Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Legal Commentary Blogs -> Infamy or Praise

Legal Commentary

: Infamy or Praise

How to Geekify the Women in Your Life: A Primer

Megan McArdle, responding to an inquiry from a reader, offers a few tips on helping the wives, girlfriends, daughters, and other important females in sci-fi geeks' lives to enjoy science fiction, if not as much as their geeks do, then at least enough to good-naturedly tolerate the genre. She certainly has the bona fides:

I love me some Doctor Who, some Firefly, just caught up on BSG, own two copies of the Oxfor [sic] Book of Science Fiction Short Stories, have four first edition Sandmans, and really haven't emotionally come to grips with the fact that I am never going to have superpowers.

What I'm saying is, there's hope. A love for feminine frippery can be, and frequently already is, paired with a love of laser guns. But even if it's not already there, I think it can be awakened. You just have to explain it right.

. . . .

You might . . . try to ease her into something with a little more human emotion and a little less space opera--I'm very fond of George R. R. Martin's current gigantic series. As far as television goes, start with Firefly, then maybe BSG, and then slowly work your way up to Dr. Who. Do not, under any circumstances, unveil Sliders until you're sure she can handle it. Same with movies: Gattica [sic] before Blade Runner. Graphic novels: Sandman, not V for Vendetta. You get the idea.

. . . . I think science fiction is a habit that can be acquired if you go about it the right way.

[Links added.]

Fortunately, my wife indulges my love of Doctor Who and Star Wars, watches episodes with me frequently, and even discusses them. When you come to think of it, isn't that the geek trifecta -- indulgence, viewing, and discussion of sci-fi? She's a keeper.

While the wife may not share my level of fandom, she's at least agreeable when I attempt to indoctrinate my daughter. Thus far, the results of my efforts have been somewhat mixed. She enjoys the Lego Star Wars video games and will watch the movies from time-to-time; she also liked the younger kids' version of Doctor Who, The Sarah Jane Adventures. I'm hoping that as she grows older, she'll come to appreciate (as George Lucas unfortunately did not) that Jar Jar Binks is a travesty and that Yoda's primary importance to the saga is not that he's the cutest Jedi, but we'll work with what we have regardless. Frankly though, the prequels haven't given me that much to build on and, even as a fan, the "New Jedi Order" and "Legacy of the Force" book series are a bit of a slog. Perhaps the forthcoming Clone Wars film and series will pique her interest like the original series has.

After all, it takes a galaxy far, far away to raise a child.

Full post as published by Infamy or Praise on June 25, 2008 (boomark / email).