It’s Alert Nerd Day at The Book Smugglers! Today we take a look at Alert Nerd Press – an independent digital publisher dedicated to making geek-centric fiction and nonfiction for the discriminating nerd, both online and in print.

Title: One Con Glory

Author: Sarah Kuhn

Genre: Fiction, Contemporary, Geek-lit, Romance, Novella

Publisher: Alert Nerd Press
Publication Date: November 2009
Paperback: 103 pages

Stand alone or series: Stand alone novella

How did we get this book: Review copy from the author

Why did we read this book: We love the geektastic blog that is Alert Nerd, having been introduced to the folks over there earlier this year for their “That’s My Scott and Jean” bonanza. So, when bloggers/authors Matt Springer and Sarah Kuhn contacted us with an opportunity to read and review their novellas, we eagerly accepted!

Summary: (from AlertNerdPress.com)
Diehard fangirl Julie loves Buffy marathons, fighting about comic book continuity, and being left alone.

She might even have to talk to people.

REVIEW:

First Impressions:

Thea: I was actually a little nervous starting this novella – I don’t think I’ve ever known an author before reading their work. I love author Sarah Kuhn’s online voice, but writing fiction is a horse of a different color if y’know what I’m sayin’. But, a few pages into One Con Glory made me realize that I really need not have been so worried – because this is one damn awesome, geektastic book. Well written, zippily paced, with a healthy smattering of nerdiness and romance, One Con Glory totally rocks. I loved it.

Ana: Holy Lord of the Rings! This novella is bloody fantastic! Starting with the nifty title, and the cool cover, plus with the inside being awesomely well written, in a perfect balance of geekness and romance. In other words: this is a M.F.A. (Made For Ana) book and I am totally in love with it.

On the Plot: The basic premise is simple – a diehard Glory Gilmore fangirl and press writer named Julie attends GinormoCon as part of her job. While she’s there, she has the opportunity to interview Jack Camden – pretty boy star of the television adaptation of her favorite superhero comic, Periodic Seven. Julie goes to her one-on-one with her skepticism in check, but her own jaded expectations firmly ingrained – she immediately sizes Jack up to be another one of those irritatingly pretty but basically vapid actors that knows nothing of the source material he’s portraying. Imagine her shock, then, when she discovers that not only is Camden a fanboy, but a genuinely nice guy with an inner-geek? On this trip to GinormoCon, Julie’s curmudgeonly world view is about to be rocked, from the most unexpected sources.

Thea: One Con Glory is written in a brisk, sure-handed style, split into three separate parts. I cannot stress enough how clever this novella is, in both form and function. Each of the three parts begins with an entry from Julie’s blog, GloryGilmoreLives.com, and each entry pertains to the following story – whether it be about the Glory Gilmore action figures Julie has lost, the inviolability of the Prime Directive, or the lurking, indestructible nemesis that is Schmthulu. It’s also kinda cool how there are three parts of the story, and there are three Glory Gilmore action figures that Julie has lost over the course of her life.

So far as the actual writing and plotting are concerned, there’s nothing more I could have asked for from One Con Glory. It’s fast, it’s sweet, it’s got all the popgeek references you could want and manages to integrate those into the story without ever sounding forced (it never feels like Julie is using popgeek culture references to show off how incredibly cool/ingrained in the culture she is; rather, it feels natural). I also have to commend Sarah Kuhn for choosing to create a non-existent superheroine and comic as her central icon in the story. Glory Gilmore is an obscure heroine that does not exist in the DC/Marvel/etc cannon – and I think this was a wise choice. Instead of turning into some ode to Wonder Woman or Jean Grey which might have been awkward or could have overwhelmed the story, this fictitious Glory Gilmore is a completely fresh character that allows us to understand Julie’s connection to the heroine, more so than focusing on the superheroine herself.

Ana: Yes, yes what Thea said. But MORE. I cannot stress enough how much I loved this short story for its cleverness and heart. In a small, confined space of 100 pages, Sarah Kuhn manages to write a story with a past, a present and a future without EVER getting sidetracked.

It is a fresh story because the geekness of the main character feels genuine; it is an unique story because it invents a whole series of comics, with amazing story arcs that matter to Julie and it connects the dots of her life. I am being cryptic on purpose because there is a revelation of sorts relate to Glory Gilmore’s arc and Julie‘s arc. It is a heartwarming story because this is not about plot, it is about character and we all know that is just my cup of tea. It also helps that I know what the Prime Directive is and I too have an opinion on the most important issue of whether Scott and Jean are the ultimate Marvel pairing or not.

This is a fast read, a smart read, an awesome read. Sarah Kuhn is ready, folks. I welcome her to my reading world with open arms and I beg for MORE.

On the Characters:

Thea: Just as with the writing, the characters are fantastic – they are the heart of this story, and damn if I didn’t love them. Julie, our intrepid heroine, narrates the novella in the first person. She’s incredibly funny, she’s intelligent, she’s got a biting wit – but this also means that she’s a bit abrasive and emotionally closed off. She protects herself with her hard outward demeanor, yet Ms. Kuhn allows us glimpses behind the facade as Julie’s walls (or should I say shields?) are slowly worn down. To accomplish all of this in a full length novel, to create a heroine as compelling and layered as Julie, is no small feat. To do it in a scant 100-some pages? Now that’s impressive. I loved Julie. I loved how flawed and very human she is – and I love that when it comes down to it and she’s gotta close her eyes and take the emotional plunge, she handles it.

Of course, there’s also Jack Camden. I picture Jack as one of those pretty CW boys – you know what I mean:

Basically, Jack is the holy grail for fangirls. He’s gorgeous, he’s smart, he’s sensitive, and – oh yeah – he’s also an ubergeek who knows his comics, is a badass at guitar hero, and can talk about continuity snafus until the cows come home. Despite being so obviously compelling, Jack also has some nice development over the course of the novella. Yeah, he’s a bit of a too-good-to-be-true heartthrob, but he’s also vulnerable and puts himself out there for Julie. And that’s cool.

There are two secondary characters who also deserve mentions – Braidbeard (nicknamed for his…braided beard) and Mitch (Julie’s best bud). I liked the animosity that underlies Julie and Braidbeard’s friendship (a scene later in the book really makes both of these characters come together) and I loved Mitch and Julie’s friendship as well. Mitch in particular has a fabulous scene with Julie where he calls her out on her crap – and again, it feels completely real. I loved it all.

Ana: I too, loved the characters – all of them. Julie though, takes the cake for being a fully-realised, fleshed out character, with real issues to deal with. She comes across at first as standoff-ish, somewhat abrasive woman, always with an Opinion about everything. I loved her character arc, the self-evaluation that she does and the realisation that she needs to put herself out there and take the risk. And I loved how there was this parallel in which she reclaims both a Glory Gilmore and her own heart.

Then, there is Jack. Holy Smokes, Batman! Jack is the dream guy for any self-proclaimed fangirl: someone who is both hot and geek, shy and confident and above all, emotionally available. He is not without his own issues though, which makes him human rather than merely a wet dream.

I loved their relationship and I especially LOVED the progression of their story and how Sarah Kuhn inserted a bit of sex and a bit of mystery too. The Guitar Hero scene? Akin to everything I love about romance. And so help me Yoda when I read the scene with the Glory Gilmore connection, I said to myself: this woman, she can SO write.
Mitch and Braidbeard were great secondary characters as well each being a counterpart to a side of Julie. One being a friend, the one a nemesis (and everyone needs a nemesis).

To sum up, I loved it all, dudes! And I will shup up now with my muy lameo attempt at being cleverly geek as it is clear I will never ever be as smart as Sarah Kuhn.

Final Thoughts, Observations and Rating:

Thea: If you couldn’t tell, I loved this novella. I loved it. With its prickly (but lovable) heroine, tongue-in-cheek look at conventions, and genuinely heartwarming romance, One Con Glory has it all. (Yes, I just used our blurb right there shut up don’t judge me!)

Ana: (Thea, you cheeky monkey! Damn you for getting there first!). One Con Glory has a perfect mix of everything I love: popgeekery and romance; great writing, plotting and great characters and I LOVED it.

Notable Quotes/Parts: Hey! You can read an excerpt of One Con Glory online!

July 17, 2009
8:46 in the fucking morning.

The food court hurts my eyes. And my nose. And my…general sense of decency.

Let’s be real: the food court hurts everything.

Especially when it’s 8:46 in the fucking morning and my best friend is trying to convince me that tater tots make for a balanced breakfast.

“You know you want it.”

Mitch Caplan waves a deep-fried glob of starch under my nose, a devilish grin playing across his broad, freckle-specked face. Shuddering, I bat his hand away.

8:47 now. Thirteen more minutes in this fragrant, brightly lit haven of over-processed food-like objects. I fidget in my rickety plastic chair, trying to block out sight and smell and sound.

“—because you’re never guaranteed a good crispiness level with french fry breading, but those McDonald’s hash brown thingies are almost too much with the crunch. Am I right? Are you even listening to me?”

“What? I mean…yes.” I shift around so I’m facing Mitch and widen my eyes into a passable expression of true attentiveness. He grins and pops another tot in his mouth.

“You are so not listening,” he says through a mouthful of golden-brown greaseball. “What’s wrong, Julie? GinormoCon anticipation killin’ ya dead?”

Before I can retort, a nasal voice cuts through the hazy, lard-scented air. “She’s got stuff on her mind, Mitchell. Suckin’ up to nerdlebrities is a lot of frakkin’ work.”

Our heads turn and there he is, an amalgam of pasty skin and beanpole limbs and pure smugginess. I narrow my eyes as he slides into a vacant seat at our minuscule table. “Braidbeard,” I mutter. More of a tossed-off epithet than an actual greeting.

“How do you do that?” marvels Mitch. “It’s like you just…appear. Out of nowhere.”

Braidbeard swipes a tater tot and stuffs it in his mouth. “I have superpowers or whatever.”

Right. Because arguing about DC continuity holes ’til you’re blue in the face is a superpower now.

The source of his nickname—a scraggly beard, carefully arranged into three unkempt braids—dances back and forth as he chomps on the pilfered tot. “Double-u tee eff with that chick they just hired on Powers That Be?” he brays, eyes goggling behind his aggressively hip clunky glasses. “Are they actively trying to get cancelled? Because she’s what I like to call a show-killer.”

I groan and slump back in my seat, scanning the food court. Save for a trio of fresh-faced Skrulls huddled over a plate of nachos, we are apparently the only ones who felt the need to stake out the L.A. Convention Center minutes—nine minutes!—before the GinormoCon doors open.

I was hoping to avoid any and all classic Braidbeard dissertations on Why Everything Sucks today, but that’s what I get for hanging out with Mitch. The boys work together at the entertainment website CinePlanet.com, writing quickie reviews and reporting on “exclusive” news bits. Perhaps sensing that being co-workers = forced camaraderie, Braidbeard leeches onto Mitch every chance he gets. And Mitch—a genial, 6’2” mountain of a man who projects an uncomplicated sort of goodwill—lets him.

You can read the full excerpt online HERE.

Additional Thoughts: One Con Glory comes in a pretty sweet package. The cover is fun and really captures the spirit of the novella, AND there are also three great illustrations within from three talented artists (Max Riffner, Pj Perez, and Benjamin Birdie). The book also includes some cool extras: an interview of author Sarah Kuhn with one of her characters (Braidbeard), a list and explanation of each character’s favorite Buffy episodes, and (in awesome Rachel Caine style) a playlist.

Also, you’ll be pleased to learn that Julie’s blog in the novella, Glory Gilmore Lives, is actually a fun mock-blog online! Complete with vintage Buffy the Vampire Slayer reviews and other assorted geek goodness, it’s a pretty awesome fake blog. Definitely worth checking out!

Rating:

Thea: 8 – Excellent

Ana: 8 – Excellent

Reading Next: Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson

Giveaway Details:

We are giving away a totally awesome prize pack to ONE lucky winner! Included in the pack is a copy of One Con Glory, as well as a gorgeous, fangirl-worthy Phoenix tee (size Large), designed by Chris Stewart.

The contest is open to residents of the US and Canada ONLY. In order to enter, leave a comment here telling us who YOUR favorite superheroine is, and why. The contest will run until Saturday, November 7 at 11:59 PM (Pacific). Good luck!

It’s Alert Nerd Day at The Book Smugglers! Today we take a look at Alert Nerd Press – an independent digital publisher dedicated to making geek-centric fiction and nonfiction for the discriminating nerd, both online and in print.

Title: Unconventional

Author: Matt Springer

Genre: Contemporary, Fiction, Geek-lit

Publisher: Alert Nerd Press
Publication Date: April 2007 (Originally Published Feb 2003)
Paperback: 141 pages

Stand alone or series: Stand alone novella

How did we get this book: Review copy from the author

Why did we read this book: We love the geektastic blog that is Alert Nerd, having been introduced to the folks over there earlier this year for their “That’s My Scott and Jean” bonanza. So, when bloggers/authors Matt Springer and Sarah Kuhn contacted us with an opportunity to read and review their novellas, we eagerly accepted!

Summary: (from AlertNerdPress.com)
A tale of sex, booze and geeks at Chicago’s fictional UnCon, Unconventional follows three friends as they love, laugh, and dare I say learn in a loving-yet-irreverent look at fans and fandom (oh, and one of them gets laid. Twice). From founding Alert Nerd Matt Springer, Unconventional is the first book (of millions!) from AN Press.

REVIEW:

First Impressions:

Thea: When we were offered a chance to review Unconventional, I was pretty frakking excited. With a tagline like “A tale of sex, booze, and geeks” how could I be anything but excited? And, for the most part, Matt Springer delivers. Unconventional is an inside glimpse of a group of friends as they tackle UnConvention (Northern Illinois’ top SF convention). It’s a tale about friendships, about growing up, and, yeah, about geeks getting their rocks off to The Phantom Menace bashing and the awesomeness of Leonard Nimoy’s prosthetic ears from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Though it’s an uneven ride, Unconventional gets its message across with some touching and revealing interactions between its trio of characters. And, though it’s a bit dated, I did enjoy the honest, at times cringeworthy look at the unwashed, basement-dwelling male geek stereotype, up close and personal. Though it didn’t particularly resonate with me as a reader, it’s certainly entertaining and it has its moments.

Ana: I basically had a similar reaction to Thea when we were offered a review copy. Alert Nerd is one of my favourite sites these days and upon reading the tagline “A tale of sex, booze, and geeks” , I knew I was in for a bromance- like read and braced myself for just that. And you know. Unconventional totally resonated with me as a reader, maybe because I am geekier than I thought but most probably because I like reading about male characters’ and their struggles – it is always like having glimpses of completely alien minds. But here, they are alien not only because they are men but because they take geekdom to a different dimension (aha) , one that is far away from my own. And I loved this insight into the world of Conventions – to the point where I one day hope to be able attend one. Right now, to attend Comic Con is a matter of honour.

On the Plot:

Unconventional is the story of three friends – a “Trilogy” that has been together since bonding over the Return of the Jedi novelization back in the fourth grade. Now in their mid-twenties, Ham, Marty, and Ron are reunited and headed out to UnConvention, the year’s best SF con, where they’ll drink far too much, find and lose lovers, and get into some heated discussions about the nature of geekdom, their futures, and their friendships.

Thea: In terms of structure, Unconventional is a nice package. Alternating between a present timeline of leadup & three days spent at UnCon, and pivotal flashbacks in each character’s past, this novella is a nicely rounded and decently paced read. Initially, the story drags a bit, injecting a lot of popgeekery references and metaphors without really accomplishing anything to advance the story. That said, once the book kicks into gear at the convention and readers get to know the characters more intimately in terms of their thoughts and emotions, everything clicks.

I did have a few jarring reservations whilst reading Unconventional that do bode mentioning – the first dealing with the dated nature of the material. The novella was originally written in 2001, and as such, many of the references feel a bit tired – the annoyances of Jar Jar Binks, the cash cow milking that was The Phantom Menace, the Gollum references that were cool when The Fellowship of the Ring first came out, a lengthy metaphor about taking the red pill versus the blue pill, just to name a few. When I started Unconventional, I was under the impression that it would be a bit more current, so it was a jarring experience. That said, now knowing the time frame when it was written, I can deal. The difference between 2001 and 2009 is just an unfortunate nether-realm – the references aren’t quite old enough to be “retro” nor are they recent enough to be cool.

The good, more important thing to remember though is that Unconventional is more than a string of empty pop-geek references. Yeah, Unconventional verges on sitcom-y/stereotypical geek movie, but there are some surprisingly touching moments in this slim book, coming together nicely by the last few chapters. Though there’s a lot of the requisite aforementioned Star Wars/Star Trek/SF referencing as well as some good humored, sardonic fun poked at conventions (i.e. dudes who really should not be wearing spandex batsuits doing so onstage), this isn’t so much a book about conventions and fanboy geekdom than it is about friends dealing with their own baggage…friends who happen to be, well, huge fanboy geeks. And that’s cool. I can get on board with that.

Ana: Lord help me for I loved each and every geeky reference and even the dated nature of the novel. Actually scrap that, I wouldn’t even use the word “dated” for this since the issues raised that COULD be seen as dated feel so relevant to me. Every time they mentioned Gollum I giggled; the blue pill versus the red pill speech was totally cool and I completely understand the frustration about the Phantom Menace.

But as Thea says Unconventional is more than that – it is almost a Coming of Age story for each of the character but not quite, because of the ultimate outcome. I liked the format of the novel with each character going on its separate journey during the convention, each at some point or the other meeting another character who became an Obi Wan Kenobi them, giving life advice. It is a book about friendship and about growing up; touching on issues such as: do growing up mean growing away from being a geek? Each of the characters reaches a point where this question is raised and each relates to it in a different manner. It is, about all, a novella about identity. They all depart hoping to have mindless fun at the convention but the journey ends up being completely different from what they expected.

That are many, many Star Wars/Star Trek references and other relevant references to what geeks love and that may be jarring for those readers that do not relate so in that case, this book is certainly not a book for everyone. I also need to mention that I had a couple of problems with the episodic nature of the novel and I am sure I have seen one or two continuity mistakes (there is one scene where one of the guys asks about another character, saying that he hadn’t seen him the “whole morning”. But how could he? It was only 10am and he had just woken up. Yeah, I know. Nitpicking). But since the choppy, episodic feel of the novella is due to the choice of having each character on his own journey, this may be a moot point but still, I could have done with a smoother connection between each sequence.

On the Characters:

Thea: Here’s where Unconventional really shines – because its characters are wonderfully detailed and flawed. Any time a character makes you react strongly, it’s usually a good thing – it means the author is doing his or her job. And certainly, Unconventional had some characters that had me reacting in a strong way. Each of the three protagonists of Marty, Ham and Ron, are dudes with issues. Easily, Marty is my favorite of the lot – earnest, driven, emotional and intelligent, Marty’s an aspiring science fiction author who struggles with the decision to pursue his dream of writing, or stay on the safer career path that will keep him fed. Then there’s Ham (actual name Theo – Ham is short for Hammerhead, a minor character from the Star Wars films) – nervous, dramatic, impassioned Ham, with his convention crushes and his own share of disappointments. And finally, there’s Ron. Asshole, arrogant, selfish Ron, who gives me the urge to blindside tackle him and start eyegouging. The geek of the group who grew into a young Harrison Ford looking guy, suave with the ladies, and who honestly doesn’t give a shit about anyone but himself.

Each of these characters goes through a lot in Unconventional, coming to grips with their own shortcomings, fears and hopes. And each of them has at least one moment of genuine reflection as the book progresses, taking them beyond a caricaturish rendering and making them real, flesh and blood people. Even asshole Ron has one such moment! Now that’s saying something. The dynamic between these three friends, strained as it may be at times, is what makes the book. Even if I didn’t particularly love certain aspects of these men, I can appreciate how real they are.

Ana: I am with Thea on this one – the characters are wonderful. Marty, Ham and Ron are flawed and interesting geeks, my favourite also being Marty.

These three are total, complete losers.

But given the nature of the novella, it is important to make it clear that they are not losers because they are geeks – they are losers because they are confined by this “geek” label and they do not do anything above and beyond that. As with someone says in the book, keeping life and real relationships at bay is what makes you a loser.

Ham for example is the one who is the most stereotypically geek– living in his parents’ basement, apparently satisfied with the life he leads, with the fact that he gets to spend his money with his geek stuff. This satisfaction however, may prove to be superficial and there is an amazing scene towards the ending and a breakdown that actually made me cry a little bit.

Dramatically different is Ron, he is the geek who is ashamed to be a geek and he found a way out with the fact that he is cool with the ladies – but he is stuck in the same machine over and over again and is unable to let go. He is the MAJOR loser of the book because he is an asshole to women and even to his friends. A total douchebag, it also makes him very human though.

Marty on the other hand, is the one that is able to break the vicious circle by not only embracing the inner geek but also opening up to the real world. Marty is the proof that is possible to have both.

And that is my Pearl of Wisdom for today. You can call me Obi Wan Kenobi now.

Final Thoughts, Observations and Rating:

Thea: Unconventional is a book that has its moments, both high and low. It’s much more of a dude-centric, bromancy kind of story that didn’t particularly resonate with me, a female member of the geek contingent, but I enjoyed reading it, and I do look forward to more from Matt Springer.

Ana: This novella has its heart in the right place. Since I am a major fan of bromance, dude-centric stories, I loved it. If Alert Nerd keeps publishing novels like that, I predict I will read every single one of them.

Notable Quotes/Parts:

For those who have ever been to a science fiction convention, no explanation is necessary. Those who regularly attend cons understand the unique vibe one encounters when several hundred sci-fi fans gather in one place for three days of inane chatters, outrageous spending, and casual sex – or alternately three days of no sunlight, little sleep and full-on submission to total geekdom.

For those who never been, no explanation will suffice. To those who are con virgins – or “mundanes” , as non-fans are often known to con goers – attending a con might seem, in many crucial ways, like stepping into another world. A quick scan around the lobby of Schaumburg’s Hyatt Regency on the UnConvention’s opening day would do nothing to relieve that feeling. The real trick would be trying to figure out just which world you’d wandered into by mistake.

On a bank of couches, a passable Doctor Who (the fourth Doctor, by all appearances) chatted amiably with an oversized woman in a full renaissance maiden costume, her long hair braided and hanging over her ample (and amply exposed) breasts. Four guys in near-matching black t-shirts have staked out a spot near the concierge desk and were engaging in a fierce session of Magic: The Gathering on the lobby floor. In the expansive atrium area, a small crowd had gathered to watch two jedi engage in an impromptu lightsaber battle.

Everyone had their own particular quirk to flaunt, be it a costume, an allegiance to a particular subclass of fans, or even just a tiny button with the catchphrase “My friend went to the Hellmouth and all I got was this lousy pin” emblazoned upon it. In other words, it was your typical con crowd, and there’s no doubt that any mundanes stumbling upon the proceedings might start searching for the first available shuttle back to Planet Normal.

But for the UnCon community, banded together for three days each year then scattered back into the harsh winds of the “real world”, the Hyatt felt like home.

Additional Thoughts: You can purchase Unconventional online, OR you can download the novella for free in its entirety in an online PDF. The power is yours!

Rating:

Thea: 6 – Good, Recommended

Ana: 6 – Good, and leaning towards a 7

Reading Next: One Con Glory by Sarah Kuhn