Blog Tour: The Fangirl’s Guide to the Galaxy by Sam Maggs

I’m super excited today to be a part of the blog tour for The Fangirl’s Guide to the Galaxy! Filled with fierceness, fandom, and feminism, this book serves as a great introduction into what it means to be a fangirl – and why we should all be proud to be one. If you want to learn more about this book, check out my review, the book trailer, and the AWESOME pre-order campaign. (Last chance! The book comes out tomorrow!)

The Fangirl’s Guide to the Galaxy by Sam Maggs
Published by Quirk Books on May 12th, 2015

Fanfic, cosplay, cons, books, memes, podcasts, vlogs, OTPs and RPGs and MMOs and more—it’s never been a better time to be a girl geek. The Fangirl’s Guide to the Galaxy is the ultimate handbook for ladies living the nerdy life, a fun and feminist take on the often male-dominated world of geekdom. With delightful illustrations and an unabashed love for all the in(ternet)s and outs of geek culture, this book is packed with tips, playthroughs, and cheat codes for everything from starting an online fan community to planning a convention visit to supporting fellow female geeks in the wild.

Now, to the blog tour! Sam Maggs is here with a very special guest post about some excellent fictional female role models. Take it away, Sam!

What 10 Fictional Female Role Models Can Teach About Being a Good Fangirl

There’s lots of media out there that’s not-so-awesome to women, shaming us for the way we look, the way we act, our choices, our words – pretty much everything. So one of my favorite parts of writing Fangirl turned out to be recommending the media out there with awesome representations of female characters – the best TV, books, comics, movies, and games with kick-butt ladies that make you proud to be who you are. Here are my ten favorite fictional female role models, and what they’ve taught me about being a good fangirl (and lady).



Uhura – Star Trek
Barriers were made for breaking. Also, communication is important.



Sansa Stark – Game of Thrones
You can love boys and marriage and embroidery and still be a stone-cold bad-ass.


Éowyn – The Lord of the Rings
Anything dudes can do, you can do (better).



Claudia Kishi – The Babysitter’s Club
Sometimes you’re not good at the things your parents want you to be, and that’s okay.



Leslie Knope – Parks and Recreation
Cynicism will never, ever be as cool as optimism. And you can be your own role model.



Olivia Pope – Scandal
Making the right choices is a complicated and constantly-changing challenge, and that’s okay.



Nico Minoru – The Runaways
Your past doesn’t define your future – you get to choose the kind of person you want to be.



Sam Carter – Stargate SG-1
You can be a kick-ass warrior and an astrophysicist. Never limit yourself.



Temperance Brennan – Bones
You don’t have to be neurotypical to be brilliant at what you do, or to be loved.



Kamala Khan – Ms. Marvel
You don’t have to fit society’s standards to be the hero of your own story.
Did I miss your favorite fictional female? What did she teach you? Let me know in the comments, or on Twitter at @SamMaggs!

About Sam Maggs
Sam Maggs is an associate editor for The Mary Sue. Named 2013’s “Awesome Geek Feminist of the Year” by Women Write about Comics, Sam and her work have been featured everywhere from TV and movie screens to the Internet, books, and national newspapers. She lives in Toronto.

Website • Twitter • Facebook • YouTube • Instagram • Tumblr