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Joss Whedon: Geek King Of The Universe review .
“Joss Whedon’s career is a testament to defeat,” says this biography. Gasp! How dare they? But the point, of course, is that the fact Whedon weathered those defeats and kept on fighting made him the success he is today – like the characters he creates, the Buffys and the Mals. And, just as with them, the fight in question is jaw-dropping.
The cheekily-titled Geek King Of The Universe details this battle, following Whedon's life from childhood right through to his success with The Avengers , utilising exclusive, in-depth interviews with not only the man himself but also his wife and just about every person who's worked with him or called him friend.
Not that it's an exercise in arse-licking, mind you: Amy Pascale wisely doesn't gloss over Whedon's mistakes, or his darker side (detailing spats on the Buffy set, for example). But overall, the general feeling is that there's something special about Whedon, whether the Powers That Be (or even the man himself) can see it or not.
Yet he never had it easy. This is a gripping account of a visionary who's been knocked down again and again – the section on Firefly 's cancellation may almost make you cry – before picking himself up and trying just one more time.
Packed with trivia, filled with wit and endlessly readable, this is the biography Joss's career deserves. We can't recommend it enough.
Jayne Nelson twitter.com/kakapojayne
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