Angel: Mel Odom's Cursed (2003)

In the final episode of this season, Mal will take a second visit to the Buffyverse with 'Cursed' by Mel Odom. This is a crossover tie-in between Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel.In this episode, I'll be wondering whether I actually watched Season 5 of Buffy because I didn't know about Spike and Buffy's relationship. I'll be thinking about how important outlines are when planning a tie-in. Plus, I'll be addressing whether something so far into two different series can be an entry point to either. I might mention Angel and Spike's love life, but I avoid (I hope!) getting dragged into the fan discussion of who should be with Buffy.Content warning: It's worth knowing that I use the word Romani throughout the episode, but the novel does not use that term when talking about the Romani community. "Gypsy" is used a great deal in the novel, as it was in the TV show. Over the last 20 years, the use of this word, its impact on the community and its connotations have been widely discussed, this happens with language all the time as times change. I am just reflecting that change in choosing the term 'Romani'. I'm not making a judgement on Odom or the Buffyverse's use of "Gypsy" 22 years ago, as I'm 100% certain that is the term I would've used back then.Email: [email protected] links and sources:Clarke - The Strict Maze of Media Tie-In Novels (2009)Hills -Torchwood's trans-transmedia: Media tie-ins and brand 'fanagement' (2012)Williamson - Spike, sex and subtext: Intertextual portrayals of the sympathetic vampire on cult television (2005): This and the article below really introduced me to the importance and popularity of Spike's tortuous love life which began with Druscilla and is a touchstone in this novel.Amy-Chinn and Williamson - The vampire Spike in text and fandom: Unsettling oppositions in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (2005)Mukherjea - My Vampire Boyfriend: Postfeminism, "Perfect" Masculinity, and the Contemporary Appeal of Paranormal Romance (2011): Spike and Angel are not referred to a lot in this article, but it is a great read for putting these characters in the context of popular 'vampire boyfriends'.Govert - Slayers: A Buffyverse Story and the Delicate Art of Tie-In Media (2023)Interview with Mel Odom - Reading and Writing podcast: The interview that has the set which I describe as a 'cluttered Between Two Ferns', but like the podcast below it is an interesting listen for aspiring writers.Interview with Mel Odom - Writing Out Loud: A fun, quick podcast which is interesting for anyone who is an aspiring writer or just interested in tie-ins.Mel Odom books websiteFantastic Fiction - Mel Odom Book listAngel - Buffyverse Wiki: This was useful in getting some context for the vast amount of tie-ins in the Buffyverse!