My name is Glen Oliver, and I was a Geek before the term ‘Geek’ was fashionable.
I grew up watching LOST IN SPACE, the original STAR TREK series, vintage GODZILLA pictures, SPACE: 1999, widely forgotten shows like MAN FROM ATLANTIS, FANTASTIC JOURNEY, OTHERWORLD, HOLMES AND YOYO, SEARCH, JASON OF STAR COMMAND/SPACE ACADEMY, ARK II, LOST SAUCER, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, and CLIFFHANGERS on a small, frequently fading color television in an often-too-cluttered living room in Austin, TX. I loved spaceships and monsters and robots and ‘really cool’ toys long before I understood that my father, Cultural Anthropologist Chad Oliver, was an award winning author of Western and Science Fiction short stories and novels. I wish I could say Geekery was ‘in my blood,’ but I'm adopted. Thus, I suppose it's a congenital condition.
I’ve spent the better part of my adult years writing for and/or ‘editing’ sites like IGN, AIN’T IT COOL NEWS (AICN) and contributing to magazines like UK’s SFX. In each of these instances, because of the nature of those outlets and the politics sometimes surrounding such publications, I’ve struggled to express and explore topics which were of the greatest interest to me. Hence this place: Geeklectica. This is not a 'news' site. This is a blog. To be completely honest, I’m learning how to build this place as I go - so please bear with me while I learn the ‘ins and outs’ and poke and tweak the shape of this madness.
One thing I am certain of, however, is that Geeklectica will never be a standard news site - it is not intended to be a news site at all. This will be far more random, far more of stream-of-consciousness. More a celebration of the Geekly things which make me who I am - which make many Geeks who they are. Expect retro. Expect new. Expect classic movies and TV. Expect some music. Expect Gerry Anderson musings. Expect SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER, one of my favorite films. Expect UFOs and ghosts. Expect…anything.
I look forward to you joining me on this admittedly experimental, highly exploratory journey. I hope my efforts compel you to think about the things you love, the things and moments you may miss, and prompt you to remember times and experiences you may’ve long forgotten. Perhaps my words may encourage you to get in touch with them once more. At the very least, I hope you have fun.
Welcome to a work in progress. Welcome to Geeklectica.
I grew up watching LOST IN SPACE, the original STAR TREK series, vintage GODZILLA pictures, SPACE: 1999, widely forgotten shows like MAN FROM ATLANTIS, FANTASTIC JOURNEY, OTHERWORLD, HOLMES AND YOYO, SEARCH, JASON OF STAR COMMAND/SPACE ACADEMY, ARK II, LOST SAUCER, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, and CLIFFHANGERS on a small, frequently fading color television in an often-too-cluttered living room in Austin, TX. I loved spaceships and monsters and robots and ‘really cool’ toys long before I understood that my father, Cultural Anthropologist Chad Oliver, was an award winning author of Western and Science Fiction short stories and novels. I wish I could say Geekery was ‘in my blood,’ but I'm adopted. Thus, I suppose it's a congenital condition.
I’ve spent the better part of my adult years writing for and/or ‘editing’ sites like IGN, AIN’T IT COOL NEWS (AICN) and contributing to magazines like UK’s SFX. In each of these instances, because of the nature of those outlets and the politics sometimes surrounding such publications, I’ve struggled to express and explore topics which were of the greatest interest to me. Hence this place: Geeklectica. This is not a 'news' site. This is a blog. To be completely honest, I’m learning how to build this place as I go - so please bear with me while I learn the ‘ins and outs’ and poke and tweak the shape of this madness.
One thing I am certain of, however, is that Geeklectica will never be a standard news site - it is not intended to be a news site at all. This will be far more random, far more of stream-of-consciousness. More a celebration of the Geekly things which make me who I am - which make many Geeks who they are. Expect retro. Expect new. Expect classic movies and TV. Expect some music. Expect Gerry Anderson musings. Expect SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER, one of my favorite films. Expect UFOs and ghosts. Expect…anything.
I look forward to you joining me on this admittedly experimental, highly exploratory journey. I hope my efforts compel you to think about the things you love, the things and moments you may miss, and prompt you to remember times and experiences you may’ve long forgotten. Perhaps my words may encourage you to get in touch with them once more. At the very least, I hope you have fun.
Welcome to a work in progress. Welcome to Geeklectica.