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Clash of the Geeks
Early in 2010, author John Scalzi had a vision. And it was of himself. As an orc. And of actor and writer Wil Wheaton. As a warrior. In a clown sweater. Astride a unicorn pegasus kitten. What did this singular vision mean? Scalzi didn’t know. But he knew it was clearly too powerful to be ignored.
And so, Scalzi contacted artist Jeff Zugale, who used all his skill and art to bring this vision to life. And then Scalzi, Wheaton and Bill Schafer, head of Scalzi and Wheaton’s mutual publisher Subterranean Press, called to the world of writers to answer one question: Seriously, now, what the hell’s going on in that picture?
The writers who answered the call were an eclectic group. Patrick Rothfuss, author of the smash-hit fantasy novel The Name of the Wind, and Catherynne Valente, who had leapt to the front ranks of modern fantasy writers with the Hugo-nominated novel Palimpsest, were the first on board. Hugo and Nebula nominee Rachel Swirsky and video game industry legend Stephen Toulouse then offered up their own interpretations. Science fiction and fantasy balladeer John Anealio put the vision to music. New writers Bernadette Durbin and Scott Mattes competed against hundreds of fellow writers to tell their spin on the tale. And, finally, Wil Wheaton and John Scalzi were of course obliged to share their own take on the thing.
But to what end? Surely a vision of this magnificence � and the stories it spawned � were meant to do something for the benefit of humanity. And so it was decided the stories of Wil, John and the Unicorn Pegasus Kitten would be bound together in a special electronic chapbook, and that this chapbook, entitled Clash of the Geeks, would be used to help those who suffered from lupus, the autoimmune disease which afflicts 1.5 million Americans and five million people worldwide (including Gretchen Schafer, Bill’s wife).
And so it was.
And so here it is: Clash of the Geeks, featuring eight stories (and one song) about the warrior Wheaton, the orc Scalzi, and the Unicorn Pegasus Kitten. From us. For you. And for the fight against lupus.
And so, Scalzi contacted artist Jeff Zugale, who used all his skill and art to bring this vision to life. And then Scalzi, Wheaton and Bill Schafer, head of Scalzi and Wheaton’s mutual publisher Subterranean Press, called to the world of writers to answer one question: Seriously, now, what the hell’s going on in that picture?
The writers who answered the call were an eclectic group. Patrick Rothfuss, author of the smash-hit fantasy novel The Name of the Wind, and Catherynne Valente, who had leapt to the front ranks of modern fantasy writers with the Hugo-nominated novel Palimpsest, were the first on board. Hugo and Nebula nominee Rachel Swirsky and video game industry legend Stephen Toulouse then offered up their own interpretations. Science fiction and fantasy balladeer John Anealio put the vision to music. New writers Bernadette Durbin and Scott Mattes competed against hundreds of fellow writers to tell their spin on the tale. And, finally, Wil Wheaton and John Scalzi were of course obliged to share their own take on the thing.
But to what end? Surely a vision of this magnificence � and the stories it spawned � were meant to do something for the benefit of humanity. And so it was decided the stories of Wil, John and the Unicorn Pegasus Kitten would be bound together in a special electronic chapbook, and that this chapbook, entitled Clash of the Geeks, would be used to help those who suffered from lupus, the autoimmune disease which afflicts 1.5 million Americans and five million people worldwide (including Gretchen Schafer, Bill’s wife).
And so it was.
And so here it is: Clash of the Geeks, featuring eight stories (and one song) about the warrior Wheaton, the orc Scalzi, and the Unicorn Pegasus Kitten. From us. For you. And for the fight against lupus.
60 pages, ebook
First published September 20, 2010
2 people are currently reading
1402 people want to read
About the author
Wil Wheaton
97Ìýbooks226kÌýfollowersWil Wheaton loves to tell stories. He’s been doing it his whole life.
By age ten, he had already been acting for three years. In 1986, at age 12, he earned critical acclaim as Gordie Lachance in Rob Reiner’s Stand By Me; at 14, he began his four-year turn as Wesley Crusher on the hit TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Since then, Wil has appeared in dozens of films and TV series, with recurring roles on TNT’s Leverage, SyFy’s Eureka, and the hit webseries The Guild. He is the creator, producer, and host of the wildly successful webseries Tabletop, credited with reigniting national interest in tabletop gaming. Most recently, he played a fictionalized version of himself on CBS’s The Big Bang Theory, one of the most highly rated and watched sitcoms of the last decade.
An accomplished voice actor, Wil has lent his talents to animated series including Family Guy, Teen Titans, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Batman: The Brave and the Bold. His video game credits include four installments each of the Grand Theft Auto and Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon series, as well as Fallout: New Vegas, DC Universe Online, and Broken Age.
His audiobook narration of Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One debuted at number one on the New York Times bestseller list, and was one of Å·±¦ÓéÀÖâ€� 10 Best Narrator and Audiobook Pairings of All Time. He has also lent his voice to titles by John Scalzi, Randall Monroe, and Joe Hill.
When he isn’t acting, narrating, or podcasting, Wil Wheaton is writing.
A lot.
He is the author of Just A Geek, Dancing Barefoot, The Happiest Days of Our Lives, Hunter, and Dead Trees Give No Shelter, plus a forthcoming novel, All We Ever Wanted Was Everything. He has contributed columns to Salon.com, The A.V. Club, LA Weekly, Playboy, The Washington Post, and the Suicide Girls Newswire.
In recent years, Wil has earned recognition as an outspoken mental health advocate, chronicling his own journey in his blog and as a public speaker for the National Alliance on Mental Illness. His powerful, candid essay about his struggle with chronic depression and anxiety garnered national attention.
Wil lives in Los Angeles with his badass, irrepressible wife Anne, two rescued dogs, one cat, and two vintage arcade cabinets. If you’re not a robot, you can reach him at: wil at wilwheaton dot net.
By age ten, he had already been acting for three years. In 1986, at age 12, he earned critical acclaim as Gordie Lachance in Rob Reiner’s Stand By Me; at 14, he began his four-year turn as Wesley Crusher on the hit TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Since then, Wil has appeared in dozens of films and TV series, with recurring roles on TNT’s Leverage, SyFy’s Eureka, and the hit webseries The Guild. He is the creator, producer, and host of the wildly successful webseries Tabletop, credited with reigniting national interest in tabletop gaming. Most recently, he played a fictionalized version of himself on CBS’s The Big Bang Theory, one of the most highly rated and watched sitcoms of the last decade.
An accomplished voice actor, Wil has lent his talents to animated series including Family Guy, Teen Titans, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Batman: The Brave and the Bold. His video game credits include four installments each of the Grand Theft Auto and Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon series, as well as Fallout: New Vegas, DC Universe Online, and Broken Age.
His audiobook narration of Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One debuted at number one on the New York Times bestseller list, and was one of Å·±¦ÓéÀÖâ€� 10 Best Narrator and Audiobook Pairings of All Time. He has also lent his voice to titles by John Scalzi, Randall Monroe, and Joe Hill.
When he isn’t acting, narrating, or podcasting, Wil Wheaton is writing.
A lot.
He is the author of Just A Geek, Dancing Barefoot, The Happiest Days of Our Lives, Hunter, and Dead Trees Give No Shelter, plus a forthcoming novel, All We Ever Wanted Was Everything. He has contributed columns to Salon.com, The A.V. Club, LA Weekly, Playboy, The Washington Post, and the Suicide Girls Newswire.
In recent years, Wil has earned recognition as an outspoken mental health advocate, chronicling his own journey in his blog and as a public speaker for the National Alliance on Mental Illness. His powerful, candid essay about his struggle with chronic depression and anxiety garnered national attention.
Wil lives in Los Angeles with his badass, irrepressible wife Anne, two rescued dogs, one cat, and two vintage arcade cabinets. If you’re not a robot, you can reach him at: wil at wilwheaton dot net.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
November 1, 2015
I was browsing Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ for something new to read today when I stumbled onto this. The cover of a book showing John Scalzi as an orc, and Wil Wheaton riding a unicorn Pegasus kitten.
I'd forgotten all about this: a charity anthology I wrote a piece for.
And by "piece," I mean I took my best crack at writing a Norse edda centered around Wil Wheaton and John Scalzi.
This is a poem I dream of reading in public one day. While Wil, Scalzi, and Felicia Day perform an elaborate dumbshow on stage nearby. Dressed in period costume appropriate for a 9th century mead-hall.
During this reading, I would like to be wearing a fur cloak of some sort. And perhaps a crown. In this little mental fantasy, I look rather like a cross between Brian Blessed and an angry bear. I also imagine myself as being profoundly drunk on mead.
Someday...
Want to read
April 12, 2024I don't know what on earth this is or how it started, but it feels like the result of an old school Twitter thread.
August 21, 2012
I found this to be light, silly, irreverent fun. If you’re looking for serious, you’re looking in the wrong place. I wasn’t, and I loved it.
That said, if you’re not a fan or follower of John Scalzi and/or Wil Wheaton in some way (whether it be their careers, their blogs, their twitter posts), this may not be for you. Each piece in this anthology (mostly short stories, but there’s also an epic poem, a one-act play with Photoshop elements and an interview) revels in its in-jokes and knowing references, and if you don’t get these you may be left feeling mystified. But for those who get the references, or just simply share their kind of humour, this collection is a delight.
All that, and it's for charity, too!
That said, if you’re not a fan or follower of John Scalzi and/or Wil Wheaton in some way (whether it be their careers, their blogs, their twitter posts), this may not be for you. Each piece in this anthology (mostly short stories, but there’s also an epic poem, a one-act play with Photoshop elements and an interview) revels in its in-jokes and knowing references, and if you don’t get these you may be left feeling mystified. But for those who get the references, or just simply share their kind of humour, this collection is a delight.
All that, and it's for charity, too!
September 21, 2015
Collection of short story, i read only half of them and was wondering what was the point of them, the story's are irrelevant. Most seem to have some inside joke which i was unable to understand. The writing and plot varied from ok to bad to worse. One of the first book i drooped half way.
August 25, 2017
Antologia benefica, a favore della ricerca sul lupus, con pochi paletti da rispettare:
1. Un orchesco con ascia
2. in pullover clownesco e armato di lancia
3. Un UnicornPegasusKitten
Vari racconti, tra fantasy e fantascienza, e una canzone. Non tutti eccelsi, ma divertenti e pieni di riferimenti.
Per un pomeriggio divertente e una donazione, se volete.
1. Un orchesco con ascia
2. in pullover clownesco e armato di lancia
3. Un UnicornPegasusKitten
Vari racconti, tra fantasy e fantascienza, e una canzone. Non tutti eccelsi, ma divertenti e pieni di riferimenti.
Per un pomeriggio divertente e una donazione, se volete.
October 2, 2018
Q: So how did this all come about?trollolol...
Scalzi: Well, early in the year I knew I wanted to do something special to help raise money for Lupus research, and after some thought, I had the idea which roughly conforms to the picture as you see it today. Artist Jeff Zugale had done some work for me before, so I called him up to see if he had time to take the commission. He did, and then after that I got hold of Wil and asked him to take part, and of course he was quite enthusiastic. Jeff and Wil both live in the Los Angeles area, so at that point the big logistical issue was getting both me and the unicorn pegasus kitten into Jeff’s studio for the posing.
Q: What was that again?
Scalzi: I said the real logistical issue was getting me and the unicorn pegasus kitten into the studio at the same time.
Q: So you’re saying this picture actually happened.
Scalzi: No, no, obviously not. I mean, it’s not as if Wil and the UPK and I were actually in a lava-strewn volcanic crevasse, preparing to do battle with each other. That’s just silly. That’s where Jeff and his potent imagination comes in. We are all in a studio, posing.
Q: I think the thing I’m trying to wrap my brain around is that you appear to be saying unicorn pegasus kittens exist.
Scalzi: Of course they do.
Q: I don’t think their existence is common knowledge.
Scalzi: Well, they’re not native to the Americas, which I think may be the source of your confusion.
October 12, 2011
4 Stars for geekitude and concerted magnificence!! And one from my heart to make it 5. My wife has Lupus along with many of the other associated effects such as RA and Sjorgen's syndrome. Bill and Gretchen, my heart and what little my thoughts can do are yours to share. My youngest daughter was born with neonatal Lupus as well.Real life heroes and survivors aren't they! We are active with the Lupus Foundation close to my home near one of the Greatest Medical Universities. The search continues for a cure. And as Catherynne Valente put it, "In the aftermath of the struggle, herds of RealPalz will roam the American wasteland, howling at the moon and hunting human survivors." No... I'm sorry not what I was aiming for but cool to say the least. There must be a cure.
I appreciate any and all intentional or inadvertent parallels. Izlac said it best "I am not afraid!"
Read this book. There might be close to a million gold nuggets hidden in the awkwardness of the story. And most of all please donate to a worthy cause!
I appreciate any and all intentional or inadvertent parallels. Izlac said it best "I am not afraid!"
Read this book. There might be close to a million gold nuggets hidden in the awkwardness of the story. And most of all please donate to a worthy cause!
December 20, 2010
This was kind of weird but with moments of sheer amusement value tucked within. It probably helps a lot if you're a w00tstock fan, or a wheaton-geek follower, which I am, but some of it does stand apart (especially if you read the promotional text, otherwise the point of this makes no sense). Amusing if you're already in the know, negligible if you're not.
December 25, 2011
(After a brief library hiatus, I finally finished this ebook) A quick fantasy/humor anthology dealing with Wil Wheaton, John Scalzi, and the new mythical critter in town: a unicorn pegasus kitten. I liked how it was told in different writing forms like play/screen writing, high fantasy, prose, and interview style.
October 20, 2010
Hard to pick a favorite from this collection of short stories, but ultimately the epic poem has to win. I'm amazed how many ways talented people found to play with the subject matter of that painting - and there are some great authors here!
October 1, 2010
Way too much fun. I have to say that Patrick Rothfuss wins the day for his truly EPIC epic poem... Wheaton himself a close second for his tale as well. -- Donate. Download. Enjoy the fantastic geekery. Loved it.
October 7, 2010
A nice book that benefits a good charity. The first few stories are very good. The later ones weren't as interesting.
I should add that Pat Rothfuss's epic poem about the Unicorn Pegasus Kitten was pretty awesome.
I should add that Pat Rothfuss's epic poem about the Unicorn Pegasus Kitten was pretty awesome.
February 7, 2011
A light, quick read with some amusing takes on the cover image. I've never been one who "gets" poetry, so I can't say I really enjoyed the Rothfuss entry. But I did find a lot of amusement in a quick read, so three stars from me.
June 24, 2011
What can you possibly say about a book that features Wil Wheaton in an insane clown sweater and short-shorts riding a unicorn-kitten on the cover? Fun times for the clinically insane? A Good Read. A Good Cause.
February 12, 2015
This is so enjoyable you have no idea. Patrick Rothfuss is my favorite person of all time and his crazy awesome epic poem is just too good to not read. And it only gets better from there. Check out the wacky weird of Clash of the Geeks and have some fun.
May 4, 2011
A nice idea but with less-than-perfect execution. The Valente and the Rothfuss were good, but I found most of the other stories to be too self-complacent and full of inside jokes to actually be funny.
Read
July 22, 2012An amazing tidbit of sci-fi/fantasy self-referential meta-humor based on a black-velvet painting of a really bad sweater. Very entertaining for Scalzi and Wheaton fans. I'm not so sure anyone else would understand.
July 20, 2014
Fun concept for a charity stunt. Start with a crazy picture and have authors write a short story (or poem, or song) about it. It was extremely short--you can read the whole thing in an hour or so--and you really need to be familiar with Wil Wheaton and John Scalzi to appreciate it.
September 29, 2015
640 - 2015
My common sense is tingling... *drop it at the gates*
Oh, well... kumcer ini variatif sekali kualitasnya. Overall, it's okay.
Tambahan satu bintang buat:
1. Unicorn Pegasus Kitten
2. Puisi epik Patrick Rothfuss
3. Wawancara khusus Scalzi yang hilarious.
My common sense is tingling... *drop it at the gates*
Oh, well... kumcer ini variatif sekali kualitasnya. Overall, it's okay.
Tambahan satu bintang buat:
1. Unicorn Pegasus Kitten
2. Puisi epik Patrick Rothfuss
3. Wawancara khusus Scalzi yang hilarious.
May 4, 2017
A book of short pieces, for fund-raising purposes, about UnicornPegasusKittens (UPKs), and some sort of friendship/rivalry between John Scalzi and Wil Wheaton, and there are orcs in it, and...umm...I don't know, man. It's for charity, though. Lupus. Shouldn't it have had wolves?
September 29, 2010
Amusing but odd bit of fun...
November 10, 2010
A collection of surreal but amusing responses to the request to explain the cover art, well worth a donation and the time to read them.
February 9, 2011
Cute but too many inside jokes.
February 7, 2011
Very unique concept with some trash but some gems, too.
April 5, 2011
Wacky fiction for a good cause!
August 27, 2011
Fanfic based on a ridiculous painting based on a horrible sweater? Yes please!
to-read-3-seems-promising
September 3, 2011How bizarre!
October 30, 2011
Lots of fun. I had a story I was going to submit for this as well, but missed the deadline to enter it into the contest. :-(
February 29, 2012
Decent anthology on an interesting premise related to the cover illustration. Some real hits, some ok misses. Full of genre fiction in jokes.
July 31, 2012
A collection of short stories by different authors using the same theme / source.
Some stories were fantastic, others bored me to tears. C'est la vie.
Some stories were fantastic, others bored me to tears. C'est la vie.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
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