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I, Nerd
Robin plays the Game in a club on the top floor of a converted warehouse. Every week Robin’s Halflings do table top battle against Daemons, Dwarves, Elves, Orcs, Humans and the forces of Undead. And every week he loses.
But when the twin who collects Elves announces the club is closing and their weekly games night is on the verge of being lost forever, the seven friends decide to enter the National Masters Tournament and so immortalise the club name in the national rankings.
Will Robin overcome his lifelong losing streak and how much is he prepared to risk to lead his Halfling army to victory?
Set against the backdrop of a sub-culture under threat, this sharp-edged story-in-miniature is an ode to friendships and the secret languages that bind them.
"I, Nerd is as fascinating a tour through a niche pastime as any sports novel or work of historical fiction, but with the universal appeal of a story about isolation, friendship and the long tail of adolescence. Some of its characters focus on their fantasy wargame’s technical aspects they call ‘crunch’, others on its lore they call ‘fluff’. In this novelette Max Sydney Smith shows he’s a master of both: the crunch of plot mechanics and the fluff of vivid characters and their sad sweet backstories. I, Nerd plays like a dream." – Mazin Saleem, author of The Prick
But when the twin who collects Elves announces the club is closing and their weekly games night is on the verge of being lost forever, the seven friends decide to enter the National Masters Tournament and so immortalise the club name in the national rankings.
Will Robin overcome his lifelong losing streak and how much is he prepared to risk to lead his Halfling army to victory?
Set against the backdrop of a sub-culture under threat, this sharp-edged story-in-miniature is an ode to friendships and the secret languages that bind them.
"I, Nerd is as fascinating a tour through a niche pastime as any sports novel or work of historical fiction, but with the universal appeal of a story about isolation, friendship and the long tail of adolescence. Some of its characters focus on their fantasy wargame’s technical aspects they call ‘crunch’, others on its lore they call ‘fluff’. In this novelette Max Sydney Smith shows he’s a master of both: the crunch of plot mechanics and the fluff of vivid characters and their sad sweet backstories. I, Nerd plays like a dream." – Mazin Saleem, author of The Prick
66 pages, Paperback
Published February 1, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 24, 2022
Short, sharp, funny, a keenly-observed portrait of a niche community in crisis.
March 24, 2022
A very funny, sympathetic, sweet novelette set in the world of tabletop war games. I was cheering on the tragic hero as he repeatedly fought to lead his army to victory! Loved the depiction of friendship, rivalry and acceptance amongst the game club members
April 16, 2022
I laughed, I cringed, I cheered internally! A must-read for gamers, people who know gamers, and anyone who likes reading about communities and subcultures. I love this book!
March 29, 2022
"I, Nerd" is a book that reminded me a lot of the Slice of Life manga series I have been enjoying a lot.
It is a book that explores this experience or culture in very everyday terms. There aren't sweeping massive changes, or high end drama here, just some examination in very relatable terms of belonging, insecurity, and friendship, all thru the lens of Miniature Wargaming.
It focuses in on a small group of friends, playing miniature wargames, and while it doesn't explicitly name what games, there are some pretty clear allusions to what it is, as well as other games in the genre.
Our main protagonist, Robin, is a quieter nerd, he lacks the confidence to feel part of the wider world, and uses gaming as a way to feel part of something (this is my interpretation anyway). As a gamer, even though I am not nearly as awkward as Robin, this is something I found very relatable.
Robin is a bundle of insecurities, and I think these are handled pretty well, even if they create some cringe observations. I think the cringe could even be the point. The moments with observations on women and the newfound popularity of nerdom had me cringe, but I think that is the point.
The rest of our cast is more shallow, be each possess enough distinct traits that I could picture them. Some of them felt borderline gamer caricatures, but they are handled deftly enough that it didn't bother me. Several of them felt like people I have met with regularly in my local game stores I love the little detail of the Napoleonic Gamers who basically are background people, but described just enough that I fully pictured them.
I think the prose here is also pretty solid, some decent imagery and descriptions, believable dialogue, and some fun quotes from various fandoms. I did find one typo, but for a small publisher this is still less then the game rulebooks for the game described in the book! LOL
Our central conflict derives from Robin struggling with an identity as a gamer, and honestly making a pretty shit choice. The story handles this well, but I think some of the discussion and depiction of miniature wargaming itself was shallow and a bit negative. Almost every gamer at the tournament is a bit of a dick, and the strategy is laid out in very basic terms.
I would have liked to see more balance in the ways the nerds, and specifically the tournament players are shown. As a tournament player I hope I don't come across as a dick, and most of us are pretty friendly and social. Now I am an America wargamer, but the European gamers I have met have all be awesome, so I can't imagine this is that different. (ok getting off my soap box :) ).
All that said, I don't think the depiction of the game or even the tournament matters much for the root of the book. This is a book that is about Robin's identity and who he views himself as, gaming is a core component of this, so how he games is important, but the depiction of the gaming less so.
I enjoyed this story, found the characters relatable, and felt like Robin was written in a relatable (if at times cringey) way. It's exciting to see the niche hobby of miniature wargaming pop up as a central component to a book.
The ending is rather abrupt, and this will bother some readers too
This was an enjoyable and quick read, and I would recommend it to people looking for a bit more insight into miniature wargaming, I would just keep in mind that only a very VERY few of us are actually socially inept dicks :)!
It is a book that explores this experience or culture in very everyday terms. There aren't sweeping massive changes, or high end drama here, just some examination in very relatable terms of belonging, insecurity, and friendship, all thru the lens of Miniature Wargaming.
It focuses in on a small group of friends, playing miniature wargames, and while it doesn't explicitly name what games, there are some pretty clear allusions to what it is, as well as other games in the genre.
Our main protagonist, Robin, is a quieter nerd, he lacks the confidence to feel part of the wider world, and uses gaming as a way to feel part of something (this is my interpretation anyway). As a gamer, even though I am not nearly as awkward as Robin, this is something I found very relatable.
Robin is a bundle of insecurities, and I think these are handled pretty well, even if they create some cringe observations. I think the cringe could even be the point. The moments with observations on women and the newfound popularity of nerdom had me cringe, but I think that is the point.
The rest of our cast is more shallow, be each possess enough distinct traits that I could picture them. Some of them felt borderline gamer caricatures, but they are handled deftly enough that it didn't bother me. Several of them felt like people I have met with regularly in my local game stores I love the little detail of the Napoleonic Gamers who basically are background people, but described just enough that I fully pictured them.
I think the prose here is also pretty solid, some decent imagery and descriptions, believable dialogue, and some fun quotes from various fandoms. I did find one typo, but for a small publisher this is still less then the game rulebooks for the game described in the book! LOL
Our central conflict derives from Robin struggling with an identity as a gamer, and honestly making a pretty shit choice. The story handles this well, but I think some of the discussion and depiction of miniature wargaming itself was shallow and a bit negative. Almost every gamer at the tournament is a bit of a dick, and the strategy is laid out in very basic terms.
I would have liked to see more balance in the ways the nerds, and specifically the tournament players are shown. As a tournament player I hope I don't come across as a dick, and most of us are pretty friendly and social. Now I am an America wargamer, but the European gamers I have met have all be awesome, so I can't imagine this is that different. (ok getting off my soap box :) ).
All that said, I don't think the depiction of the game or even the tournament matters much for the root of the book. This is a book that is about Robin's identity and who he views himself as, gaming is a core component of this, so how he games is important, but the depiction of the gaming less so.
I enjoyed this story, found the characters relatable, and felt like Robin was written in a relatable (if at times cringey) way. It's exciting to see the niche hobby of miniature wargaming pop up as a central component to a book.
The ending is rather abrupt, and this will bother some readers too
This was an enjoyable and quick read, and I would recommend it to people looking for a bit more insight into miniature wargaming, I would just keep in mind that only a very VERY few of us are actually socially inept dicks :)!
April 16, 2022
"Little do they know that a great battle has been fought in the converted warehouse on the industrial estate..."
A great little read.
A great little read.
January 16, 2023
An unexpected trip into the hobby and the lives of those around it. I miss playing and having my friends who played on hand. About belonging and friendship. Lovely little thing
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews