The Great Geek Manual

Books

• Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr
  A young adult fantasy novel in which a teenage girl’s attraction to a tattoo draws her into a faery world.
  HarperTeen. (ISBN-13: 978-0061214684) Hardcover. Length: 336 pages
• Kéthani by Eric Brown
  A science fiction novel in which aliens visit Earth bringing with them the secret of immortality.
  Solaris Press. (ISBN-13: 978-1844164738) Trade Paperback. Length: 304 pages
• A Kiss Before the Apocalypse by Thomas E. Sniegoski
  An urban fantasy in which an angel takes human form to become private investigator Remy Chandler.
  Roc Trade. (ISBN-13: 978-0451462053) Paperback. Length: 304 pages
• Maps and Legends: Essays on Reading and Writing Along the Borderlands
  A critically acclaimed collection of essays by Michael Chabon on the experience of reading and writing genre fiction.
  McSweeney’s. (ISBN-13: 978-1932416893) Hardcover. Length: 200 pages
• The Shadow Isle by Katharine Kerr
  The third installment in the fantasy series The Silver Wyrm and the fourteenth overall book in the Deverry cycle.
  DAW. (ISBN-13: 978-0756404765) Hardcover. Length: 480 pages
• Steampunk by Ann Vandermeer and Jeff VanderMeer
  An anthology of thirteen Victorian steam punk stories.
  Tachyon Publications. (ISBN-13: 978-1-892391-75-9) Trade Paperback. Length: 400 pages
• Time Spike by Eric Flint and Marilyn Kosmatka
  A science fiction novel in which the inmates of a maximum security prison are transported back into the Mesozoic Era.
  Baen. (ISBN-13: 978-1416555384) Hardcover. Length: 480 pages

Comics
Selected highlights of the comics shipping on Wednesday, May 7th. The full shopping list will be posted Wednesday.

Action Comics Annual No. 11
Amazing Spider-Man No. 558
Avengers Invaders No. 1 of 12
Battlestar Galactica Origins No. 5
Buffy The Vampire Slayer No. 14
DC Universe Special Justice League Of America
Dead Space No. 3 of 6
Hulk World War Hulk Trade Paperback
Iron Man Viva Las Vegas No. 1 of 4
Iron Man War Machine Trade Paperback
Justice League Unlimited No. 45
Logan No. 3 of 3
Serenity Ornament Reaver Ship
Silent Hill Sinners Reward No. 3
Supergirl No. 29

Films
The one film that opens in theaters this Friday, May 9th that may be of interest is Speed Racer (PG), which means that there will be plenty of opportunity to get line for a second viewing of Iron Man. After all, I;m certain that there’ll be plenty of chances to heckle Speed Racer MST3K-style when it passes into late night television.

Home Video
The video releases this Tuesday, May 6th will be of little interest to geeks. The offering is largely a heap of chick flicks, unless you’re planning on renting Paris Hilton’s attempt at comedy, The Hottie & Nottie (PG-13), and if you are, shame on you! I feel dirty just for mentioning it.

The only thing worth mentioning is the release of the Naruto Uncut Boxed Set, Volume 7 (unrated) and Naruto Uncut Box Set, Vol. 7 [Special Edition] (unrated). What so special about the special edition, you ask? Twenty percent more recap per episode!

Video Games

Following last week’s gaming high for Xbox and PlayStation owners, Grand Theft Auto IV, Nintendo strikes back with Steven Spielberg’s well-reviewed Boom Blox for the Wii.

Hardware
The PSP Headset Kit for Skype

Nintendo DS
Brain Voyage (May 5)
A puzzle game in set against travels to exotic locations around the globe. ESRB: E (Everyone)

Crosswords DS (May 5)
A puzzle game featuring anagrams, crosswords, and word searches. ESRB: E (Everyone)

Speed Racer (May 6)
A racing game based on the 2008 film Speed Racer. ESRB: E (Everyone)

Toy Shop (May 5)
Manage a toyshop, select inventory, develop toys, and meet new people in this simulation for kids. ESRB: E (Everyone)

Nintendo Wii
Boom Blox (May 6)
A family-friendly action-puzzle hybrid from Electronic Arts and Steven Spielberg. ESRB: E (Everyone)

The Dog Island (May 6)
In this game, players team up with a canine companion to sniff out a special flower on an island of dogs. ESRB: E (Everyone)

Rebel Raiders: Operation Nighthawk (May 6)
A flight combat game adapted from the original PlayStation 2 release. ESRB: E (Everyone)

Speed Racer (May 6)
A racing game based on the 2008 film Speed Racer. ESRB: E (Everyone)

Personal Computers
Baseball Mogul 2009 (May 5)
This game casts players in the role of manager of a baseball franchise struggling with league supremacy. ESRB: E (Everyone)

Great War Nations: The Spartans (May 5)
A strategy game that puts players in command of the legendary Spartan army. ESRB: M (Mature)

Iron Man (May 6)
Sega’s first Iron Man game is based on the 2008 Marvel Studios film, not the comic. ESRB: T (Teen)

Neverwinter Nights 2 Gold (May 6)
The Gold Edition of the popular roleplaying game Neverwinter Nights 2. ESRB: T (Teen)

Supreme Commander: Gold Edition (May 5)
A real-time strategy game that puts players in control of giant battle mechs. ESRB: E10+ (Everyone)

Sony PlayStation 2
SNK Arcade Classics Volume 1 (May 5)
A collection of classic SNK arcade games, including Fatal Fury, King of Monsters, and Samurai Shodown. ESRB: T (Teen)

Sony PlayStation Portable
SNK Arcade Classics Volume 1 (May 5)
A collection of classic SNK arcade games, including Fatal Fury, King of Monsters, and Samurai Shodown. ESRB: T (Teen)

R-Type Command (May 6)
A tactical shooting game that puts you in command of an interstellar spaceship. ESRB: E10+ (Everyone)

If you know of any major releases that I missed, mention it below.