A review by ladylothlorien
The Geek Feminist Revolution by Kameron Hurley

4.0

I read this book for a geek girl book club and was blown away at how great it was! The essays are all very insightful, thought-provoking, and inspiring. Many are a call to action to improve geek spaces both in real life and on the internet; others are about being a writer (and the responsibilities that come with it) and Hurley's experiences being diagnosed and living with a chronic illness. All are infused with liberal swearing and doses of humor, but Hurley does not shy away from speaking her mind. Some of the essays made me uncomfortable, but that was the intent! Hurley challenges readers by going into depth on some of the deeply uncomfortable topics that people often shy away from. It wasn't off-putting; by the time I got to those essays I trusted Hurley's intentions.

The only criticism I have is that some of the essays really require that the reader be familiar with the topic already. For example, one essay talks about True Detective and misogyny. A reader might still be able to appreciate the essay (which is really well written) if they haven't seen the first season of True Detective, but it is really most powerful if you have seen it (which I have). Footnotes point to additional sources that can provide more insight (as with the GamerGate article), but for tv shows and movies you really have to have seen them. And it's clear that most of these essays started off as blog posts; that's not necessarily a bad thing, but I think it's worth knowing that before you jump in.

Very highly recommended for all geeks and nerds to both affirm and challenge your notions about what it means to be a modern geek or nerd.