The Fangirl's Guide to the Galaxy

Starred review from March 1, 2015

This is a supersolid guide to the social side of getting your geek on, targeted mainly to those taking their first steps into communal nerdity but also offering some new information for longtime fans. The book is a particularly welcome entrant in an arena that still too often presumes a straight white male as the default. The resources section alone is worth the price; however, the real rock star is the chapter on geek feminism, which presents the integral connection between fangirl fun and women's rights with clarity, humor, and a total lack of apology. Occasionally Maggs, editor of womens' geek blog The Mary Sue, is more aspirational than accurate on the lack of judgment and agenda of diversity found among fankind--but they are certainly present, if not yet universal. There are some omissions: readers not already in the loop might miss that adult written sf has an active fan culture with small but significant differences from the largely media driven one that Maggs describes. A larger section on intersectionality would also be welcome. But that just leaves room for a sequel! VERDICT Highly recommended for public and high school libraries that collect adult and YA sf, fantasy, comics, anime and manga, or present STEM or Maker programming.--Meredith Schwartz, Library Journal

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.