The Secret Loves of Geeks

February 19, 2018
The excellent and inclusive follow-up to Nicholson’s The Secret Loves of Geek Girls brings together, once again, dozens of cartoonists, prose writers, and general-purpose nerds to tell 37 stories about the intersections between love, dating, sex, and pop culture. The tales run the gamut, both in subject matter and aesthetic, from Dana Simpson’s lighthearted story of finding romance and her true gender through the online “furry” community to Shee Phon’s watercolor scenes expressing the beauty of shared asexual love. Margaret Atwood is the most notable name returning to the project with memoirs of being a horror-obsessed babysitter, brought to eerie life by Pretty Deadly colorist Jordie Bellaire. Nicholson herself briefly interjects with a few candid and warning remarks on creators hooking up at comic and fan conventions, which plays well in complement to Hope Larson’s reminiscence of a con-weekend fling. Though the pieces vary wildly in tone and content, Nicholson’s careful organization ensures nothing feels out of place. In fact, the variety of creators’ experience is this book’s strongest suit: no matter what each reader thinks of “love,” there’s a love story here for them.

July 1, 2018

Dark Horse's latest thematic anthology offers an inclusive and evocative range of well-crafted firsthand accounts. Self-professed geeks (such as authors Hope Larson, Gabby Rivera, and Margaret Atwood; video game designer Cara Ellison; blogger Harris O'Malley; and cartoonist Dana Simpson) tackle sex, dating, and love, in all its incarnations: romance, the bonds between friends, and more. The 37 pieces vary in form, from comic strips to prose essays, and include accounts of feeling comfortable coming out of the closet at comic conventions, exploring romance while participating in cosplay, and experiencing gender transitions with a partner. Though most of the contributors are straight, various identities are represented, such as asexual and aromantic, and several writers examine the reality of being brown and queer. Many tales involve creators who were in their 20s or older when their breakthrough first relationship occurred, and though the works often reflect the contributors' jaded point of view, teens will find them funny and affirming. VERDICT For all high school collections.-Francisca Goldsmith, Library Ronin, Worcester, MA

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