Media Monday – Fangirl’s Guide to the Galaxy

 I read a super-cute book.

A book SO CUTE that I shamelessly annexed an extra day on the blog, so that I can share Fangirl’s Guide to the Galaxy (available through that handy Amazon affiliate link) written by Sam Maggs with Illustrations by Kelly Bastow.

The battle for control of Media Monday was harrowing. I asked if I could write a post, and Tony said okay. The dramatization of this event is currently in pre-production. The treatment has a great role for Mark Strong, so if anyone has an in with his people…

Anway! Fangirl’s Guide to the Galaxy. Maggs, an associate editor for The Mary Sue, has written a day-one fandom manual for nerds and geeks of all branches of fandom. Though the book explicitly name checks fangirls, Maggs points out from the outset that this book is for people of all genders. It’s really just a fun, positive fandom handbook. Want to make a fic about your OTP? Maggs is here to help. Have NO CLUE what I meant by that? Maggs still has your back.

The book also acknowledges the world we live in when we engage in fandom. When she provides rundowns of the various internet spots to get your fan on, she encourages you to err on the side of privacy regarding personal info and current location. A chapter on trolls puts forth the unfortunate reality of doxxing and online harassment, and discusses how to document and report it. Maggs wants to welcome in a wave of positive fans, but doesn’t pretend the internet is 100% friendly fun times.

Interspersed through the book are mini-interviews with well-known content creators like Jill Pantozzi, Jamie Broadnax, and Kate Leth (and loads more) where they talk about what the word “fangirl” means to them and how geeky stuff has influenced their lives. There’s a great variety in these interviews; for some of the respondants, “fangirl” is a name they wear with pride, others don’t have a problem with it but don’t label themselves as such. It’s in keeping with Maggs’ assertion throughout the book that as long as you’re respectful the way others engage with the works, there’s no wrong way to engage in fandom.

Maggs’ “Geek Girl Feminism” is quick and light, with a brief overview of common terms like “intersectionality” and “gender binary”. It’s kind of nice to see a simple explanation for these terms, because if you’re at sea about these things the concepts can seem overwhelming. Later in the chapter she more clearly highlights the importance of applying these concepts to your approach to fandom. Joining internet fandom massively broadens some people’s worlds, and recognizing and respecting that other’s experiences are different than yours is a vital aspect of happy welcoming fandom.

Other chapters cover more specific avenues for expressing your love of…whatever you love. If you’re keen to meet awesome webcomic creators or get a photo op with your favorite sci-fi actor, there’s a whole chapter on the ins and outs of conventions. The fanfic chapter explains what a drabble is (I didn’t know) and how to find a beta reader (didn’t know that either).

Whatever road to fandom appeals to you, you can probably find tips in Maggs’ book. And, in the back, she provides a list of web resources that cover everything from coding to clothes. Check it out, and join the Nerd Team.