Thy Geekdom Come Vol.2 (2021) Book Review

Title: Thy Geekdom Come Vol. 2
Year: 2021
Publisher: Mythos & Ink
Country: Canada

Growing up as a lover of science fiction, the written works of  Issac Asimov (I Robot) & Arthur C. Clarke  (2001: A Space Odyssey) felt very separate from my own faith & relationship to the church. I couldn't foresee a devotional made about Akira or Star Trek. Church often, as the writer of the foreword Dr. Michael Boyce says, denied the validity of these works because they weren't explicitly Christian.  Thy Geekdom Come Vol.2 seeks to meld these two, seemingly distant items, together into a fascinating read. 

Thy Geekdom Come Vol. 2 is a collection of 42 devotionals that challenge readers to look for faith in their favorite stories from pop culture. Written by a collection of Canadian authors and pastors from a variety of Christian backgrounds, it is already making rounds among the Christian & science fiction community. 

Thy Geekdom Come Vol. 2 is a fairly strong academic exercise. Featuring pieces written & approved by scholars, each devotional is a sincere study of both art & faith that will leave the reader with a deeper appreciation for pop culture, in addition to lesser known biblical characters like Gomer. As a person with a novice understanding of Christianity, I appreciate that Thy Geekdom Come didn't just trend the familiar stories of Exodus,  Genesis etc. but went further like comparing Akira to Matthew 20: 25-28 in Justin Koop's Power in Akira and the Church. 

In each devotion we are treated to geek quote, scripture, and refection questions. The book encourages hours of self-reflection as each question, like "Has a major disappointment ever shaken your faith?" from No Power in the Verse Can Stop Faith is quite thought-provoking, especially in relation to the devotional itself.  

Even though I didn't quite know every reference in Thy Geekdom Come Vol II. there are 42 of these devotionals which should be enough to find something that speaks to you as a fan and/or person of faith. The book is so well put together that a person of any faith can pick this up & find some enjoyment within its pages. 

500 Miles - A Reflection

I was inspired to write this entry after reading Andrea Shalay's If I had a Hammar reflection on her blog Diversity Tree (https://diversitytree.blogspot.com/2012/11/if-i-had-hammar.html) In that article, she briefly dissects the history of the song, as sung by Peter, Paul and Mary. She also contrasts it with her own experience & asks us to do our own inner brainstorming about what the song means to us. I am intending to do the same, but with a different song called 500 Miles

Lyrics:
If you missed the train I'm on
You will know that I am gone
You can hear the whistle blow a hundred miles

A hundred miles, a hundred miles
A hundred miles,
A hundred miles You can hear the whistle blow a hundred miles

Lord, I'm one, Lord, I'm two Lord, I'm three, Lord, I'm four
Lord, I'm five hundred miles away from home
Away from home, away from home Away from home,
Away from home Lord, I'm five hundred miles away from home

Not a shirt on my back
Not a penny to my name
Lord, I can't go back home this ole way
This ole way, this ole way
This ole way, this ole way
Lord, I can't go back home this this ole way

If you missed the train I'm on
You will know that I am gone
You can hear the whistle blow a hundred miles

A hundred miles, a hundred miles
A hundred miles,
A hundred miles You can hear the whistle blow a hundred miles


History & Interpretations

Originally written by Hedy West in 1961, 500 Miles has been sung by many different musicians & found its biggest commercial success when paired with Bobby Bare in 1963 when it reached the US Billboard's Top Ten. My favorite version is by Peter, Paul and Mary as I feel as their more somber approach resonates long after the tune is over.

The meaning of this song has been debated throughout the years. Some claim it's a marching tune, meant to aid escaping slaves escaping the cruelty of their masters. The train being the Underground Railroad.

Others feel the song is about death; "You will know I'm gone" essentially meaning "you will know I have passed away"

My favorite interpretation is that it's about The Great Depression. Men who stowed away in train box cars to spare their families the burden of feeding them, and hoping to find work in another town. The singer is ashamed though because they found no work & are worse off than before.


Self Reflection

I interpret "home" as "childhood" a safe point in my life where I was carefree & had very little responsibility. Very little was expected of me & any pain could be cured with a band-aid. (Albeit I understand many have very traumatic childhoods, this is about myself)

We all want to go back to a period in our lives where we felt very free & safe from consequence, but it's unrealistically far away. What is that famous saying? You can't go back home again. Lord, I can't go back home this this ole way

Quite a few times in my life I've felt stuck & in a difficult situation. When I was 18 my parents split up, my basement room got flooded & the remainder of my possessions caught fire due to poor post-flood storage. I had to sleep on an air mattress in the living room of a 2 bedroom apartment with 4 people (my mom got the couch). I literally had a penny to my name, albeit I was able to spare a few shirts. In order to improve my life I had to accept that life had changed, I couldn't go back to how things were & I had to take a step forward in order to improve my situation. (to university!)

A film that reminds me of this song is a potential 2021 Best Picture Winner at the Academy Awards called Nomadland. Starring Frances McDormand, the film is about a woman who is constantly on the road; homeless by choice. In the film she is confronted by her well-to-do sister & is asked "why can't you settle down?" McDormand says "I can't go back to the way my life used to be."  

Questions
- Where in your life have you felt "500 miles away from home"?
- Do you think the phrase "You can't go back home again" rings true?
- Where in your life did you feel most safe?
- Is there anything in your life you can't go back to?