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*This book has been kindly given to me pre-publication via NetGalley. I would like to thank this platform, the publishers, the writers, and my followers for getting me to this position. All opinions are my own.*
~ Book TW: mention of cancer and death ~
Narratives, Nerdfighters & New Media is Jennifer Burek Pierce’s book submitted to the University of Iowa Press. This book, or extended essay if you prefer, is an in-depth, heavily researched study of how writers, creators and readers can shape their own community experience; how this has been accomplished by the Nerdfighter community, and how technology has changed and altered the way reading is shaped today. The book is set out in five chapters, with the first being an introduction to John and Hank Green, and the remaining chapters studying aspects of their ever-growing channel and communities; how this community varies to others; the impact of the writing and publishing of The Fault in Our Stars on said community and a conclusion on what this means to modern reading and its surrounding community.
Going into this, I had no idea what I was expecting. As someone who knew who Hank and John Green were fairly well (I’d watched a few of their videos, I’m a big fan of their Crash Course Channel and have read three of John Green’s books) I thought I would be aware of most of what was to be discussed. However, Burek Pierce’s case study is more than just a study of the community, as she draws upon various well-known scholars like Andrew Piper, John Berger, and Robert Darnton’s and their theories regarding reading, contemporary reading, communities, and fandoms. Questions that readers would have thought about, have been carefully analysed and researched into by Burek Pierce. Not only has she researched scholarly reading, but she is able to draw conclusions surrounding modern reading from theories created 30/40 years ago while still maintaining relevance. It was an interesting read and I was constantly jotting down notes throughout because it is a piece that evokes wider thinking and reading if you’re interested in the topic of how reading affects peoples, communities, mindset and goals. It is especially fascinating when she constantly reminds the reader of the New Media aspect, as well as her repetition of the concept of place when discussing online platforms.
The only criticism I have regarding this book is the lack of clarity in its advertisement of it being more of a stud or extended essay as opposed to a traditional novel. This is not to say I was disappointed, but more that it was something of a surprise when I came across footnotes, an appendix at the end and constant academic analysis throughout. It was not until a few pages in and a bit of research that I discovered it to be a study by someone pursuing a writing career. Luckily, I loved every second of this book, but if you’re not someone who tends to read scholarly work, it might come as a shock considering it isn’t advertised as such.
The strengths, on the other hand, are measurable. This researched based, passion-driven, diligently crafted book from Burek Pierce is quite the game-changer for her writing career. Her place in the community is the driving force of this book. Her passion is what drives the book forward, but her analysis team, and even the support of those in the Nerdfighteria community, support her, encourage her, and help her throughout the entire study. The efforts of all this, from writing to gathering sources and analysing them; drawing up statistical data and tracking down hidden information not usually revealed is shown in its professionalism. This book, ultimately, offers the perfect combination of education and stimulation for further research.
Additionally, the tone of the book sometimes makes you feel you’re reading a novel because of the emotional connection to the community and the human aspect to it. Time and time again, Burek reminds us that the statistics she was studying as well as the comments she read were written by humans with a place in this world – they are not just a number on a screen. This, as well as the quotes and anecdotes of these people make it feel like a dialogue and less like a research paper that requires constant note-taking and analysis – the books emotions are real and so are those so heavily, or not so heavily, involved in the Nerdfighteria community.
Finally, for strengths, the author is keen to address the limitations of the subjects as well as their strengths. At the beginning I was concerned that the book might overdo its positives and ignore any negatives that the community, or certain people in that community may experience – but she did not disappoint. Throughout the book, Burek is constantly addressing the diversity of the community, especially when it comes to discussions on public social media platforms as well as statistics in their annual survey and sale statistics of Hank and John’s books. From the representation of woman in the production of their Youtube channels like Crash Course and their production company Complexly, to the women they have worked with and the issues the Green brothers address in their videos, it is clear that female empowerment and gender equality are a very high priority for both brothers and the audience. To add to this, there is the discussion of how diverse the community is, taking into consideration facts such as that white, female and young people are more likely to answer a long survey, as well as how certain people and groups may feel in the community. One example is the story of a transgender Nerdfighter who claimed that he did not always feel included in the community, despite the community’s core theme being to ‘reduce world suck’, meaning to increase kindness and decrease hate. This awareness from the author is indeed refreshing, especially her closer analysis in reference to disability in the community, discussions surrounding disability and the emphasis that is placed on ensuring acknowledgement, appreciation and elevating of the disabled community within Nerdfighteria. This aspect is a strength for two reasons, it not only indicates that Burek has a wider concept of diversity, exclusion and discrimination and is keen to discuss this in her book but it also indicates the depth of the research that has gone into this book, going so far as to draw upon specific stories from people in the community that may have been hidden/suppressed.
Overall, the book was exactly what I needed in such turbulent times – an educational book that reinforced unity and discusses the kindness of a community alongside any improvements it can make. The concepts and ideas that this book have sparked in me is definitely not what I expected - and it has reignited a passion in me to pursue more scholarly work (that doesn’t surround history, which is my go-to topic). If you’re interested in anything from anecdotes from readers to how contemporary reading is being affected by modern technology and a sense of community, or even if you have any interest in the Hank brothers, then I’d say this book is for you. It is currently ready to pre-order here on Amazon with its publication date being 15th November 2020.
Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐