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4.22 AVERAGE
4.22 AVERAGE
A collection of xkcd comics. If you like reading them, you'll like this. He added some commentary on the bottom of some of the strips, which was incredibly hard to read on my kindle.
The only thing that I got out of being an engineer is that I get to understand some of the comics in this book. Totally worth it XD.
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A collection of strips from the webcomic xkcd, selected from the first 600 releases (at the time of posting this review, Munroe has just released the 3075th strip, for some context). Promoted as the first collection, but it's been many years and no evidence of a second collection is forthcoming, though Munroe has released a handful of other books related to the franchise. I'm a longtime xkcd reader, attended the Cambridge meetup referenced in the book's introduction, and pre-ordered this book the moment it was first announced back in 2009, just to make it clear that I'm not an unbiased reviewer in any way; I was always this collection's intended audience.
I don't often revisit xkcd's early strips, and it was a joy to do so with this reread. From the most conceptual of the early strips drawn on graph paper to the recurring characters still hanging around today to the reminders of all the ways the internet has changed over the last couple decades, it's a little time capsule of a specific moment in nerd culture, captured with love and joy.
Take wrong turns. Talk to strangers. Open unmarked doors. And if you see a group of people in a field, go find out what they're doing. Do things without always knowing how they'll turn out.
I don't often revisit xkcd's early strips, and it was a joy to do so with this reread. From the most conceptual of the early strips drawn on graph paper to the recurring characters still hanging around today to the reminders of all the ways the internet has changed over the last couple decades, it's a little time capsule of a specific moment in nerd culture, captured with love and joy.
Take wrong turns. Talk to strangers. Open unmarked doors. And if you see a group of people in a field, go find out what they're doing. Do things without always knowing how they'll turn out.
It's always nice to revisit some classic xkcd and there's plenty of goodness in here, including the House of Leaves parody. Randall's annotations and additions are a nice touch too. Considering xkcd is free entertainment 3 times a week I can't imagine any fan objecting to paying for a tangible version, especially as it's always more pleasant reading from a page instead of a screen.
I love this webcomic so much! It always makes me laugh until my sides hurt! I'm SO happy I own this book! It's awesome! :)
I discovered xkcd comics back in high school when I was madly surfing the internet for interesting things at the slightest chance I could get. At first comic, I was thoroughly amused by the wit and nerd humour and even when life got busier and I moved on from a lot of things (I stopped keeping up to date on these comics), I never forgot xkcd. When I saw this volume I KNEW I had to feel fresh amusement and nostalgia. Some of it makes me cry inside because it’s oddly profound, others just makes me chuckle (in a “Very clever, you smart man” way). The truth is, I am in love with Randall Monroe in the form that his art has shaped him. (This is interesting to me. I believe art exalts it’s creator, without which the dullness of reality simply takes over and there’s little to be *amazed* and swooned by.)
I will be the first to admit that I am definitely not smart enough to understand all of Randall Munroe's (a guy who used to work for NASA who now draws these awesome little stick figure comics) comics but it is fun to read. You can get these online for free but, like other webcomic collections, it's nice to see them in one little space. In this case there are also little problems throughout, which once again I am not smart enough to figure out but it's just cool. Also check out the page numbers.
If you've never heard of xkcd and you're into internet culture, math, science, and general geekery you need to check this out. Stick figures have never been so much fun.
If you've never heard of xkcd and you're into internet culture, math, science, and general geekery you need to check this out. Stick figures have never been so much fun.
