National Book Award Finalist • Here is the unforgettable story of the Binewskis, a circus-geek family whose matriarch and patriarch have bred their own exhibit of human oddities—with the help of amphetamines, arsenic, and radioisotopes. One of The Atlantic’s Great American Novels of the Past 100 Years Their offspring include Arturo the Aquaboy, who has flippers for limbs and a megalomaniac ambition worthy of Genghis Khan . . . Iphy and Elly, the lissome Siamese twins . . . albino hunchback Oly, and the outwardly normal Chick, whose mysterious gifts make him the family’s most precious—and dangerous—asset. As the Binewskis take their act across the backwaters of the U.S., inspiring fanatical devotion and murderous revulsion; as its members conduct their own Machiavellian version of sibling rivalry, Geek Love throws its sulfurous light on our notions of the freakish and the normal, the beautiful and the ugly, the holy and the obscene. Family values will never be the same.

"The last WoW module was clunky and a bit slow on my rig but it had a great toolset for building adventures for my avatar. Now I'm at sixtieth level! Awesome!" Whether it's about science fiction, Star Trek, sports, comics, or computers, geekspeak is full of mysterious words and phrases. But now there's an easy way to understand what it's all about. With this book you can dork out with the best of 'em. Here are more than 1,000 words and their definitions, including such gems as: LARP Red Shirt Wilhelm Scream Xenomorph Munchkin* So don't worry if you don't know what a midochlorian is or what to do with a proton pack. With this book, you'll never be confused again. Which doesn't mean what you think it means, unless you're a fan of roleplaying games.

From an entertainment writer, “an enjoyable read for anyone interested in pop culture, with particular relevance to those working to overcome struggles.” (Booklist) What does it mean for a woman to be strong—especially in a world where our conception of a “hero” is still so heavily influenced by male characters like Batman, Spider-Man, and Superman? Geek Girls Don’t Cry outlines some of the primary traits heroic women can call upon, like resilience, self-acceptance, and bravery, pulling in stories from real-life women as well as figures from the pop-culture pantheon. Written by Andrea Towers, who has worked for Marvel Entertainment and written about superheroines for such outlets as Entertainment Weekly, Geek Girls Don’t Cry also includes interviews with the creators of our favorite fictional heroines, who discuss how they came up with their inspiring characters and how their creations continue to inspire them. “In a market flush with biographical anthologies of awesome, powerful, and sometimes unknown women, Towers’ book stands out. She puts the creative in creative nonfiction as she takes the biographical details of fictional female characters and associates them with various real-life issues to empower and comfort readers.” —Booklist

"Unflinchingly honest tales of the search for life, love, and fulfillment beyond the Starship Enterprise"--title page.

Not all wizards were born to be heroes. Things not to do when you find out you’re a wizard: #1 Do not destroy your apartment with magical fire. You WILL NOT get the security deposit back. #2 Do not form an alliance with the guy who is trying to murder you. This will end badly. #3 Do not drag the girl you’re desperately in love with into your wizard mess. You risk her watching you fail miserably. #4 Under no circumstances should you get in the middle of an epic magical battle. Death will happen. Lots of death and bad things. This Epic Tome contains all four books in The Tale of Bryant Adams: How I Magically Messed Up My Life in Four Freakin' Days Seven Things Not to Do When Everyone's Trying to Kill You Three Simple Steps to Wizarding Domination Five Spellbinding Laws of International Larceny Praise for How I Magically Messed Up My Life in Four Freakin’ Days “This is a magical, fast-paced, fantasy packed—with a lovely dose of modern day teen—ride.” – Tonja “How I Magically Messed Up My Life in Four Freakin' Days by Megan O'Russell is the funniest book for teens/middle grade I have read in so long!” – M.W. “Megan O'Russell's heart-stopping magical adventures get better and better and I can't wait for her next one!” – Sherry Author Interview Why did you choose to write a fantasy book that heavily involves a cell phone? Phones are a huge part of everyday life. Smart phone are these tiny pieces of massive technology we use everyday without really thinking about how astounding they are. But what if phones could be used for more than just scrolling through social media? What if an entire magical library could be hidden in your pocket? I wanted modern convenience to meet magic in a new way. What does Bryant Adams bring to the world of wizards that readers haven’t seen before? Bryant Adams is not your standard hero. He is not the chosen one, and the world may be doomed if he’s in charge of saving us all. Bryant is a geek—the nerdy sidekick of the coolest kid in high school—who’s trying really hard to survive being a wizard but is too terrified to talk to the girl of his dreams. He’s just a boy trying to get through his teen years without too much emotional damage…and then magic happens. Who would enjoy this book? If you like humor with a touch of snark, romance with a hint of wit, and magic that might destroy the world as we know it, Bryant Adams is the wizard for you.

Reveals the systematic marginalization of women within pop culture fan communities When Ghostbusters returned to the screen in 2016, some male fans of the original film boycotted the all-female adaptation of the cult classic, turning to Twitter to express their disapproval and making it clear that they considered the film’s “real” fans to be white, straight men. While extreme, these responses are far from unusual, with similar uproars around the female protagonists of the new Star Wars films to full-fledged geek culture wars and harassment campaigns, as exemplified by the #GamerGate controversy that began in 2014. Over the past decade, fan and geek culture has moved from the margins to the mainstream as fans have become tastemakers and promotional partners, with fan art transformed into official merchandise and fan fiction launching new franchises. But this shift has left some people behind. Suzanne Scott points to the ways in which the “men’s rights” movement and antifeminist pushback against “social justice warriors” connect to new mainstream fandom, where female casting in geek-nostalgia reboots is vilified and historically feminized forms of fan engagement—like cosplay and fan fiction—are treated as less worthy than male-dominant expressions of fandom like collection, possession, and cataloguing. While this gender bias harkens back to the origins of fandom itself, Fake Geek Girls contends that the current view of women in fandom as either inauthentic masqueraders or unwelcome interlopers has been tacitly endorsed by Hollywood franchises and the viewer demographics they selectively champion. It offers a view into the inner workings of how digital fan culture converges with old media and its biases in new and novel ways.

Presents Christian perspectives on issues such as evolution/creation, abortion, and the reliability of the Bible, and suggests responses which teenagers may offer in communicating their faith.

Fandom and geek programming has exploded in libraries in recent years. From anime-themed library lock-in events, cosplay contests, and video game tournaments, to an annual Harry Potter Yule Ball, libraries have embraced their inner geek and are hosting a wide variety of fandom programs. For those librarians who have no idea about the importance of Doctor Who, or the Star Trek vs.Star Wars debate, planning for such programming can seem daunting. Teen Fandom and Geek Programming: A Practical Guide for Librarians covers major fandom and program themes, as well as real-world event, club, and program ideas to help librarians provide this type of programming to their communities. Specifically, detailed coverage is provided for: Major fandoms, including superheroes, anime, Harry Potter, Dr. Who, Sherlock, and video game fandoms including MMOGs, Nintendo, and RPGs Fandom clubs Fanfiction programming Cosplay programming STEM programming through fandoms (graphic design and art; video editing and design; 3D printing) Large-scale geek events Promoting inclusivity through geek programming Use the tips and how-to knowledge in this practical guide to get more teens into your library!

The January/February 2015 issue of Uncanny Magazine. Featuring new fiction by Hao Jingfang (translated by Ken Liu), Sam J. Miller, Amal El-Mohtar, Richard Bowes, and Sunny Moraine, classic fiction by Ann Leckie, essays by Jim C. Hines, Erika McGillivray, Michi Trota, and Keidra Chaney, poetry by Isabel Yap, Mari Ness, and Rose Lemberg, interviews with Hao Jingfang (translated by Ken Liu) and Ann Leckie, by Deborah Stanish, a cover by Julie Dillon, and an editoral by Lynne M. Thomas and Michael Damian Thomas.

Go Forth and Geek Out! Nerd. Geek. Dungeon Master. These used to be derisive labels. But now, geek is the new chic. Humorist, cartoonist, and geek culture enthusiast Ellen Elliott invites you to embrace your inner Spock and boldly go where no devotional has gone before—on a righteous, pop culture-filled quest for truth, meaning, and authenticity. From Lost to Back to the Future to Minecraft, and worlds beyond, join Ellen as she searches for spiritual Easter eggs hidden all over the geek multiverse. Get a Kung Fu grip on what God's Prime Directive says on topics such as hardship, fear, courage, and more. And now, true believer, you know what this book is all about. And as you also know, knowing is half the battle.