Anthropology

First Japan, then Mars: Percival Lowell’s fascination with alterity
Anthropology, Science-fiction

First Japan, then Mars: Percival Lowell’s fascination with alterity

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Last week I posted about the relation between my passion for science-fiction and my career in anthropology. I stated that as I was growing up, I often challenged myself to imagine how aliens would look like if they were drastically different from humans. I also expressed my feeling that science-fiction authors, despite trying to imaging extreme otherness in the form of aliens, rarely create something that differs from the Western conceptions of what sentient beings are.

The Internet has your back Colleen Lachowicz (and so does this level 69 Blood Elf Hunter)
Anthropology, Games / gaming, Online communities

The Internet has your back Colleen Lachowicz (and so does this level 69 Blood Elf Hunter)

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Greetings Geekverse!

I was resting yesterday as it was Thanksgiving in Canada. I would like to catch up today by sharing this story I have been following since Friday morning when a friend of mine posted this BBC news article on his Facebook feed. Maine’s Democrat candidate Colleen Lachowicz is being attacked by her Republican opponent, Tom Martin, because she is a World of Warcraft (WOW) player.

Trekkies and Trekkers
Anthropology, Science-fiction, Study of geek culture

Trekkies and Trekkers

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Hello Geekverse!

I posted about science-fiction and Star Trek this week, so it seemed fitting that I stick with this theme for my Friday recommendations. I selected a few videos about Star Trek for you. The first one is the documentary Trekkies. If you haven’t seen this one, I strongly recommend it! And although I’m not crazy about the intro song in the second movie, Trekkies 2, I like that it explores a more international fan base. Notice the Stargate fan?

From Science-Fiction to Anthropology: there and back again
Anthropology, Science-fiction, Study of geek culture

From Science-Fiction to Anthropology: there and back again

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My first contact with science-fiction was through Star Trek the Next Generation. I can’t say for certain at what age I started watching it, but I believe it was in 1992 that I asked for the series figurines for Christmas. I was 6 years old. As a kid, I did not speak English. Being a francophone, I kept asking my father to translate the episodes, to his great despair. He would do so during commercial breaks after trying to listen as best he could to the show. Many of my early memories of Star Trek TNG are unclear, probably because I din’t get the story.

How geeky are you: the geek code and the geek test
Anthropology, Definitions of Geek, Study of geek culture

How geeky are you: the geek code and the geek test

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I discussed in my previous post about geeks and nerds that I would rely on people’s self-identification as one or the other to consider them as such and include them, their hobby or interest in the study of geek culture on this blog. I will continue, however, to pay attention to the many definitions people attribute to these terms. It is fascinating to see how people create mechanisms to determine empirically determine one’s geekiness or nerdiness. Two of these mechanisms were part of my recommendations for week-end fun last Friday: the Geek Code and the Geek Test. Did you check them out? I did, and here is a summary of my experience building my very own geek code and taking the test.