I’m starting to feel like we are fast approaching a sort of Geek Singularity right now. The Peak of Geekness lies before our very eyes, ready to blossom in it’s sci-fi/superhero/fantasy fullness. There are many signs that this is the case but allow me to list a few from my own Inner Geek’s Perspective.
These past few weeks are a great example for me. We have seen:
Trailers for Dark Knight Rises, John Carter (a.k.a. Warlord of Mars), and, today, The Avengers, have appeared online as, seemingly, all of the adored heroes of my childhood are coming to life. The Avengers was my favorite comic as a kid. Of Burroughs’ creations, John Carter was the one I adored the most, thanks not only to the magnificent adventures but those gorgeous Frazetta covers. Batman, as realized by Christopher Nolan, is another dream come true.
It’s amazing what we have seen in recent years, really. A faithful adaptation of Watchmen. Sin City. The Marvel films, most of which are wonderful fun, have the right spirit in them. Folks are finally respecting creators’ visions when they adapt material. Hell, there was even an attempt at another comics favorite of mine, Green Lantern, however middling it ended up. Another Superman is on the horizon, as well as Sin City 2 and a host of other fascinating projects.
I’ve always said that, if I could go back to 1977 and bring forward in time that little boy and show him what’s happening now he fucking die on the spot of some sort of astonished overload of shocked pleasure. Laid out on the floor with an ear to ear smile in front a 46″ HD TV showing the Iron Man Blu-ray, an iPad full of sci-books and comics in one hand and a PS3 controller in the other.
It goes on, to the fantastical realms. Game of Thrones has shown us just how adult and edgy great Fantasy can be. If you like it a bit sappier, the Lord of the Rings Extended Editions are now on Blu-ray and you won’t believe how fucking good they look, my friends. I have in hand the latest tome from George R.R. Martin, I should mention, as well. A Dance With Dragons clocks in at about 1000 pages and I can’t wait to devour it. Joe Abercrombie looks interesting and Richard Morgan owes us the sequel to Steel Remains.
In television, Doctor Who is going as strong as ever. In sci-filiterature, Iain Banks, Alastair Reynolds and Neal Asher continue producing the hard space opera of my dreams. In comics, Mark Millar, Grant Morrison and Warren Ellis are regularly taking superheroes where they have never gone before.
It’s a veritable bounty of Geek Goodness. I’m wallowing in Geek Gluttony.
It’s almost too much. Almost.
I can’t tell you how much I am going to enjoy it all. The truth is, I’ve never quite grown up. Those of you who know me know that I have no need for an “inner child” as the child remains very much on the surface with me. I Like to have a good time and my imagination, thankfully, has never died and festered like some folks my age. It burns still, open to new and different magic, like that wide eyed kid who stood in line for Star Wars in 1977 and had his world forever changed as his eyes were opened wide to strange new ones. Just like that kid devouring all those Marvel Comics in their four-color, newsprint splendour back then. Just like that kid reading Dune for the first time.
Here I sit, all these years later, still hungry for more.
Bring it on, I say.
