The Sword and Laser discussion
Secret Nerd Shame
I'm not sure I have a secret nerd shame. I'm pretty old, so I missed a lot of stuff the kids today are nostalgic for because I was doing things like taking on my first mortgage and whatnot.
I've never read anything by Patrick Rothfuss or Neil Gaiman.EDIT: Also, never read a comic book.
I don't think there should be such a thing as a "secret nerd shame". There's SOOO much stuff to watch or see or do that it's impossible to do it all. And even then, it might not catch your interests because of all of the subgenres and whatnot. There's more than enough to be involved in or to like. No need for additional pressure.
Keidy wrote: "I don't think there should be such a thing as a "secret nerd shame". There's SOOO much stuff to watch or see or do that it's impossible to do it all. And even then, it might not catch your interest..."I think the emphasis here is less on public shame, and more on the sense that you really feel you SHOULD consume something, and probably want to, yet you haven't got around to it for whatever reason.
I watched 2001: A Space Odyssey last week for the first time ever, which has been on my list for so long, since it is such a classic and is referenced so much. I had watched the opening bit in a college class years ago, and always felt bad for never actually watching the whole thing....bloody weird film, that one!
I've caught up on a lot of my misses by seeking them out in DVD form: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Groundhog Day, Ghostbusters (it came out when I was 1), etc. I caught Jurassic Park in theater when they made it 3D. Usually I prefer 2D, but it worked reasonably well and made the "dinosaur coming right at you" bits cooler. My husband and I are chugging steadily through Star Trek: Deep Space 9 at the moment.
I've never watched Doctors 1 thru 8.EDIT: Nor Blake's 7 and Red Dwarf.
Ruth, as weird as that movie is, the coolest part for me is how good it looks for being an almost 50 year old movie. I mean this came out a year before anyone walked on the moon. And the space scenes are as believable as anything shot today, more so then lots. After watching the mini series that kicked off BSG, I never watched an episode, and it is something that should be in my weelhouse.
I don't particularly care for Star Wars and consider it an extended ripoff of Foundation and Barsoom. I know a fair deal about it because it's the 800 pound gorilla of SF, but I'd rate it well below Day The Earth Stood Still (original, natch) and well below 2001.
Kaleb wrote: "Neither have I, Dara. There's no shame in that.I also have a confession to make! I've never read or watched Game of Thrones. I never intend to either. "
I think Ruth said it best here: I think the emphasis here is less on public shame, and more on the sense that you really feel you SHOULD consume something, and probably want to, yet you haven't got around to it for whatever reason. That's why I want to see Ghostbusters and the Alien movies. I'm okay without the Goonies though because I don't think it will have much impact on me now as an adult versus a kid.
Brendan wrote: "I've never read anything by Patrick Rothfuss or Neil Gaiman.
EDIT: Also, never read a comic book."
I've tried Gaiman but he doesn't work for me.
Mark wrote: "I've never watched Doctors 1 thru 8.EDIT: Nor Blake's 7 and Red Dwarf."
Oh, yeah. I tried watching New Doctor Who and I sort of bounced off. I prefer my scifi shows to have tighter continuity and be less hand-wavey. Timey-wimey, indeed.
Joanna wrote: "Oh, yeah. I tried watching New Doctor Who and I sort of bounced off. I prefer my scifi shows to have tighter continuity and be less hand-wavey. Timey-wimey, indeed"That sounds like you watched the Matt Smith version. Did you try any of the Eccleston series? I thought there was pretty tight continuity through that season (even if most of the episodes were stand-alones).
I haven't tried pretty much any of the popular videogames and whenever Veronica, Tom or Felicia start talking about them on their shows, I get this oh-I-should-try-thst feeling. A few years ago, I would have said Lost but everyone complained so much about the ending that I feel like I dodged a bullet.
I guess one shame of mine is having never really watched any of the Star Trek shows. I am trying to remedy that right now. I've been bouncing back and forth between DS9 and Next Gen. Though I also want to get around to watching the Original Series. After watching 2001, all I could think was, "I wish I could have my time back." Although, I'd be willing to watch the whole Hal portion again. That was the best part of the movie.
Lost has to be one of my most favorite shows ever. When I watched it the first time, I had friends saying the ending was terrible. I found that I really liked it. And I still like it after watching it multiple times.
I saw the Firefly movie but never the series, same with Stargate.
a) I didn't like American Gods. (Other books by Gaiman, I've enjoyed...just not that one).b) I couldn't finish The Name of the Wind.
c) I kind of like the 1970s The Lord of Rings cartoon, despite how much everyone else seems to hate it.
My secret nerd shame is my history about venting negatively about something I dislike to those who like the thing. I always feel terrible after.
Never could get into Star Wars. Not a huge fan of Gaiman novels. The Name of the Wind...just no; ditto GoT. I hate Tolkien. None of that comes with any shame. Keidy wrote: "I don't think there should be such a thing as a "secret nerd shame". There's SOOO much stuff to watch or see or do that it's impossible to do it all. And even then, it might not catch your interest..."
This.
The idea that there are required experiences to being a nerd is absurd, especially since so many of the "standards" are hugely Anglo & US-centric.
I have a problem where I never finish watching series that I really enjoy:Got halfway through Battlestar Gallactica. About seven episodes of Stargate SG1. Two episodes into the second season of Dollhouse. Haven't watched any of the new GoT. Three episodes shy of finishing Sarah Connor Chronicles...
Love all of these shows and just stop watching for some unknown reason.
I just can't get into Dr. Who, but I liked Torchwood.I haven't seen any of the Marvel movies since Iron Man 2 - none of the group movies and none of the Capt Americas or whatever or the TV shows. Well, I've seen Guardians of the Galaxy but I didn't even realize it was part of the mega-Marvel-world.
I also somehow missed out on the Goonies, and Gremlins, and Big Trouble in Little China. I'm kind of afraid if I watch them now, I won't be able to appreciate them properly 'cuz I'm an old fart :)
I'm just now binge-watching Lost (starting Season 3) and well, I'm starting to eye-roll too much it's getting so ridiculous, but I'm still watching. I can see where this would have been a great one for water-cooler debates between episodes.
Oh and I've never watched any of the Buffy TV show, though I love the original movie.
I'm old like Trike so I have most of the classic stuff under my belt; a lot of it when it was new.I have just started watching Dr. Who on Netflix and I've never seen any of the new BSG's.
Of the authors that have got their start in the last 10 or 15 years ago and that everybody here talks about I've mostly just read the ones that have been book club picks. Frankly, I generally don't enjoy them as much (with one or two exceptions) as I do the classic authors but that may be due to my life experiences when I started reading SF&F 40-odd years ago as compared to now.
I stopped reading part way down because I couldnt see through the tears in my eyes
Michele wrote: "I just can't get into Dr. Who, but I liked Torchwood.I haven't seen any of the Marvel movies since Iron Man 2 - none of the group movies and none of the Capt Americas or whatever or the TV shows...."
The beginning of season 3 of Lost is rough. But it gets better afterwards. The writers realized their mistake and with the final 3 seasons they no longer used filler episodes and the seasons became shorter and more focused and were better for it.
My secret nerd shame is that I can't read Stephen King. I've tried several times but there's just something about his writing style ...
I never got into comics/graphic novels as a kid. Reading them now, I can appreciate the artistry, but they'll never have the same emotional impact that they would have had if I'd started earlier.
Paul wrote: "I stopped reading part way down because I couldnt see through the tears in my eyes"Stopped reading what?
I've never seen Dr. Who or Buffy. Never read any Asimov. Prior to this year, I'd never read any Clarke. What do you do? Like Trike said, sometimes life just gets in the way. I've got two kids and a mortgage, so I don't have a ton of spare time.
Joanna wrote: "Paul wrote: "I stopped reading part way down because I couldnt see through the tears in my eyes"Stopped reading what?"
This thread...!?!
Mod
I've never got into any of the Star Trek series. I enjoyed the original as a kid. Same with Dr. Who. I watched it in it's original run starting with Patrick Troughton (2nd Dr) in the late 60's through to Tom Baker (4th Dr).
The newer stuff just doesn't have the same nostalgic appeal. The sets don't wobble and the aliens look too real and Daleks in my day did not f....ing fly FFS ;-) Best part of the new DW was the spinoff Torchwood.
I've never gotten past S1 of Farscape. I keep starting it, getting bogged down, then buying a rerelease in whatever new format comes down the pike, then starting over again with S1.
I don't like "Lord of the Rings" in either book or movie form. That's my nerd shame.
I'm with you, Sandi. I haven't read LOTR. I tried three times, as a kid, as a teen and as an adult. Every time it bored me to tears. The movies are ok, at least the landscape is beautiful.
I've only seen one episode of Doctor Who....ever
I wouldn't really call mine a "nerd shame". Mine is more "oh god, I hope I don't get lynched!"I've read The Lord of the Rings books ("why is there so much singing?!"*) and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy ("uhh...is this supposed to be funny?").
I didn't like them very much and don't really get the excitement over those books. However, I acknowledge their impact and influence on many of today's fantasy and sci-fi writers. :)
* No, don't explain why there's singing. I get what Tolkien was trying to accomplish when he wrote those books. That was just my reaction.
Let's see:I haven't played a computer game more complicated than Tetris since, well, since Tetris was a thing.
I've never owned a console.
I've never played a role-playing game despite being told I'd be good at it.
I stopped reading comics at about 12 and didn't read them again for about 30 years. Even now I don't really get super-heroes. They're ok for popcorn movies but the endless reboots, re-imaginings, variations, complicated continuities - who has the time for all that?
I love Dr Who as a kid but as an adult I prefer the new show over the classic version.
There's probably a lot more.
My nerd shame: I've never watched Bladerunner, though I keep thinking I should.
Pamela Su wrote: "I wouldn't really call mine a "nerd shame". Mine is more "oh god, I hope I don't get lynched!"I've read The Lord of the Rings books ("why is there so much singing?!"*) and The Hitchhiker's Guide ..."
I don't like those much either. But then I've hated The Empire Strikes Back and especially Yoda since May of 1980. So I'm used to mobs of nerds with pitchforks.
I don't like superheroes. I've tried movies, comics & even a couple of novels. I just don't get it.
Pat wrote: "I don't like superheroes. I've tried movies, comics & even a couple of novels. I just don't get it."Metaphors. Really cool metaphors.
Star Trek: The Original Series bored me to death. And so does the last movie. I like The Phantom Menace and the other two aren't that bad.
I never and am unlikely ever going to watch Lost and the original Doctor Who.
I don't care about Marvel Cinematic Universe, Infinity Stones and so on.
I don't like videogames or any kind of online, console games.
One Neil Gaiman book is enough for me.
I don't like Dune.
I haven't read any Lovecraft, Le Guin and Philip K. Dick.
I hate HG Wells books.
I have all reasons to have a LOT of nerd shame. Where to start?I totally need to catch up with lot of Golden Era sci-fi books from Heinlein, Clarke, Asimov and Sheckley. Also i feel like i need to read all of P.K. Dick's and Sterling's novels as i dare to consider myself a fan of cyberpunk.
I feel some shame (but not especially much because this stuff is too old for my taste) about never reading presumable sci-fi creators such as Wells, Verne, Shelley.
I've totally missed several videogame eras such as: 80s RPGs, NES SNES Megadrive PS1 Gamecube Dreamcast PS2 PS3 console eras as i am totally PC gamer, MMO era (i never even saw a minute of WoW gameplay video) as i just don't like grind and repetitive gameplay.
Also i've never played classic arcade machine games, GURPS, real D&D or Magic the Gathering.
Also i never actually watched and didn't like when i tried watching Back to the Future and Ghostbusters.
I don't like Doctor Who and i couldn't even finish watching first episode of the last season. Although when i tried THE first episode of the show (from 50s) i felt somewhat interested.
As per Star Trek i've watched only The Original Series and never watched Picard's seasons or old stand-alone movies. But here i'm hopeful to catch up because i actually like the universe.
Also i watched only several episodes of Simpsons and cannot say i liked them very much (hopefully at least i liked Futurama).
I don't like TNMT, Voltron, Pokemon and Spiderman. Didn't like them even as a child even though i watched some episodes of TNMT and Voltron cartoon series.
Silvana wrote: "Star Trek: The Original Series bored me to death. And so does the last movie..."Silvana,
So what do you like?
Phil wrote: "Silvana wrote: "Star Trek: The Original Series bored me to death. And so does the last movie..."Silvana,
So what do you like?"
Lots. George RR Martin, Tolkien, Abercrombie, Lynch, Pratchett, Novik, Hobb, Cook, Rowling, Orwell, Verne, Scalzi, Asimov and so on. Firefly, TNG, Battlestar Galactica, X-Files, Russel T Davies era of Doctor Who.
It is just a matter of taste. I like a lot and dislike a lot as well.
Silvana wrote: "Lots. George RR Martin, Tolkien, Abercrombie, Lynch, ..."
I can see. quite a varied selection. :-)
"The opposite of shame is vulnerability." -- Dr. Aziz
I don't feel like nerd shames are associated with any actual feelings of shame (rings bell), its more like what can you say in the company of nerds that is most likely to make voices go up a few octaves and have them say, "WHAAAAAT, you haven't read/seen/smelled X before!? You have to right nooowwwwww!"
Im Kind of a Geek Encyclopedia if its geeky I love it from Books to TV, Games to Internet and movies and comics...I have only one thing in this entire geek universe that I have come across that I can not bear.I feel no shame nor do I bear a particular ill will but for me I have always held a strong "dislike" a distaste and aversion to one singular thing in ALL of Geekdom...It is Star Trek
Trek is the one thing I can not bear though Ive tried repeatedly. It is the one thing I can not get excited about or defend to others of a "lesser" geek nature.
Star Trek is the one Bogie flavored bean in my box of Bernie Botts that is the whole of Geeklandia
Silvana wrote: "Star Trek: The Original Series bored me to death. And so does the last movie. I like The Phantom Menace and the other two aren't that bad.
I never and am unlikely ever going to watch Lost and the..."
Wow.
Why do you belong to a sci-fi/fantasy book club then?
I don't really have anything nerdy I'm ashamed of. I never read the Ender's Game books but once I found out what a bigot he is I lost the desire to. Oh, perhaps I should be ashamed of the fact that I couldn't make it all the way through Shelley's Frankenstein. I'm definitely not ashamed of giving up on the Brian Herbert/Kevin Anderson Dune books since I really have come to loath Anderson's work.
But I'm not. I used to say "life is too short for bad books" but I've amended it lately to say life is too short for books you don't enjoy. LEM it if you need to.
My secret nerd shame is that I've never seen The Goonies, Ghostbusters, or any of the Alien movies. What about you guys?