Black Nerd Problems: Essays

*A Book Riot Most Anticipated Nonfiction Book of 2021*

The creators of the popular website Black Nerd Problems bring their witty and unflinching insight to this engaging collection of pop culture essays on everything from Mario Kart and The Wire to issues of representation and police brutality across media.

When William Evans and Omar Holmon founded Black Nerd Problems, they had no idea whether anyone beyond their small circle of friends would be interested in their little corner of the internet. But soon after launching, they were surprised to find out that there was a wide community of people who hungered for fresh perspectives on all things nerdy, from the perspective of #OwnedVoices.

In the years since, Evans and Holmon have built a large, dedicated fanbase eager for their brand of cultural critique, whether in the form of a laugh-out-loud, raucous Game of Thrones episode recap or an eloquent essay on dealing with grief through stand-up comedy. Now, they are ready to take the next step with this vibrant and hilarious essay collection, which covers everything from X-Men to Breonna Taylor with insight and intelligence.

A much needed and fresh pop culture critique from the perspective of people of color, Black Nerd Problems is the ultimate celebration for anyone who loves a blend of social commentary and all things nerdy.

• ISBN10: 1982150238
• ISBN13: 9781982150235
• Publish Date: 11 November 2021
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 4 May 2022
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Simon & Schuster
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 304
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Black Nerd Problems is an insightful and intelligent collection of essays on fandom as it intersects black culture and the experiences of people of color written and presented by William Evans & Omar Holmon. Due out 14th Sept 2021 from Simon & Schuster on their Gallery imprint, it's 304 pages and will be available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

I grew up in a family of comics, gaming, and SF/fantasy nerds (third generation, my grandfather emigrated to the USA and taught himself English by reading comic books). I've experienced gatekeeping and dismissive/rude attitude from fanboys because I'm female, older (or younger), or just other. I'm certainly not saying "I get where the authors of this book are coming from" but I can sing along with the chorus at least. They make so many salient points and they do so with humor and clear vision. They're honest (sometimes brutally so). I found most of the read very funny (Omar's take on why and how he'd survive every horror movie trope had me giggling out loud), some of the essays were uncomfortable (as a white female nerd), and some were valuable for giving me new authors to check out, learn from, and watch. Representation is so important and I hope young nerds get their hands on this book. They're more than welcome at my table.

The essay subjects are varied and wide ranging: comics, fandom, film & TV, books and other print media, art, Art, and, well, being black, and being nerdy, and being black and nerdy. The language is very casual, sometimes rough, linguistically honest, and easy to hear in your head. In fact, I really want to get my ears on the audiobook, narrated by the authors (Audible version).

Five stars. I've not seen a layman accessible non-academic commentary like this anywhere else. This would be a good choice for lovers of ephemera, popular media, social commentary, and, of course, nerds.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.