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Aug 09, 2011

Cara rated it:

I seriously thought I wasn't going to be able to finish this book. I had gotten to around page 60 and I felt like I wasn't going to be able to connect with these stories. In a way I'm glad I pushed through it but I wasn't as happy with it like I thought I would be.

Clearly what interested me was the whole culture of being a geek and there were a good collection of young adult authors who contributed to this book, so I totally expected to be thrilled with it. I figured out fairly quick More...

2 comments like (7 people liked it)

Dec 30, 2010

Mon rated it:

I don't have much geek-cred.

The only star trek I've seen is the new one with Simon Pegg, and I only read Lord of the Rings because it was on sales. I watched Firefly because my ex was a massive fan, and I still confuse Star Trek with Star Wars (don't even talk to me about Battlestar). Although I love comix, JLA and anything too DC is out of my league. Most superheroes are misogynistic and my appreciation of fantasy is limited to the one Discworld I borrowed for a train trip. I also More...

5 comments like (9 people liked it)

Sep 19, 2011

Kim rated it:

It’s 7:55am. I’m at the light at Susie Wilson Road. (Local folklore states that Susie Wilson was the town Madam. Bit of trivia for you there…) I woke up 10 minutes ago, showered, dropped my kid off at school and here I wait. I hate this light. I hate driving. Most of all, I hate vanity plates. ‘GOTHAM1’ is in front of me. A blue mid 2000s Durango. I’m sure that Batman would be honored. I wonder if other superhero fans nod or finger pistol the driver like there is some sort of unspoken More...

2 comments like (12 people liked it)

Feb 22, 2012

Lauren rated it:

Have you ever wondered what would happen if a Klingon and a Jedi slept in the same room together? What if the popular girl fell down the teen social ladder and become awkward and lonely (and thus, relatable to Geeks around the world)? Or if one boy discovers LARPing as a form of social expression; if another cruelly teases GEEKS only to realize he's become one himself? Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd is a collaborative effort between several Young Adult authors, born of the minds of Holly More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 13, 2011

joanna rated it:

So awesome! Made me want to write my own geektastic tale and get in into Vol. 2 (IS there a Vol. 2? There should be!) There's something for everyone - gamers, Trekkies, LARPers, even those geeks with vengeance in their hearts for their suffering in high school. Some of the stories are straight up nerd anecdotes woven with a little character and plot development, and in others the geek element is a little more difficult to spot. Any geek will see themselves in here somewhere. I really enjoye More...

3 comments like (3 people liked it)

Jun 03, 2011

Tortla rated it:

Decent stories, but the geekiness was often so specific to online gaming or star trek/wars that I felt kind of alienated (punnn). Someone else's review commented on the prevalence of drinking, but I was more troubled by the prevalence of geeky revenge and/or cruelty. Like the paleontologist-aspiring-girl...that story was so enjoyable until the verrrry end. And the quizbowl antichrist was, at first, irksome because of the protagonist's persistent teasing. David Levithan made a point of that geeky More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Jan 27, 2011

Amanda rated it:

This is the best short story collection I’ve read thus far in my life. Typically, I rate anthologies a three or a three-and-a-half because there are inevitably stories I like and stories I don’t so the book as a whole ends up somewhere in the field of “average”. Consequently, I don’t read that many anthologies. However, when I saw that this one included John Green and Libba Bray writing about geekdom of all things, I immediately ran out to buy a copy. And I’m happy to report that my impression o More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Jan 24, 2012

Kathleen rated it:

Like all anthologies, this one needs to be taken story by story. Some of them are utterly fantastic. Seriously, five stars for Klingon/Jedi star crossed romances, cheerleaders taking classes in dorkdom, and a brilliant pre-paleontologist who is utterly perfect in every way. Read those stories if you have ever been called a geek by anyone: your life is not complete without them.

On another page, of course there are stories like the two about terrible internet meetups that I could rea More...

0 comments like

Oct 19, 2011

Cal {Heather} rated it:

I am a geek. I know this, I don't hide it. I'm a second generation Trekker, who lives in a house with an annual tradition known as "The Great Star Trek Tree" at Christmas, when it got to the point that there was no room for anything bu the Star Trek ornament collection on the tree. I have a tendency to quote random Shakespeare including Titus Andronicus at the dining table, and have spent years in Harry Potter roleplays.

So, I was unsurprised when I found this book absolutely More...

4 comments like

Sep 05, 2011

Maximillian rated it:

A Klingon warrior and a Jedi apprentice play out a cosmic rendition of "Romeo and Juliet" at a cosplay convention. A young man of the neutral good persuasion, handcuffed to a briefcase with $84,000, holds off his thieving chaotic evil ex-girlfriend in a cramped cross-country train cabin. Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff from "Wuthering Heights" fall in and out of love at Xena, Warrior Princess' suburban home.

These are just a few of the outlandish set-ups to be foun More...

0 comments like

Jun 26, 2011

Liz rated it:

I finally got around to reading Geektastic today. And by 'finally' I mean I got in the mail yesterday and started it but I finished it earlier and re-read some of the beginning stories I semi-rushed into.

First of all, I was surprised. I bought Geektastic because of the authors I recognized and like -- John Green, Wendy Mass, Scott Westerfeld, and Holly Black. I recognized quite a few of the other authors, and have even read their works before, but I was never a big fan of them, su More...

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Feb 08, 2011

Madeline rated it:

Not only was this a collection of geek, but a collection of geek love. I did not enjoy how many of the stories had romantic elements. Sara Zarr's story was a girl giving a monologue, John Green's was a story about two girls being harassed. Those were the only two with no romance.
I'm not against love, but it got annoying. Geeky teen love OVER and OVER.

I'm not a geek. Well, maybe. Well, not by the books standards. I've not seen/read most sci-fi, I am at least a little knowledgeab More...

0 comments like

Dec 28, 2010

Laura rated it:

Rating: 3.5 stars

Background/Synopsis:

Holly Black and Cecil Castelluci are both successful young adult authors. They wrote a short story together that was too geeky for many conventional publishers. So they decided to have a call for other geeky stories and collect them. Many big names are featured in the collection:

Holly Black, Cecil Castellucci, Libba Bray, Cassandra Clare, John Green, Hope Larson, David Leviathan, Kelly Link, Barry Lyga, Tracy Lynn, Wendy Mass, Ga More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Sep 17, 2010

Craig rated it:

A cute round-up of YA authors taking a stab at the various obsessions that keep a "geek" outside of the typically posh social circles...

5 stars to "Quiz Bowl Antichrist," "Secret Identity," "The Truth About Dino Girl," "This is my Audition Monologue," and "It's Just a Jump to the Left." All of these authors really 'got it' and presented deep stories that weren't flat approximations of life based on an assignment they were g More...

1 comment like (2 people liked it)

Mar 17, 2010

Todd rated it:

Tales from the Nerd Herd, when I first saw this book I wasn't sure to be insulted by the Title and this was given to me as a gift. So I took it with a grain of salt. While its really for YA readers as a kind of "been there, done that and lived to survive the tale" book. I would say I did like it, but it seemed like there were a lot more female authors in the mix, which is good seeing a large female demographic.

However, being a geek or nerd growing up in the 70s and 80s, it w More...

0 comments like

Feb 06, 2010

Amy rated it:

First of all, how adorably cute is the cover of this book!?! Each of the authors is represented by one of the little character/avatar things. Don't ask me which is which though because my memory is horrible!

And another thing, how many big name authors does this book have!?!? Holly Black, Libba Bray, Cassandra Clare, David Levithan, Garth Nix, Scott Westerfeld.... these are some of the heavyweights in the YA book world at the moment and they're all here in the one book!

More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 31, 2010

Melody rated it:

It probably says more about me than about the book that the first, most important thing I need to say about it is that John Green, in his story 'Freak the Geek' got his facts about Aragorn and Arwen from LotR wrong. The story of their wedding is not told in the appendix, but rather in the final book. The story of their lives together is what's told in the appendix. Also, it's spelled orc, not ork. Ahem.

Now that I've qualified myself as one of the herd this book was aimed at, let me More...

7 comments like (4 people liked it)

Oct 08, 2009

Kelly rated it:

Full review at http://yannabe.com/2009/10/08/review-gee...

Summary: A collection of stories from YA authors celebrating geekdom in all its many forms—from roleplaying to Buffy to being the smartest kid in school.

Review: I recently told a friend of mine about this collection. She’s been reading some YA lately, she’s a huge Buffy fan, and she’s one smart cookie to boot. So I thought she might be into the whole “celebrate your inner geek” thing. But when I suggested that she m More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Sep 29, 2009

Lexie rated it:

My question is this: How can you not want to read this book? Even if your interest in (any) fandom is casual to the point of 'I kind of remember that blond chick with a pointy stick' this book will have you in stitches, tears or ready to be a more active member of some wonderful community. Whether you are a Trekkie (or is it Trekker now?), Star Wars fan, Whedonite, Otaku or a more obscure fandom (Blake's 7? Does anyone remember that show?) you'll enjoy this book.

It's not perfect, I s More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Aug 24, 2009

Janice (Janicu) rated it:

http://janicu.livejournal.com/80600.html...

I picked this one up at BEA since I'm a Holly Black fan and she was signing it.

Geektastic is an anthology of geek related stories. According to the charming Editors' note, the idea was formed after Comic Con, where, in line for a burrito, Holly Black and Cecil Castellucci discussed what would happen if "you were a Jedi and you woke up with a Klingon in your bed" (the first story in this anthology). It's a fun concept, a More...

3 comments like (2 people liked it)

Aug 22, 2009

Rose rated it:

I checked this out for me, but my nine-year-old browsed through, then asked if she could read it. This child has never been to elementary school, let alone high school, so I'm not sure what the appeal is. I'm also not sure it's entirely appropriate for a kid this age. She "reeeeeeally" wants to read it, "please, Mama." So we're reading it together.

Edited to add, a few stories and a bunch of comics in...

So far, it's the geek culture that is obviou More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jun 24, 2009

Tamora rated it:

This is a combination of short stories and single-page graphic humor ("Ten Words or Phrases You Should Know in Klingon," "What to Remember When Going to a Convention," "What Kind of Geek Are You?") that should go like gangbusters with middle grade and even early high school readers. The author list is like a Guide to Who's Hip: Holly Black, Cecil Castellucci, David Levitan, Barry Lyga, Cassandra Clare, Scott Westerfeld, and I won't wear out my fingers giving the wh More...

1 comment like (8 people liked it)

Nov 07, 2011

Auddy (Not to be confused with the many Audreys) rated it:

When I saw this book, I thought it was pretty cool. I'm not into Star Trek or Star Wars or anything like that, but I love to roleplay and watch anime and other minorly geeky things. This book was, at first, mediocre. The stories were all a bit repetitive, in that they were all pretty slow, and they were all about... well... geeks.

That probably makes me sound like an idiot. Anthologies are supposed to have short stories focused on the same topic. But Geektastic is very... very.... very. More...

0 comments like

Aug 09, 2009

Kate rated it:

Awesome collection of short stories by lots and lots of YA authors, almost everyone you need to read to be current in YA fic. It also says something about the current nerds-rule state of our society that just about anything any kid is into intensely qualifies as geektastic, a proud label. Despite my dislike of short stories, this one's worth a read for teens, geeks, and thos who love them.

A few stood out: Libba Bray's story of a girl almost a teen, who loves Rocky Horror and is in More...

0 comments like

Apr 20, 2010

Debbie rated it:

A collection of short stories that celebrate multiple ways to be a geek, written by some of my favorite YA authors.

Obviously, readers will relate to some stories more than others, but here are some of my favorites:

"Once You're a Jedi, You're a Jedi All the Way" is by Holly Black and Cecil Castellucci. A girl dressed as a Klingon and a guy dressed as a Jedi wake up together after meeting at a convention. Even though they seem to have little in common, they More...

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Jan 16, 2010

Christina rated it:

This collection of short stories and adorably cute one-page comics, could easily be described as a book meant to celebrate your inner geek. And celebrate I did!

Geektastic is the brain-child of Holly Black and Cecil Catellucci. They came up with the idea while pondering what would happen if you were a Jedi and you woke up with a Klingon in your bed. When I saw this book on the library shelf, it was this very first short story that drew me in and had me laughing out loud in the library More...

0 comments like

Jul 06, 2009

Ken rated it:

Oh the life of a NERD. They have there stories and this book tells many of them.
One thing that got me is how many of these authors seem to revel in being a GEEK themselves. Some of them still do LARPing, D&D Huge fans of SciFi and Fantasy (what a surprise) and wearing costumes while growing up. I do believe that many of them still do this even as we speak.
The stories are funny as well as touching. I would say that even if you were never a nerd, in the traditional sense, yyou will s More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Dec 19, 2011

Hannah rated it:

Sometimes you find a book or a movie or a song that just *gets* you. This book gets me. Even though I don't dress up as medieval characters and fight people, or play MMORPGs, or know anything about dinosaurs, the geek *culture* is such a strong, prevalent force throughout this book that I felt completely at home. I loved it. I loved pretty much every single story, even if it focused on a fandom or an interest I didn't follow... because being a geek is all about having interests that are so speci More...

0 comments like

Jan 29, 2012

Tanabrus rated it:

Una raccolta di racconti davvero piacevole.
Tutti i racconti sono ambientati nel mondo dei Geek, presentando diverse sfaccettature dell'universo geek americano.

Dalle faide tra Trekkers e appassionati di Star Wars, ai geek scolastici che primeggiano nello studio e sanno tutto di tutto; dal gioco di ruolo dal vivo ai MMORPG; dalla passione sfrenata per uno spettacolo agli incontri reali dopo le conoscenze virtuali.

In certi casi mi sono sentito meno nerd vedendo la scala che More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Aug 01, 2011

Christie rated it:

I enjoyed this book. Being a science geek and not a role playing or trekie geek some of the stories were a little much for me but I enjoyed them none the less. I loved the comics in between every story. Some of them I loved. I will not be reviewing the comics but I will review the stories. ***WARNING: THERE MAY BE SOME SPOLERS***

“Once You’re a Jedi, You’re a Jedi All the Way” by Holly Black and Cecil Castellucci: ****
A cute little story of what might happen if a Jedi me More...

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