy of the book, which I made a lot more sense the second time around.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Any fan of Joss Whedon's 2009-2010 series Dollhouse, or any of the other popular series in the Whedonverse, will enjoy this collection of fan essays dedicated to reaching deeper into the story to pull real-world psychological and philosophical messages about the human condition, redemption and moral journeys, and how we are all a little bit like Echo. Each essay draws the reader back into the show, as if playing reruns in the background, and while it serves as a sad reminder that the show ended all too soon, it consoles the reader with the knowledge that Dollhouse is still a complete, complex, and ultimately very accessible series.

[Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

This definitely helped my existential crisis after rewatching Dollhouse. Some of these were particularly amazing - More than the Sum of our Imprints was amazing ahhh. Also this had very interesting discussions of Boyd which I really needed to listen to since my prior thought process on Boyd's character has been denial & anger, whereas this had intelligent discussion which I had been blocking out before. Anyways A++ read if you love Dollhouse. And if you don't love Dollhouse, you should watch Dollhouse.

[Olivia Ambrose · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know Dollhouse can be a divisive show, even for Whedonites, but I freaking love it. And so a book that was essays analyzing it sounded super awesome! And it is very good. It takes an in-depth look at Echo, what it means to be a person, the danger of that world becoming all too real, and many other interesting topics. All the essays are well written, and Jane Espenson's small insights are cool to see at the beginning of each essay.

Fair warning though: this book takes brain power. Don't expect to just skim through this one. And especially don't try and read it after spending more than five hours on a plane. It won't work and you'll end up giving up and having to reread everything you just read because your brain refuses to process anything more than "Fire bad, tree pretty."

If you enjoy Dollhouse, it's definitely worth a look!

[Lorraine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh.

I enjoy the essay that explains the allusion Dollhouse makes to Karel Capek's play R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots). I think the essay positioning Dollhouse within the Gothic tradition is competent. I also enjoy the essay comparing what's left inside the empty shell of a person who's been wiped to negative space.

On the whole, I am mostly bored by the collection.

[J · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yeah, I read philosophy

[Tabitha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book to be an interesting, and even at times insightful, read. The essays chosen are well-written and very in-depth as far as each look into Dollhouse. Reading the opinions of others on a show that I enjoy, and have my own thoughts on as well, was fascinating; even going so far as to at times make me see things that perhaps I did not before or marvel at the fact that I wasn't alone in some of my own views. The essays that Jane Espenson decided on for this novel were chosen well, and that makes me wonder more about those essays that didn't make the cut.

[C.G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing essays on Joss Whedon's "Dollhouse" TV series by fans who were asked to contribute. I read it after I finished a complete rewatch of the two (short) seasons so it would be fresh in my mind again and I appreciated all the different ways of looking at the series, the premise, the characters and the themes. Some pieces were more esoteric than others but they all had points that were valid and made me think even harder about the series. Well done, everyone!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The depth, difficulty, and writing ability exhibited in each essay varies somewhat, but the explorations are interesting and will be fun for any Dollhouse fan to read. This is a show ripe for academic and philosophical exploration, and this is a good means of accessing that. It inspired a Dollhouse rewatch in my house, which is definitely of the good. :)

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this collection of thought-provoking essays about this short-lived series. I really appreciated the fact that the submissions for the volume were judged blind therefore resulting in a unique and diverse group of authors from a variety of walks of life presenting a diversity of perspectives on the show.

[Fugo Feedback]

Supongo que antes de leer este libro debería conseguirlo. Y antes que eso, ver la serie de una buena vez. Quedará como to-read hasta nuevo aviso, pero que sea de Jane Espenson ya es un buen motivo para tenerlo en cuenta.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Dollhouse when it was on just like I have loved every show in the Whedon universe. I must say I really enjoyed this book and found the essays interesting and made me think of the show in new ways. There were a few essays that I couldn't quite get into but overall a very good read.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very much enjoyed some of the view points in the essays. I only skipped two essays and now I have to rewatch the whole series with a more critical eye!

[William Herbst · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good essays on another Whedon's show that never received the chance it deserved.

[Caty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yep, I'm the kind of person who actually spends money on this book on Kindle and quickly reads all of it.

[Leah (Jane Speare) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Besides a little repetitive near the end, most of the essays were pretty good! Been a while since I've seen the series though, so now I'm all hyped to rewatch it..

[Parth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really made me appreciate the series and made me want to revisit. The beauty of Dollhouse reveals itself when it is broken down and analyzed. Must read for any fan of the show.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Not as in depth on certain things as I would've liked. I greatly enjoyed the character studies on Topher and Adelle.

[Pandora · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unfortunately the essays were as dull as the show turned out to be.

[Indah Threez Lestari · Rating 2 out of 5]

346 - 2013