Module 14 - Geektastic: Stories From the Nerd Herd

Summary

Geektastic:  Stories from the Nerd Herd is a collection of 15 short stories.  Preceding each story is each story is a short, humorous comic.  The stories deal with a variety of aspects of nerdom, including conventions, online gaming and nerd lessons.  The stories are written by well-known YA authors, including Scott Westerfeld, Libba Bray, David Levithan, Garth Nix and John Green.  Following each story is a brief blurb about the author.  

 

Bibliography

Black, H. (Ed.). (2009).  Geektastic:  Stories from the nerd herd.  New York, NY:  Little, Brown and Company.

 

My Impression

I found this collection of short stories to be hit or miss.  Some of the stories I really enjoyed, such as “One of Us,” a short story about a popular girl who takes lessons on all things nerdy from the members of the AV club as a way to impress her boyfriend.  Some stories I did not really like, such as “Definitional Chaos,” about two people on a train, one doing a secret mission for a convention, and one slipping the other a roofie.  Not all of the stories or cartoons in this book will appeal to everyone as not everyone will understand the references.  Some of it went right over my head and out of my scope of knowledge because, while I’ve seen things like Star Wars and Star Trek and am a little familiar with things like Dungeons and Dragons, I do not have the detailed knowledge of all of these topics that is sometimes required while reading this book.  This hampered my enjoyment of some of the pieces. 

To Read or Not to Read:  Read with caution.  I wouldn't recommend this to everyone.  If you do not know a lot the world of the nerd (Dungeons and Dragons, Star Wars, Star Trek, comic conventions ...etc.), you will not find much to enjoy in this book.

Professional Reviews

Publishers Weekly
"One needn't already know that "Qapla!" is Klingon for success or be a weekend LARPer to appreciate this mostly entertaining collection of 15 short stories from authors John Green, Scott Westerfeld, Lisa Yee and M.T. Anderson among others, as well as numerous illustrated interludes (final art not seen by PW). The offerings cover a range of nerdy terrain: tensions within geek communities (the coeditors' story about a Star Wars fan who hooks up with a Star Trek fan at a convention; Cynthia and Greg Leitich Smith's piece involving a divisive Buffy character); the gulf between online personalities and real-life interactions ("I Never" by Cassandra Clare; Kelly Link's cautionary tale about a 15-year-old girl waiting at a hotel for the 34-year-old she met online); and academic rivalries (Wendy Mass's "The Stars at the Finish Line" follows two intellectuals vying for the top spot at school; David Levithan inserts a closeted gay character into a national trivia competition in a quietly touching, layered story): Beyond the Stargate and MMORPG references, the stories often hit at the insecurities, camaraderie and passions at the heart of geekdom. Ages 12-up."
[Book review of the book Geektastic: Stories from the nerd herd, edited by H. Black]. (2009, August 3). Publishers Weekly, 256(31), 45.  Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/home/index.html.

School Library Journal

"Gr 9 Up--From Trekkers to science geeks, Buffy fanatics to Dungeon Masters, nerds of all persuasions are sure to find themselves in the pages of this anthology. It contains fun reads such as Black and Castellucci's "Once You're a Jedi, You're a Jedi All the Way" in which a Klingon wakes with a Jedi in her hotel room while at a sci-fi convention, and Tracy Lynn's "One of Us," in which a cheerleader enlists the school nerds to teach her the basics of geekdom so she can impress her Trekker boyfriend. The collection also includes more profound fare such as Kelly Link's moving and masterful "Secret Identity" about a 15-year-old girl who has pretended to be her 32-year-old sister on an online RPG. She must face the consequences of her lies when she arranges to meet the man with whom she has developed a relationship. Also included are stories by YA lit greats such as John Green, Libba Bray, Scott Westerfeld, and M. T. Anderson. Each story is followed by a comic-book-style illustration offering information or advice such as "What Your Instrument Says About You" and "How to Look Cool and Not Drool in Front of Your Favorite Author." Simultaneously addressing the isolation and loneliness that geeks can feel as well as the sense of camaraderie and community that can be found when one embraces a world or ideology in which he or she can completely invest, Geektastic is a completely dorky and utterly worthwhile read." - Heather M. Campbell

Campbell, H. M. (2009, August). [Book review of the book Geektastic: Stories from the nerd herd, edited by H. Black]. School Library Journal, 55(8), 98.  Retrieved from http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com.

Library Uses

This book could be used as part of a book display of short story anthologies for young adults, as many young adults are unaware that such collections exist in the library.

Image retrieved from:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/geektastic-holly-black/1100268641?ean=9780316008105