This fun and feminist girl-power guide to the geek galaxy gives lady nerds the lowdown on everything from fanfic to cosplay to attending your first con. Fanfic, cosplay, cons, books, memes, podcasts, vlogs, OTPs and RPGs and MMOs and more-it's never been a better time to be a girl geek. The Fangirl's Guide to the Galaxy is the ultimate handbook for ladies living the nerdy life, a fun and feminist take on the often male-dominated world of geekdom. Author Sam Maggs brings some serious geek cred to guide readers through the in(ternets) and outs of geek culture, with tips, play-throughs, and cheat codes for everything from starting an online fan community to planning a convention visit to supporting fellow female geeks in the wild. With useful sidebars and never-before-seen interviews with geek girl icons like Felicia Day and Tamora Pierce, this book is loaded with interesting, unexpected and hard-to-find facts, all in the common language of nerdery. Best of all, the author takes a stand for geek girl empowerment, urging girls to let their freak flags fly and stand up for themselves when haters gonna hate, with chapters like Support ALL the Ladies!
Why Feminism in the Nerd World is Key and The Fake Geek Girl is Here to Destroy Everything You Love-LOL JK She Doesn't Exist. The Fangirl's Handbook is, at its heart, a celebration-of obsessing over fictional characters, finding the tribe that shares your ships and feels, rooting on other ladies to kick butt and take names, and doing it all with pride.
(I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)
This was a very quick read, but it was filled with information about navigating the sometimes murky waters of various fandoms. The author shared a lot of information about several of the more popular fandoms, as well as tips on entering new ones. She also included a ton of useful information about attending conventions, and I will definitely refer back to that section if I ever attend one. There is also a very informative resource guide at the end, with links to various geeky websites.
This book was well-written and informative, and the author's writing style is engaging and humorous.
While most of the information provided wasn't new to me, this would be an invaluable book for a girl new to the world of fandoms, and I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in joining a new fandom.
