Badassery Magazine June 2018 Issue 25 | Page 77

My dear reader , I know you ’ ve seen them , with their odd forms of dress , incomprehensible language and their unbridled passion . They walk among us daily . Indeed , there may be one living in your home . You may even be one yourself .

Fans of science fiction , speculative fiction and fantasy . Geeks .
It ’ s easy , indeed it ’ s almost considered de rigueur , to ridicule , mock and otherwise look down our noses at those who would dare show their passion for a television show , film or book to the world . They gather at their yearly conventions , resplendent in all manner of costume and pop-culture paraphernalia to meet and converse with equally passionate fans of Game of Harry Potter ' s Throne , or Star Trek Wars , or some such thing . Not only do they share these passions , but they also share the social ostracization and , it must be said , abuse that often comes with being a fan of the fictional , the fantastic and the speculative .
It ’ s interesting to note that those who deride and mock fans of science fiction , comics and other forms of fantasy entertainment are quite often the same people who will , that very evening , put on their favourite sport player ’ s jersey ( a costume ?) and paint their face or wave a huge foam finger or pennant in a large stadium filled with similarly bedecked and ornamented fans . One wonders where the difference lies .
I should point out here that I myself belong to the geek community . While I ’ ve never dressed up for a convention , I would happily do so had I the resources . I share a deep passion for science fiction in all its
formats , most notably - and unsurprisingly - books .
Please understand my carbon-based compadres , that I am in no way denouncing , criticizing or traducing those with a passion for sports or any other activity . To do so would itself be the height of hypocrisy . Retaliatory abuse is just as evil , no matter how justified it may feel . There certainly are differences . If you go to a large sporting event for example , there is a chance you could end up in a serious altercation ( possibly physical ) with an equally passionate participant . At a science fiction / comic book convention , you will certainly see spirited debates and even arguments over such important issues as who would win in a fight , the USS Enterprise from Star Trek , or the Millennium Falcon from Star Wars ( Answer : Chuck Norris )
I think the big issue here is one of passion . As a rule , Western society is very distrustful of passion , particularly when displayed openly . When we see a musician so caught up in the music they no longer seem to be aware of the audience , people will often scoff and say that it ’ s “ an act ” put on “ for show .” While it may be possible , I ’ ve had enough experience with music , both directly and indirectly ,
76