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Title details for Nerd by Maya Phillips - Available

Nerd

Adventures in Fandom from This Universe to the Multiverse

by Maya Phillips
Maya Phillips
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
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In the vein of You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) and Black Nerd Problems, this witty, incisive essay collection from New York Times critic at large Maya Phillips explores race, religion, sexuality, and more through the lens of her favorite pop culture fandoms.
From the moment Maya Phillips saw the opening scroll of Star Wars, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, her life changed forever. Her formative years were spent loving not just the Star Wars saga, but superhero cartoons, anime, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Harry Potter, Tolkien, and Doctor Who—to name just a few.

As a critic at large at The New York Times, Phillips has written extensively on theater, poetry, and the latest blockbusters—with her love of some of the most popular and nerdy fandoms informing her career. Now, she analyzes the mark these beloved intellectual properties leave on young and adult minds, and what they teach us about race, gender expression, religion, and more.

Spanning from the nineties through to today, Nerd is a collection of cultural criticism essays through the lens of fandom for everyone from the casual Marvel movie watcher to the hardcore Star Wars expanded universe connoisseur. "In the same way that the fandoms Phillips addresses often provide community and a sense of connection, the experience of reading Nerd feels like making a new friend" (Karen Han, cultural critic and screenwriter).

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    October 11, 2022

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781797145112
      • File size: 278363 KB
      • Duration: 09:39:55

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      June 27, 2022
      Phillips (Erou) casts a keen eye, honed as a New York Times art critic, on the comics and cartoon figures that shaped her in this astute collection. In “The Animation Domination, Toonami, and Hellmouth High,” she breaks down her fandom as her tastes evolved from superhero cartoons to teen horror, and recounts her father, exhausted from an overnight shift, settling in to watch TV with her: “These Saturday morning cartoons gave us a universe that was infinite.” In “Moon Prism Power, Make Up!” Phillips explores anime’s subversive representation of girlhood and queer relationships, and in the book’s most affecting essay, “The Birth of a Black Hero,” she grapples with her lifelong love of an art form that excluded her in its representation of the heroic—until, that is, she and her mother attend a screening of Black Panther in a Long Island theater: “I, a fan who had grown up seeing white heroes, saw a powerful and multifaceted depiction of Blackness. It felt like a homecoming.” Sometimes Phillips’s detailing of cartoon plots verges on encyclopedic, but for the most part, she keeps things brisk and is never short on sharp reflections. These sparkling essays demolish the boundaries between high and low art.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Media critic Maya Phillips narrates her own memories and knowledge of fantasy, superheroes, sci-fi, and anime through a millennial lens. Her life as a New Yorker, as well as a Black woman, allows her to offer a unique perspective when examining certain aspects of nerd culture. Phillips's crisp voice delivers the correct pronunciation of both New York places, like Roosevelt Bridge, and Japanese anime names. She addresses the audience as "listener" a few times, a change made for the audiobook version. Each chapter is a separate essay; topics include anxiety and Black heroes. This nonfiction work calls for more of a reading than the demanding type of delivery often required for fiction audiobooks. S.S. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
    • Library Journal

      June 10, 2024

      "Every nerd has a fan moment that sparks off the circuits in your brain like a train of firecrackers," writes Phillips. Whether one is mentally in Metropolis or Mordor, a Twihard or a Trekkie, arts and entertainment critic Phillips (Erou) wants to talk about what makes people tick. In this engaging collection of essays, she analyzes fandoms--why they are so beloved, when they hit the mark, and where they fall short. From race to religion to gender identity, Phillips shows how modern society is represented and remade through various fandoms of film and fiction. When done right, pop culture can confront and correct real-world issues; when done wrong, they can compound and even create them. Read by the author, the narratives take on a nostalgic note that is approachable and absorbing. Phillips gives a pensive and playful performance, enticing listeners with her incisive observations. VERDICT This audio will appeal to listeners seeking a thought-provoking analysis and social critique of pop culture paragons from Sailor Moon to Spider-Man. Recommended for fans of media meets memoir that is well researched but relatable.--Lauren Hackert

      Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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