Further Reading, Viewing, and Websites
Books
Ashcraft, Brian, and Luke Plunkett. Cosplay World. New York: Prestel, 2014. The book includes photographs of cosplay from the 1970s onward and short interviews with fifty-eight people involved with cosplay, including historians, cosplayers, writers, website creators, teachers, and makers.
Brothers, Megan. Weird Girl and What’s His Name. New York: Three Rooms, 2015. This young adult novel is about Rory and Lula, high school geeks who share a love of movies and the X-Files. They find friendship through fandom and explore sexuality in an isolating world.
Coppa, Francesca. The Fanfiction Reader: Folk Tales for the Digital Age. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2017. Coppa’s collection of fanfic from fandoms includes Star Trek, Star Wars, Doctor Who, and others, and is accompanied by short essays.
Day, Felicia. You’re Never Weird on the Internet (Almost): A Memoir. New York: Touchstone, 2015. Day’s amusing and informative memoir of growing up weird by the creator of the first YouTube serial, the Guild, is based on her experience as an avid player of World of Warcraft.
Howell, Dan, and Phil Lester. The Amazing Book Is Not on Fire: The World of Dan and Phil. New York: Random House Books for Young Readers, 2015. This book looks into the world of Dan (danisnotonfire) and Phil (AmazingPhil), two awkward video bloggers who share their lives with millions of subscribers on YouTube.
Hurley, Kameron. The Geek Feminist Revolution. New York: Tor, 2016. A collection of essays by an award-winning sci-fi author and blogger, the book addresses ongoing conversations in the geek community, including the role of women.
Kaplan, Arie. The Wild World of Gaming Culture. Minneapolis: Lerner, 2014. Dive into the many ways gamers take their enthusiasm beyond the screen.
Langley, Alex. The Geek Handbook: Practical Skills and Advice for the Likable Modern Geek. Iola, WI: Krause, 2012. This handbook features a collection of articles and lists about geekery, including cool gadgets and essential movies and TV, overcoming social anxieties, making friends, dating, and much more.
Maggs, Sam. The Fangirl’s Guide to the Galaxy: A Handbook for Girl Geeks. Philadelphia: Quirk, 2015. Maggs offers tips on “geek culture and how it intersects with being a lady,” including how to make nerdy friends, attend conventions, rock awesome cosplay, write fanfic, defeat Internet trolls, and generally be a strong female character.
Moskowitz, Hannah, and Kat Helgeson. Gena/Finn. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2016. This young adult novel is told entirely in texts, chats, and blog posts between Gena, a fanfic writer, and mutual fan Finn. As their friendship develops, neither one expects the drama that unfolds.
Rowell, Rainbow. Fangirl: A Novel. New York: St. Martin’s Griffin, 2013. Fangirl is a novel about Cath, author of a popular fanfic about boy wizard Simon Snow, who finds herself unsure about how to integrate her online life into her new life at college. Rowell published a companion novel about Simon Snow, Carry On, in 2015.
Segal, Stephen H., ed. Geek Wisdom: The Sacred Teachings of Nerd Culture. Philadelphia: Quirk, 2011. Who said, “I’ve got a bad feeling about this”? Learn the source of this question and about two hundred other oft-quoted sayings from pop culture. (Answer, from p. 134: Han Solo first said he had a bad feeling in Star Wars [1977]. By Return of the Jedi [1983], it had become a “really bad” feeling.)
Thorsson, Shawn. Make: Props and Costume Armor: Create Realistic Science Fiction & Fantasy Weapons, Armor, and Accessories. San Francisco: Maker Media, 2016. A master prop maker offers tips for creating amazing cosplay costumes and props with simple tools and materials mostly available at a hardware or office supply store.
Tregay, Sarah. Fan Art. New York: Katherine Tegen Books, 2014. In this young adult novel, Jamie, a high schooler, fears that if his best friend Mason found out he was gay—let alone in love with him—Mason would never speak to him again. Then a short comic in the school paper about two boys falling in love changes everything.
Triggs, Teal. Fanzines: The DIY Revolution. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2010. Triggs presents a history of fanzines, from early handmade publications of sci-fi communities of the 1930s to the e-zine scene in the Internet age, with hundreds of images.
Weldon, Glen. The Caped Crusade: Batman and the Rise of Nerd Culture. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2016. Weldon’s cultural history of Batman, with his obsession with gadgets, single-mindedness, and lack of superhuman powers, reflects the rise of modern geek culture.
Videos and Films
“All Creative Work Is Derivative.” YouTube video, 2:20. Posted by Question Copyright. February 9, 2010. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcvd5JZkUXY.
This video, by Nina Paley, animates photographs of artwork from around the world and throughout time to show the similarities among creative works. The video was taken at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City.
“A Fair(y) Use Tale.” Center for Internet and Society video, 10:14. Posted by the Documentary Film Program, March 1, 2007. http://cyberlaw.stanford.edu/blog /2007/03/fairy-use-tale.
Professor Eric Faden of Bucknell University created this funny overview of US copyright law and fair use. Using film clips of just a few seconds long, he delivers the message through the words of Disney characters.
“Incredible Fanvid Compresses Decades of Fandom into 5 Minutes.” Tor, August 14, 2012. http://www.tor.com/2012/08/14/incredible-fanvid-compresses-decades-of-fandom-into-5-minutes.
This article features a fanvid “We Didn’t Start the Fire” (set to a song by Billy Joel) by vidders fiercynn and scribe that conveys the history of fandom. The password to view this vid is fandom! (with the exclamation point).
“‘I Ship It’—an Icona Pop Parody.” YouTube video, 3:03. Posted by Not Literally Productions, November 20, 2013. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCDgJiPBxfI.
This song about shipping characters includes ones who may not even be in the same universe, such as Captain Kirk + Princess Leia, or BBC’s Sherlock/the Doctor (Doctor Who).
“Numa, Numa.” YouTube video, 1:39. Posted by “Dork Daily,” December 11, 2006. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmtzQCSh6xk.
This is the original, digitally remastered, of the first viral video, by Gary Brolsma. For more information, check out http://www.garybrolsma.com.
Off Book https://www.YouTube.com/user/PBSoffbook
Off Book is a PBS web series of short videos that explores Internet culture and the people that create it. Topics include tattoos, 3-D printing, indie games, animated GIFs, cosplay, fan art, and more.
Trekkies. DVD. Directed by Roger Nygard. Hollywood, CA: Paramount Pictures, 1997. Denise Crosby, who portrayed Tasha Yar in Star Trek: The Next Generation, interviews Star Trek fans and cast members about how the show affected their lives.
“Us | Multifandom.” YouTube video, 3:55. Posted by “lim,” June 2, 2007. https://www .youtube.com/watch?v=_yxHKgQyGx0.
A labor of love about fandom itself, this multifandom metavid drew a lot of nonfan attention to fanvids and fandom.
Web Junkie. DVD. Directed by Shosh Shlam and Hilla Medalia. New York: Alive Mind Cinema, 2013.
China declared Internet addiction a clinical disorder. Filmmakers Shlam and Medalia filmed inside one of China’s controversial rehab camps for teenagers deemed to be addicted and in need of deprogramming.
Websites
Black Nerd Problems
http://blacknerdproblems.com
A team of writers of color consider race representation in geek culture, discussing such things as why there are almost no people of color in the Hobbit films. The writers share their love for science fiction, fantasy, comics, and more.
Confessions of an Aca-Fan, the Official Weblog of Henry Jenkins
http://henryjenkins.org
Aca-fan is short for academic + fan, and the blog of Professor Jenkins is bursting full of fascinating fannish info, interviews, and ideas. Jenkins is a pioneer in the field of media and fandom studies, and a prolific blogger and writer. The first of his many books is the groundbreaking look at fandom, Textual Poachers: Television Fans and Participatory Culture.
“Copyright and Fair Use”: Stanford University Libraries
http://fairuse.stanford.edu
The site includes sections on copyright FAQs, an introduction to permissions, website permissions, academic and educational permissions, the public domain, fair use, releases, and copyright research.
Cosplay Tutorial: A Resource for Costumers
http://cosplaytutorial.com
Instructions are given about everything from making armor to wearing wigs to using a 3-D printer. The site also includes lots of helpful cosplay tips, such as suggesting cosplayers hide their weapons in garbage bags when in public to avoid freaking people out.
Daily Dot
http://www.dailydot.com
With its slogan “Your Internet. Your News” the Daily Dot calls itself “the ultimate destination for original reporting on Internet culture and life online.” It reports on a wide range of topics related to fandom. Along with its professional staff, young writers contribute regularly from around the globe.
DeviantArt
http://www.deviantart.com
Founded in 2000, DeviantArt has more than thirty-eight million registered users, making it the largest online social network for artists and art enthusiasts. It is a platform for fan (and nonfan) artists to upload, promote, and share their works.
Fandom
http://fandom.wikia.com
Fandom hosts pop culture news and fan-created encyclopedias (wikis) for game, film, TV, and other media properties. Hundreds of thousands of communities host information, news, and speculation on their favorite works.
Fan/Fic Magazine
https://fanslashfic.com
Fan/Fic is an online magazine for fanfic readers and writers. The magazine includes articles and personal essays about fandom culture, practical advice on how to make crafts, and interviews with people in the community. Recommended: Read the three-part article, “Beginner’s Guide to Creating Fanart,” by Jae Bailey, April 28, 2016.
Fansplaining
http://fansplaining.com
The audio podcast by, about, and for fandom features interviews with fans and professionals who are also fans, hosted by Flourish Klink and Elizabeth Minkel. Written transcripts of episodes are available too.
Geek & Sundry
http://www.geekandsundry.com
Geek & Sundry is a website and a YouTube channel that brings together fans from all over the world who love games and all counterculture fannish things.
Know Your Meme
http://knowyourmeme.com
The website is dedicated to documenting Internet phenomena: viral videos, image macros, catchphrases, web celebs, and more. Any registered member can submit a meme or viral phenomena. The editorial staff also provides interviews or Q&As with subjects of memes or notable individuals in the meme culture.
Kotaku
http://kotaku.com
The video game website and blog covers all aspects of gaming, including cosplay, game design, news, and culture. Kotaku states that it is for gamers of all ethnicities, genders, and sexual orientations.
Latinx Geeks
http://latinxgeeks.com
A community for Latinx who love all things geeky and nerdy, Latinx Geeks celebrates and brings attention to the need for positive Latinx representation in movies, comic books, television, and games.
Learn to Code with Me
http://learntocodewith.me/posts/code-for-free
This site lists forty-five free online resources to learn computer code to build games, websites, and more. The list includes codeacademy.com, which offers step-by-step tutorials.
The Mary Sue
http://www.themarysue.com
A site that covers geek culture, The Mary Sue reports on comic books, movies, genre television, space exploration, emerging technologies, video games, and the weirdest finds on the Internet. The community prides itself on being passionate, inclusive, and feminist.
Nerdist
http://nerdist.com
With daily news and reviews of the latest games, movies, and comics, Nerdist’s team of writers explores the nerd fabric of the pop-culture landscape. Home to the Nerdist Podcast Network, Nerdist News, and Nerdist Presents, Nerdist was started by comedian and pop culture commentator Chris Hardwick.
The Nerds of Color
https://www.thenerdsofcolor.org
This community of fans loves superheroes, sci-fi, fantasy, and video games and looks at nerd/geek fandom with a culturally critical eye.
Organization for Transformative Works (OTW)
http://www.transformativeworks.org
Designed, run, and wholly supported by fans, the OTW is a major platform for fanworks and fan activism. It hosts fanfiction at Archive of Our Own (AO3); a fandom wiki. Fanlore; Transformative Works and Cultures, a peer-reviewed academic journal; and more.
Racebending
http://www.racebending.com
Racebending.com is an international grassroots organization of media consumers that advocates for underrepresented groups in entertainment media. The site is dedicated to furthering equal opportunities in Hollywood and beyond.
TV Tropes
http://tvtropes.org
Calling itself the All-Devouring Pop-Culture Wiki, TV Tropes collects, catalogs, and amply describes tropes, or storytelling devices, from across all media and fandoms. The site is fun to read.
Wattpad: Fanfiction
https://www.wattpad.com/stories/fanfiction
Wattpad is a social network and platform for storytelling, designed for mobile devices. A major site for fanfiction, it also hosts nonfic writing.
Worship the Fandom
http://www.worshipthefandom.com
This site, “where creativity and fan culture converge,” hosts user-generated fan content, including fan art, fanfiction, cosplay, fashion, food, and cons.