Title: The Fangirl’s Guide to the Galaxy
Author: Sam Maggs
Genre: Nonfiction (Adult)
Release Date: May 12, 2015
Publisher: Quirk Books
Format: Hardcover, e-book
Print Length: 208 pages
Source: NetGalley
Fanfic, cosplay, cons, books, memes, podcasts, vlogs, OTPs and RPGs and MMOs and moreâitâs never been a better time to be a girl geek. The Fangirlâs 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. With delightful illustrations and an unabashed love for all the in(ternet)s and outs of geek culture, this book is packed with tips, playthroughs, and cheat codes for everything from starting an online fan community to planning a convention visit to supporting fellow female geeks in the wild.
If you know me, you know that I wasn’t going to pass up this title when it came my way. That plus the adorable cover made it a must read for me. I’ve been a fangirl all of my life, though back in the day we didn’t call ourselves that. Neither did others who used less than flattering terms. Even now the term fangirl is often used in a derogatory way and that’s truly unfortunate. The fandoms I have chosen to belong to have given me the best of friends all over the world, and we are all proud fangirls and fanboys. Yes, it’s true, all fandoms have their issues. As with any community it’s not a perfect place solely inhabited by wonderful people. However, for the most part, my experiences have been positive.
Thankfully, The Fangirl’s Guide to the Galaxy helps to add to that positivity as far as fandoms, and more specifically fangirls, are concerned. Just as with the fandoms it describes, the book is not all positives, however, but I will start with those that are. The author does a really nice job of giving a little overview of the various major, and some more minor, fandoms that are out there. The convention tips and costume ideas were also a nice addition. I’ve attended many conventions and I completely agree with many of the tips included. I’ve never gone in costume, but if I ever decide to do so I’ll be referring back to the costume tips. She also gives a listing of the major conventions that take place each year, which is nice to have in one place, as convention attendance does require much advanced planning. The end of the book also contains a nice glossary of terms and a listing of various fan sites that even the most seasoned fangirl will likely find helpful. The party planning tips website links were also a fun little addition. Intersprinkled throughout the book you’ll find a lot of nice little mini-interviews with fangirls in variety of different professions, yes you’ve likely heard of most of them, and it was nice to see their various takes on fandom and what being a fangirl means to them. The focus on fan etiquette was also a really nice addition, as we have all experienced the haters and we certainly don’t want to be one.
On the flip side of the coin, there were some aspects of the book that worked more towards the negative side of the spectrum. Yes, internet trolls are negative, but even the supposedly positive tips on how to deal with them came across with a hostile feel. The section on feminist code words, etc. seemed completely out of place to me, and would have been better served in a separate book entirely. This section also had a very negative feel. We are given the definition of feminism as being the belief that people of all genders deserve equal rights, everywhere. WooHoo. I completely agree! However, we go from that definition of love and equality for everyone to essentially man-bashing and the women are superior stance. Completely contrary to the fabulous definition given. In that same regard, I found the quote “I’m the doctor, not the companion,” to be completely offensive. If you want to be the doctor, fabulous, but the companions are equally fabulous and in some cases ever more so. I find it sad that she takes such a negative stance on them in this way. Go companions! You are amazing heroes and most of us know it.
Overall the positives outweighed the negatives and I found the book to be a quick and enjoyable read for the most part. The best part of it for me was the encouragement to love whatever it is you love, without embarrassment or apology, and use that love to make the world a better place for all of us. As a proud Marshmallow, Freshie, Psych-O, Whovian, Star Warrior member of the Clone Club, I say Fangirls (and Fanboys) Unite!! I’m all about full inclusion!
♥ ♥ ♥ 1/2
My gracious thanks to Quirk Books and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion review.
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