Geektastic

August 3, 2009
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.

August 1, 2009
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, formerly at Philip S. Miller Library, Castle Rock, CO"

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2009
Grades 8-12 With the recent spate of anthologies featuring the hottest YA authors, it was only a matter time before a celebration of all things geeky/nerdy found its way into a short story collection. Geektastic defines the geek not by his costume, but by his motivation for stepping into it. For instance, M. T. Andersons heart-wrenching standout taleof a kid visiting his favorite authors home, not to stalk him, but to ask why hes been writing love letters to his motheris a lovely statement about sensuality and loneliness. Throughout, this all-inclusive love fest pays homage to the classics of D&D and Star Trek, but theres plenty of room for fans of new faves such as the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica and Joss Whedon-verse as well. Even geeks not affiliated with a TV show or movie can see themselves represented in David Levithans Quiz Bowl Antichrist or Sara Zarrs drama-geek ode, This is My Audition Monologue, to name just a couple. Geeks, old and new school, will appreciate this collection written by their own.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2010
This short story collection celebrates all things nerd, capturing the obsession, alienation, anachronism, and intellectualism of what it means to embrace geekdom. M. T. Anderson's contemplative "The King of Pelinesse" and Scott Westerfeld's hard-boiled "Definitional Chaos" are standouts; one-page "How to..." comics separate each story. Exploration of universal themes in original settings brings infectious enthusiasm to what is obviously a cherished topic.

(Copyright 2010 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

September 1, 2009
Black (The Good Neighbors: Kin, rev. 1/09) and Castellucci (Janes in Love, rev. 11/08) edit this short story collection celebrating all things geek. From the opening story (co-written by the editors) of a star-crossed hookup (she's Star Trek; he's Star Wars) to Libba Bray's poignant account of a Rocky Horror regular coming to terms with family problems and changing friendships, the collection captures the obsession, alienation, anachronism, and intellectualism of what it means to embrace geekdom, in high school and beyond. M. T. Anderson's contemplative "The King of Pelinesse," about a boy who visits the sci-fi author with whom he believes his mother had an affair, is a standout, as is Scott Westerfeld's hard-boiled "Definitional Chaos," an action-filled mind game that pits the protagonist against an ex-girlfriend of dubious morals in a meditation on the intersections of good and evil, law and chaos. Character references and technical terms are bandied about with little or no explanation, giving an insider feel to the collection -- especially apparent in the one-page "How to..." comics separating each story -- that could limit its audience. But Geektastic explores universal themes in original settings, and its talented authors bring transparent, infectious enthusiasm to what is obviously a cherished topic.

(Copyright 2009 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)