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By Karen Strong

Publisher Description

Real or imaginary, geekdom is where it's at in this multi-genre YA anthology that celebrates "the geek," with stories by some of today's top bestselling, critically acclaimed Black authors.

Contributors include Amerie, Kalynn Bayron, Terry J. Benton-Walker, Roseanne A. Brown, Elise Bryant, Tracy Deonn, Desiree S. Evans, Isaac Fitzsimons, Lamar Giles, Jordan Ifueko, Leah Johnson, Amanda Joy, Kwame Mbalia, Tochi Onyebuchi, Shari B. Pennant, K. Arsenault Rivera, Julian Winters, and Ibi Zoboi.

A girl who believes in UFOs; a boy who might have finally found his Prince Charming; a hopeful performer who dreams of being cast in her school’s production of The Sound of Music; a misunderstood magician of sorts with a power she doesn’t quite understand.

These plotlines and many more compose the eclectic stories found within the pages of this dynamic, exciting, and expansive collection featuring exclusively Black characters. From contemporary to historical, fantasy to sci-fi, magical to realistic, and with contributions from a powerhouse list of self-proclaimed geeks and bestselling, award-winning authors, this life-affirming anthology celebrates and redefines the many facets of Blackness and geekiness—both in the real world and those imagined.

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52 Reviews

4.0

Chicdeedee3

Created 15 days ago

“I absolutely loved this book, my younger self would’ve killed to read this!”

Rachel

Created about 2 months ago

jæ.28

Created about 2 months ago

“10/10! 100% recommend! The title reflects the contents of this anthology perfectly. It’s just the kind of book I needed this month. There’s magic, the supernatural, paranormal, feels, comedy, anime, aliens! So much nerdiness that made me laugh, cry, and maybe even have a little existential crisis. This was the best time! I was introduced to great authors and got to read works from some of my favorites. The introduction alone told me I’d love it here and fun was definitely had. I wish there were more new/adult anthologies with themes like this. Maybe it’s time to put my research cap on.”

Reviewed in:'25s Books & Wine 🥂

Believable Change and grow Diverse representation Immersive world-building Setting fits the story Beautifully-written Domestic violence Grief Racism Violence

Unwritten Soul

Created 3 months ago

Believable Change and grow Diverse representation Multilayered Fast-paced Setting fits the story Easy to read Racism

Bethany 📖🐉

Created 6 months ago

“Our Joy, Our Power By: Julian Winters This was pretty good. It’s probably the first love story that I’ve read about gay, black characters. The characters were engaging, and I thought it was really cool how nerdy they were. I’ve never been to a comic con, but they sound really fun. I also like Prince and Jalen together. They mesh together really well. However, it felt a bit like insta love, and I don’t really like that trope. All in all, this was a good start to the anthology. I liked it and I’m excited to read more. ️ ️ ️ The Book Club By: Shari B. Pennant I really liked this one. It was so cute. I currently work at a bookstore, and reading a story inside one felt so relatable. I also liked Amara’s powers, and how everything led up to The Paper Man climbing out of his book. The other characters were cool too, but I felt like they could have been fleshed out a bit more. I wanted more of this story; the ending felt a bit rushed and incomplete. We didn’t even get to see them seal The Paper Man away again - which would have been the better ending. Overall, I really enjoyed this and liked it a lot. ️ ️ ️ ️ Nina Evans, In The Round Kalynn Bayron This was pretty good. I like the message a lot: Never giving up on your dreams, especially when the world thinks it’s not ready for you. I also like how this is about music and theater. Overall I like it. I would suggest it to anyone who struggles with their identity, and to those who dream big. ️ ️ ️ Earth is Ghetto By: Ibi Zoboi This story was ok. I’m not a big fan of aliens and selective breeding, but Ingrid’s motives were interesting. She didn’t feel like she belonged anywhere, and wanted to start fresh on a different planet. I’m assuming that this story was heavily influenced by Octavia Butler’s stories, because the author was mentioned a lot. This story’s main theme was injustice. Injustice in terms of race, greed, migration, etc. It was heavy and complicated, but I still understood it. However, overall, I didn’t really like this one. It was interesting reading about a spaceship landing in the hood, but the plot itself was a little boring. I can definitely see how it relates to all sorts of people, and it talks about a load of different problems in our society. But the world is just fucked up, and there’s not a lot we can do about that. I guess that’s why Ingrid ultimately stayed on earth - to save it. I like that. ️ ️ Initiative Check By: K. Arsenault Rivera This one was pretty cool. I’ve never read a tabletop story, but I’ve always wanted to. Or even D&D. I’ve always thought it sounded cool. But this story makes it even more real by making the characters live their roles in the game. Leah and Jas were cute. I liked their dynamic and relationship a lot. I can relate to not hanging out with a friend for a while, and having it be a bit awkward when you hang out with them again. I love that they work so well together even though they haven’t talked for a while. I was a bit confused by the magic system, and the plot itself got a bit repetitive. But overall, I really liked this. It was good. ️ ️ ️ ️ Corner Booth By: Leah Johnson I actually loved this so much. At first, I wasn’t really into Ferg’s obsession: Dictionary Dynamo, but it really grew on me. As the story unfolds, we get to learn more about Ferg and Wes, online and at the diner. I loved how their relationship evolved as they hung out together. I also like how the story hints at Ferg’s difficult past and the way she copes with it. Overall, this is definitely my favorite so far. It makes me want to play a word game on my phone. Super cute and entertaining. I loved it. ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ Betty’s Best Craft By: Elise Bryant This was pretty cute. Bryant definitely illustrates how teens think when they grow distant from a friend. I remember life being this dramatic and serious as a teen, even though it didn’t really matter. This story is a good example of what it’s like to lose friends, and meet up with them again in the future. I loved how there was a big theme on craft, but at the same time it was a tad annoying how anal and obsessed Betty was with it. She sounds a bit controlling, but she changes at the end, and I like that a lot. Overall, this was cute. Not my favorite thing in the world, but cute. ️ ️ ️ The Panel Shows the Girl Amanda Joy This one was alright…honestly, it was probably the messiest story so far in this anthology. There was a moment I really liked between Amaya and Naomi where they’re in the canoe, and Amaya is thinking about weaving daisies through her braids. That was sooo cute. After that, the story kind of went downhill from there. The references to shows, films, and nerdy stories was way too much for me. It relied heavily on other fandoms, and I didn’t like that. It felt more like fan fiction, and that’s my least favorite thing to read. Overall, I didn’t like this story. I really wanted to - especially since even Naruto was included - but it honestly fell flat for me. ️ ️ Spirit-Filled Jordan Ifueko This one was alright. I generally don’t really like religion, but I understand how suffocating it can be. This story definitely illustrates how you can’t really be yourself in terms of religion. You’re always hiding some type of sin. Books were Romilly’s hidden pleasure, and I love that. I can relate to it on so many levels. I also loved her final question at the end: Are all stories medicine? Because there are so many more stories out there than religion that can heal the soul. The stories we tell each other are honestly probably more powerful than old religious ones. Overall…I had a love hate relationship with this. I grew up like Romilly, so I can relate to her hiding her books away from others, and trying to act a certain way around her peers. At the same time, this story revolves heavily around religion, and that’s suffocating for me. ️ ️ Cole’s Cruise Blues Isaac Fitzsimons This one was kind of boring for me. I liked reading about a transgender character, and seeing them figure out themselves, but I wanted more from this. Modern settings with modern ideals are just kind bland for me. I wanted to see more tension, and other people’s opinions or wants. Reading more about how other people felt about Cole’s transformation would have added more tension, and would have created a more impactful resolution when Cole overcomes it all. Overall, I was bored with this, and I wanted more. ️ High Strangeness Desiree S. Evans This one was…alright. I’m honestly not a huge fan of alien stories, but I like the contrast between the characters and the extraterrestrial. I was honestly more interested in the main character’s relationship with Makayla. It was cute, and I needed more of that. Overall…I didn’t really like this one. It didn’t have me in a chokehold to read more. It was alright, but wasn’t really good. ️ ️ Catalyst Rising Tracy Deonn I’m unfortunately am not a huge fan of this. Science hurts my brain. I like the alchemist elements in this though. I thought it was cool. Everything else felt a bit messy. I also don’t like how there’s no real conclusive ending. It feels like there’s more to this. Overall, I feel like this is a cool concept, but it’s too cool for an anthology. It needed more room to stretch out its magic system, characters, suspense, etc. It needed more emotional connections and turmoil. It felt like I was reading a science book more than anything else. ️ Requiem of Souls Terry J. Benton-Walker This one was pretty cool. A bit dark, but cool. I liked how Rocko plays sinister flute music. I don’t really understand who the ghosts are… they definitely would have mattered more if they had a deeper connection to Rocko, or even his mother. I also feel like this is the perfect story to read in October. Spoopy season! Overall, interesting concept, but there definitely could have been more to it. It was a good short story, but it probably would have been better as a novel. ️ ️ ️ Honor Code Kwame Mbalia This story was boring. Sorry, but muling over Tweets, influencers, and fame when you’re supposed to be LARPing is not a plot. There was no plot in this. Nothing actually happened. And I don’t even know what the main character was even stressed about. A post on Twitter… but we never get to find out what she’s so embarrassed about. Overall, this is my least favorite out of the bunch. I appreciate the craft of LARPing, but the way this story was executed did not work. I was confused 100% of the time. ️ Drive Time Lamar Giles I loved this so much! It was unpredictable, funny, tense, and sweet. All of the characters were interesting, and I felt like I was a part of the group as they dealt with Zed’s shenanigans. I loved going to the different locations, and being surprised by what Zed was going to do next. Overall, this was so good. The language used by each character was engaging, and the relationship that they all had with one another was interesting. I never knew what was going to happen next, and I was always excited to see how everything played out. ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ Wolf Tracks Roseanne A. Brown This one was pretty good. I’m actually not a huge fan of werewolves, but this one was alright. I liked the turmoil that the main character went through, physically and emotionally. And I’m happy that his friend was interested in learning more about his wolf powers more than anything. Overall, pretty cool. I wasn’t a fan of all the fur, but it wasn’t too crazy. The voice for the main character is definitely unique and interesting to read. ️ ️ ️ The Hero’s Journey Tochi Onyebuchi This was so good! I was a bit confused at first, because so much random stuff was happening (and because I didn’t really read the title before starting). This was so unique! And it definitely shows the struggle of writing well rounded characters and plots. I also like the main character kind of breaks the fourth wall, and meeting the writer. Overall, this was super cool and such a treat. ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ Abyss By: Amerie I don’t know what to say about this. The dialogue was confusing, the magic was confusing, and I struggled to keep track of the characters. This is why punctuation is important. I don’t know why there’s a lack of punctuation, or any real dialogue tags, but it doesn’t help the story in any way. It distracted and confused me. Overall, I don’t really know what this story was about. What even happened? Who’s the main character here? What’s the emotional conflict? This is unfortunately the worst of the bunch, and not a great place to end the story. It leaves a bad aftertaste. ️ Overall Review I liked this anthology. It was really cool to read about black characters and their misadventures. My favorite is Drive Time, by Lamar Giles. My least favorite is definitely Abyss, by Amerie. Overall, I liked the anthology, but I definitely don’t think it’s my favorite book in the world. Well, I’m also not the intended audience either. I’m happy that I gave this a try though. I think it’s a good anthology full of interesting black stories. ️ ️”

About Karen Strong

Karen Strong is a lifelong technology and science geek and the author of the critically acclaimed middle grade novels Just South of Home and Eden’s Everdark. She has also written short fiction for Star Wars and other award-winning anthologies. A graduate of the University of Georgia, Karen lives in Atlanta. You can visit Karen Strong online at Karen-Strong.com or follow her on Twitter and Instagram @KarenMusings.