Defining the Nerd

It was with interest that I read that the new series premiere of Doctor Who will be simulcast in Australia, so we get it at the same time as the UK. When did this show become so popular that this can happen? I remember when the series reboot started, only one of my friends watched it. Now everyone's a fan!

But I submit to you that there are not more nerds than there were before. I believe it's actually just more acceptable to "own up" to liking "nerdy" things now. 

Who knows why? I suspect it's the internet's fault. Well do I remember the joy and relief from 15 years ago of finding other people online who loved Star Wars as much as I did. It was so unbelievably reassuring. If you love something - doesn't matter if it's astronomy or Sailor Moon - you can find a community of people on the internet that you could never build in real life.

 Yes that's a very bad pic of me dressed as a Jedi for the premiere of Return of the Sith!

I find it interesting that only certain passions are considered "nerdy". If a nerd is a person who intensely likes something but why is a sports fan or motorhead not considered to be one? The definition of nerdiness seemed previously only to encompass scientific and pop culture interests. That's significant, don't you think? I wonder why.

I do however think the word is being applied in a wider context now. I have heard non-internetty people describe themselves as "family history nerds" or "gardening geeks". It's a slightly self-deprecating way of saying "I'm really into this thing that I think that you might think is slightly daggy or uncool".

I say we should embrace it. Ten years ago I would have been completely flabbergasted by the sight of a girl wearing Black Milk Harry Potter tights at the train stationg but now I think to myself "You are awesome and I'd probably like you".

Are you a nerd about something? Do you embrace it or are you still slightly embarrassed by it?
 

Book review - The Belgariad

Firstly, an explanation as to why my blog has been so quiet lately - I've been unwell. Add to that a sick partner and that translates into not much time online. Which has probably been good for me.

Today is my second day off work and I must admit, despite feeling the worst I have in a long time last night, I am feeling a heck of a lot better now, so I'm propping myself up on the PC to share with you what I've been reading lately.

When I was a teen, I discovered fantasy novels. I think it was my friends' parents collection that really inspired me - their entire office wall was a bookcase lined with fantasy and sci-fi. Both her mum and dad were huge Piers Anthony fans, but their reading tastes ranged far and wide across the genre. It was my friend's mum who first recommended to me authors like Tad Williams, Anne McCaffrey, Terry Pratchett (thank god, the covers scared me, and imagine what I would have missed out on!), Marion Zimmer Bradley, Stephen Lawhead, Raymond Feist,  and Ian Irvine.

Thank goodness she also recommended Eddings -ie. David & Leigh Eddings, authors of some of my favorite fantasy series.  I haven't read Eddings in years, but a few months ago I was at the Lifeline Bookfest trawling the fantasy/sci-fi table for any Pratchett. It was a hopeless search, I knew, as nobody EVER gives away Pratchett books (you can't find them in 2nd hand bookshops either, unless you're very lucky) but what caught my eye amoungst the usual mix of 80s sci-fi novels and 700 copies of "Magician" was Eddings. The books kept popping up - one from the Mallorean there, another from the Tamuli there. So I went through with a fine tooth comb and found all five of the Belgariad series, for $2 each. Resolving to read them exclusively in order, I went home pretty pleased with myself.

[image: mine]

I was a HUGE Eddings fan back in my Uni days - back when there were newsgroups, I used to be a regular poster on alt.fan.eddings.  We debated casting choices for future movies, argued over characters and plots, which series was best... it was great fun. And one of my first forays into the world of fandom I might add. This was before websites were actually good and Star Wars fans used to role play via mailing lists (yes, ok, I admit I did that too).

Anyway, back to my current re-read. A few months later, I'm still plunging onwards - but happy to report that I'm finally onto the fifth and last volume. I blame my stint of driving to work, but now I'm on public transport again it's much easier to allocate reading time. Disappointingly though that I am not enjoying the books as much as I remember that I used to. The writing is simplistic to the point of being juvenile, the dialogue irritating (being full of what I refer to as "Eddings wisdom") and half of the main characters just plain unlikable.  Now, unlikable characters have never stopped me before, so I have kept reading, mainly being driven on by the overarching good vs evil story line that will result in a clash of two destinies at the culmination of the series.

And I have started to question whether this series (and the ones that followed) are in fact Young Adult Fiction.  Young protagonist, put into a dangerous situation, learns he can stand on his own two feet... those of you who have read of Garion's adventures - what do you think? I always thought it was an adult fantasy series, but is iy really what we would now consider YA?

After this I'm going to start George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire books - definitely no shying away from adult themes there. It's coming highly recommended by real-life AND fandom friends, so hopefully it will wash the taste of disappointment from my mouth that I get from Eddings not living up to my memories of it.