Being that I’m a part of multiple geeky fandoms I love reading stories that take place at conventions, fictional fan wars, cosplay, and more. Today I wanted to share four fictional stories about the fandom experience that I’ve enjoyed reading. I hope you’ll enjoy these books too!
The Frame-Up (The Golden Arrow #1) by Meghan Scott Molin
If stories about amateur sleuths are your cup of tea, you should check out the first installment of The Golden Arrow series. The main character, MG Martin lives and breathes geek culture while working as a writer for the comic book company she idolized as a kid. When someone in LA starts recreating crime scenes from her favorite comic book, MG steps in to help solve the case.
This book was an exciting thrill ride! It has mystery, romance, and all things nerdy! MG has an awesome job at Genius Comics and is creative in coming up with innovative story ideas and costume design. I like how quick-witted her personality is and how on top of her game she is. All the nerdy fandom references were fun and there’s even a bit of romance in the plot too.
Geekerella by Ashley Poston
Geekerella is a book about geek loves and fandoms under the premise that if Cinderella went to a comic convention instead of the ball. The main character is Danielle who lives at home with her evil stepmom and stepsisters who she dislikes, plus they couldn’t be any different from her. Her only glimmering ray of hope is Starfield, a show she used to watch with her dad who passed away and it’s one of the ways she feels connected to him. Everything is ruined for Elle when hot-shot superstar Darien, gets the lead role in a reboot movie of Starfield.
As a fangirl myself I could really appreciate this book and relate to Elle’s character. Despite some of the crummy stuff that happens in a fandom community it still brings people together at the end of the day. It was fun, light-hearted, and the romance is adorable. The two main characters felt realistic and any person in a fandom can relate to many aspects of the story.
Don’t Read The Comments by Eric Smith
This novel tells the point of view) of Divya and Aaron who are both gamers who dealing with struggles in their own lives. Divya is a big gamer with a large internet following who is struggling with trolls who are trying to tear her down and dismantle her platform. Aaron dreams of creating games but doesn’t have the means to do so. His parents want him to be a doctor and he wants to follow a different path. Though Aaron and Divya are complete strangers they instantly click while playing Reclaim The Sun which starts their friendship.
This novel is also not only a commentary on fandoms but internet culture as a whole and how people hide behind keyboard comments. It also touches on toxicity and the bullying that happens with online gaming as Divya faces harsh criticism, trolls, sexism, and racism. I appreciate that this book is so diverse in which its main characters are BIPOC, characters come from different walks of life, and so on. My only wish is that Reclaim The Stars was a real game so I could play it myself!
Dramacon by Svetlana Chmakova
In this three-volume manga, series reader follow Christie who falls in love with a cosplayer over the course of the story each of which involves one annual three-day anime convention. The series talks about the pop culture conventions culture and the fandom experience at these conventions.
Dramacon is one of my favorite original English Language manga that I always re-read time and time again. Because I go to conventions occasionally, I could relate to a lot of the things that Christie experiences as a congoer. From when she attempts to cosplay for the first time and interacts with sellers at the artist’s alley. It’s a funny manga but also highlights some more serious topics too. The story portrays the weird things that happen at cons, but also the sense of community there that brings people together.
