Happy Cyber Monday! Winter is indeed coming so stay cozy and safe inside and check out these perfect Game of Thrones gift ideas (and pick up one or two for yourselves!)
A Feast of Ice and Fire Cookbook
For the chefs in your life, pick up this amazing cookbook that was created by the people at Inn at the Crossroads with easy to follow recipes based on many of the mouth-watering meals which Martin describes in flavorful detail in the book series. We recommend the white beans and bacon and Sansa’s favorite lemon cakes.
House Sigil Hoodies
What better way to throw down for the king in the north against the dragons than with this soft and cozy hoodie? There are sweatshirts for Targaryen, Stark, Baratheon, Greyjoy, Lannister, and for the boys in the Night’s Watch.
House Sigil Scarf
We’re kind of obsessed with this scarf. From the colors to the egalitarian approach of representing all the most mentioned houses. If you need a gift for a fan but don’t know their true alliance, this infinity scarf is perfect.
A Song of Ice and Fire Word Magnet Set
Set comes with over 425 prose magnets. Delight your household by piecing together your favorite quotes or have Hodor throw Joffrey off the edge of the wall right on your refrigerator.
Personalized Night’s Watch Flask
Help your loved ones fight the cold and try to remember their duty on those boozy winter nights with this personalized flask!
Ommegang Limited Edition Beers
Speaking of booze, you can’t possibly go wrong with gifting a bottle of Ommegang’s limited edition Game of Thrones Beers. Through the brewery’s site you can find a distributor near you that carries one of the signature brews, with different styles for every connoisseur.
Game of Thrones Playing Card Deck
Maybe not the most exciting gift, but as a little stocking stuffer we couldn’t get over how much more fun a game of war would be with this playing card deck.
The World of Ice and Fire
For the book readers in your life who just have to know everything… well, we’re not promising this has all the answers, but with some fleshing out of history and gorgeous artwork, this book is perfect for the most dedicated fan.
Inside Seasons 3 and 4 of Game of Thrones
We realize that not every fan has read the books, but this doesn’t mean they shouldn’t also get a great book that expands their universe!
Sun and Stars/ Moon of my Life Key Chains
Give a little stocking stuffer to your significant other this season with these eternal true love key rings and keep them close to your heart. Or pocket.
Funko Pop Dragon Set
Funko Pop! has a huge line of vinyl toys of your favorite Game of Thrones characters, but we just love these cute little dragons. Buy the set and give one to each of your best fan friends!
House Ornaments
Basically if something could be slapped with a Game of Thrones house sigil, it has been and you can find it online. Call it rule #makingthe8. These have been some of our favorite gifts to buy as well as receive. What will you be getting your friends and family this holiday season?
The thing about the Christmas season that I enjoy the most is that out of any other time of the year it is the most backwards looking. There is no other time of the year (at least for Americans) outside of extremely regional cultural heritage festivals and perhaps Easter that things from yesteryear are brought back into the public consciousness and it actually be paid attention to in such a big mainstream manner. Classic film, swing jazz and big band, Old Hollywood glamor, ballet and all things “antique” or vintage and Victorian frilled are suddenly very important for 5 or so weeks and onto New Years. Suburban homogeneity is punctured with yesterday or even the ghosts of suburbia past come to visit just the same.
The sheer paganism of the traditional customs, decorations and foods of the season is enough to send my heart a flutter but the season’s various “styles” of nostalgia; Colonial, Victorian, 1920’s and 30’s Christmas and 50’s-60’s Christmas and now 80’s and 90’s era “Age of Nintendo” type nostalgia provide a “pick your yesteryear” type of holiday.
One of my favorite types of Christmas, which is common in Britain and the UK but not so prevalent in the warm and fuzzy “Santa Claused” (since the 1930s) USA, is the “Gothic” side of Victorian Christmas traditions. A Christmas Carol ring a bell? Unlike the US where Halloween is the season for ghosts and spirits and telling spooky tales; Christmas is actually the “time to scare” and Victorian Christmasases with their obsession with the supernatural often had lots of fortune telling parties (pouring hot lead into kettles of water to tell fortunes) and ghost stories among other little things amidst their Christmas party frivolity.
In the spirit of all things “sort of” creepy and the macabre and charming I will be offering three great “antique” reads still published by NYRB in case you have some hankering for things a bit less sweet;
A Schoolboy’s Diary by Robert Walser
That quirky, aloof and contemplative charm and degree of weaves in and out through most of the works; particularly the opening pieces “Fritz Kocher’s Essays”; a collected handful of essays written by a fictional and unfortunately deceased school-boy named Fritz Kocher. A personal favorite from Fritz; “From The Imagination” hits all of my personal buttons when it comes to good fiction. A very unique writer and while not “scary” his prose is beautiful quirky and contemplative enough to warrant a reading by the Christmas tree with a cup of tea.
The Black Spider by Jeremias Gotthelf
His story delves into a tale of the area where long ago poor and desperate villagers, tormented and tortured by their local baron, a former Teutonic Knight, are tempted by the Devil to help complete the impossible tasks the baron has ordered of them. There is, of course, a catch; a unbaptized baby (what else?). The villagers; including all the men flee and run from the offer. All but one, a farmer’s wife named Christine stands up to the Devil and considers the offer if only to save them all. She makes the deal with a kiss upon her cheek; but as the villagers have babies and instantly baptize them; a a mark in the shape of a spider starts to appear where the kiss was planted upon her cheek. Then come the spiders. Forewarning; heavy Christian symbolism and it’s not terribly feminist though I do think this story and the actions of the main character, Christine could again with a bit of a revisionist feminist stance and re-write could really transform this old parable. But it’s still worth reading if you enjoy some creepy crawly action.
Autobiography of A Corpse by Sigizmund Krzhizhanovsky
Russian short stories. If that doesn’t prepare you in knowing it’s going to be strange then I’m not sure I can adequately prepare you. Magical realism meets surrealism dunked in the special Eastern European sensibility and aesthetic and a heavy dollop of “SCIENCE! PHILOSOPHY! MATH!” sour cream; the fingers of an acclaimed pianist’s hand decides to bolt and spend the night roaming the city, a story about a man whose lifelong dream is to bite his own elbow, stories about eccentric mathematicians and fairytales about cracks, The Land of Nots. The whole kitchen sink (well not really but that’s what it feels like)
What makes these gleefully macabre and matter-of-fact is the precise delivery of Sigizmund’s prose. It’s eccentricity and sense of self really shines through. I can’t say recommend it enough for a fun, but in a very literate manner.
Short, sweet, wonderful prose for stockings that like a little bit of bite. Check them out!
Have a GREAT holiday!
When the air gets colder and Christmas carols hit the radio before you’ve digested your Halloween candy, a lot of us are not ready for tinsel and figgy pudding. What is a nerd like me supposed to do? Get out those comics, books, and movies! It’s time for my favorite ways to get in the Holiday spirit!
Star Wars Holiday Special
This is probably the most guilty pleasure on the list, and let’s be honest. This movie is so bad that no self respecting Star Wars fan really wants to even acknowledge it’s exists. From the first 15 minutes in Wookie (and I never learned Wookie, I feel like there were some really good jokes there that I missed. Maybe it was too esoteric for me, or maybe it was crap. The truth is out there folks!) to The Jefferson Airship video smack dab in the middle for some reason. I instantly regretted ever watching this weird piece of history online. However, it’s the right type of holiday spirit for the geek that doesn’t want to celebrate the season. All the absurdities of Star Wars with none of the pay off.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter was a large part of a lot of childhood and one of my favorite young adult books. While I love the entire series, when I feel the need to get in to a holiday sort of mood, Prisoner of Azakaban comes off the shelf. Though there are many other books based at Hogwarts that have a bigger emphasis on the holiday season, like Goblet of Fire’s Yule Ball or the pure joy of Harry’s first Christmas without the Dursley’s in Sorcerer’s Stone, this is the book where we first encounter Remus Lupin and Sirius Black in all their greatness. While JK Rowling toyed with my emotions for a while before revealing that Black was a good guy, his Christmas present for his Godson (the Firebolt) was about the coolest thing in the world to me when I read it. For a moment when I read that chapter again I feel like a little kid again imagining that I am riding my own Firebolt in a world where magic is real.
The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe
For the even the most obstinate Scrooge among us, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis exists to show us that even in the darkest winter, Christmas comes again. Whether or not you subscribe to Lewis’ particular form of metaphor, the Return of Father Christmas with the weakening of the powers of the White Witch is an exciting moment in the story. The Pevensies are armed with weapons and tools that will continue to have importance in later books and told things about themselves that shape the story being crafted. C.S. Lewis introduced to the joy of the holidays at a young age and every time I am feeling a little bit down about the season I find my copy of LWW and pop it open for a read.
DC Comics Presents Superman and Santa Claus
This exists. If the cover isn’t enough to sell you, just be content in knowing that this is objectively the most awesome holiday special comic in the world.
Okay Whovians, let’s do the math.
Able to overcome limitations of time and space? Check.
Has appeared in varying “versions” of himself for different generations? Check.
Has a completely badass-yet-unlikely form of universal transportation? Check.
It’s official — Santa is a Time Lord.
How about leaving him at treat worthy of this title? Time Lord Gingerbread Men!
This is just a matter of taking your ordinary gingerbread men and jazzing them up a bit…something that becomes a pretty fun parent/kid holiday activity, particularly if you like to eat frosting.
Step One
Okay, since this is more about the decor than the flavor, I’m not going to commit you to any new and revolutionary gingerbread recipe. Find your favorite gingerbread (or sugar cookie) recipe, as long as it’s one intended for shaped cookies. I’ve used plain old Betty Crocker gingerbread mix for the little Whos shown in the picture above, but any brand will work for this.
Tip: When I’m in the mood to be more “authentic” I like to use the cookie and icing recipe Ray Keim (remember the Haunted Dimensions guy?), uses for his fantabulous gingerbread homes.
Step Two
Take plain old gingerbread man cookie cutter and get your 11 Time Lords cut out. Leave a little dough left over to cut out a rectangle for a Tardis. You can’t leave out your Tardis, after all.
Step Three
Plan out your designs while your cookies bake. Now, since these are cookies, we’re not going to get too elaborate, but simply give some “hints” to each Doctor’s distinct look. I’ve included some templates the geeklings and I cooked up, but feel free to outdo us in imagination! That’s what it’s all about. Don’t forget to leave some cookie scraps to make simple accessories like the Eleventh Doctor’s Fez or Seventh Doctor’s umbrella, you can attach with icing once they are done.
Step Four
Once your cookies are out of the oven, wait until they are completely cool before icing. This is the hardest part for my kids (and, yes, for me too). Pre-colored cookie frosting works best if you are dealing with kids, since they often come packaged with easy-to-use tips for designing.
Tip: Mix your own food coloring into plain royal icing for more specific colors (like that Willy Wonka-mated-with-the-Easter Bunny’s mutant offspring get-up the Sixth Doctor wore. Seriously, what even is that?) or create your own! Most basic icing recipes are as simple as mixing about a half pound of powdered sugar with one egg white.
Our favorites turned out to be, not surprisingly, the Fourth Doctor’s awesome scarf and Tenth Doctor’s red sneakers, but aren’t they the two best Doctors anyway (debate your own favorites among yourselves, here).
Step Five
Want to go beyond cookies? Lightly poke a hole in the cookies and string them together to make edible ornaments! Or place them out for Santa and see if bring his sonic screwdriver with him, because I’m betting he has one.
Want to create these for your friends for the holiday season? Share your photos with us on Twitter @SubCultured!
…Or, you know, year ’round “things I generally want but don’t have” list.
Koalaintheusa shared his nerdy Christmas Wish list two weeks ago, so now I’m sharing my (significantly longer) list with you all as well. While the list is DEFINITELY specific to my outlandish desires, I hope it inspires you and helps you pick something out for even the most stubborn of geeks on your shopping list.
1. Yogibo Bean Bag Chair(s): My sister and I tried these out at CTCon, and they were amazing. Seriously, Rapunzel wouldn’t even get up for her photograph, and I totally understood why. I have read very good reviews of them, as well, and they come at a reasonable price. Eventually, I want a whole collection, including the Max, Midi and Caterpillar. But the first order of business would be a Midi for my reading corner, where I would prop it up right between the Young Adult Fiction and the Comics shelf. Both Lauryn and Rapunzel are lounging on Midis in their photos, and Lauryn is also making use of a Caterpillar.
And yes, I organize my library by genre.
2.LEGO Lord of the Rings, for Xbox 360: I have played every single LEGO video game up to this point, on multiple platforms. I’m not about to stop now. Well, every game so far except
3. LEGO Batman 2, for Xbox 360: same reasoning, different game. Plus, I heard that when your avatar is Superman, the Superman theme plays to congratulate you on your choice. I love the LEGO games, I often play them with my boyfriend, my sisters, friends, sometimes even with my Mom, who doesn’t often indulge in video game goodness. Additionally, they have led to my writing of “Dude Drives Like a Lady” and my sister writing “A Park Bench That I Used to Know”.
4. Poster Frames: I am tired of my DB/DBZ poster of awesomeness* not being framed, like it deserves. In fact, the only posters I’ve managed to frame in my life are Star Wars related, and while that’s all well and good, a girl has got to display pride for more than one geekdom.
I’ve found relatively inexpensive frames at Target, and considering I live a relatively inexpensive lifestyle (or…would like to…) these will do quite nicely. Unless you have a better idea, in which case, please share it in the comments.
5. Pink controller for the PS3: I would ask for one for the 360, but mine already looks like C3P0, and you can’t really get cooler than that.
6. Tea Infusers: I can never have enough infusers for loose leaf tea.
Think Geek has a few awesome ones (I already have the one shaped like a robot), but they’re also available pretty much anywhere that sells kitchen goods. I like drinking tea while I read. This, along with my new bean bag chair, would make my reading corner significantly more luxurious.
7. Flash Gordon: There are three volumes of this. I want them all.
8. Thor comics: I like looking at Thor. I like reading about him even more.
9. Doctor Who Comics: HINT HINT, LEIA. Specifically “The Forgotten” where Ten has to work with ALL THE OTHER INCARNATIONS OF THE DOCTOR IN ORDER TO SAVE THE WORLD or something like that.
10. Classic Doctor Who on DVD, to continue my collection. Although anyone starting from Square ONE needs to go ahead and procure “The Unearthly Child”, “The Daleks” and “The Edge of Destruction”.
11. Flesh Gordon: Yep. It’s exactly what you think it is.
Nope. I’m not kidding. There’s a “sex ray”.
12. Tenchi Muyo box sets: New DVD box sets were recently released for both Tenchi In Tokyo and Tenchi Universe. Shhhh, don’t tell anyone Tokyo is my favorite series.
13. Cowboy Bebop: I already own a complete DVD set, however it took me forever to realize it’s a really REALLY well made bootleg. The gmail address on the back cover, under “questions? comments?” should have tipped me off…
14. Kindle Keyboard: Have I ever explained how much I HATE touch screens for typing? I HATE THEM.
15. The Writer’s Idea Book: For ideas about writing. I took this book out from the library and it has so many good prompts and suggestions about the writing life that I’d like to have my own copy to mark up and use more regularly.
16. Doctor Who T-Shirts: Specifically this one, from the BBC America shop. Actually, what I want is one that doesn’t exist, celebrating Roronicus Pondicus in order to clear up any future confusion on my mother’s part, as she can never seem to remember that I’m a Rory fangirl, and consistently chides me for having a crush on such a weird looking man in a bow tie. It’s okay, guys. It’s a burden I must carry.
17. Bettlejuice on Bluray: which would be an upgrade from my $7.00 scratched to shit DVD copy. Everyone needs hi-def proof that Alec Baldwin was once human-sized, and that Michael Keaton has actually done good for the cinematic world.
18. Ray Bradbury’s 100 Stories: Bradbury is one of my heroes.
19. Squishables: I want a billion of these to make my reading corner the most adorable and squishy corner in the universe. My top five, however, are a Massive T-Rex, a Mini Cthulu and Phoenix, and a regular sized Shark and Sloth.
20. Ukelele music. Okay, this one isn’t inherently nerdy, but I really need to get back to my Uke. I miss him!
That’s my insane, dare-to-dream list of acceptable Holiday gifts from…really, anyone who wants to send me a present. What’s on your list?
*A million years ago, I bought this flippin’ sweet poster at a comics shop in Georgetown. It’s got Goku in the middle of the poster, growing up in age and power, from the top of the poster down to the bottom. Around him are all the other characters that appear in all three Dragon Ball series, in “chronological” order. The poster itself looks like a Where’s Waldo, if you don’t pay close attention. I’m in love with it, and it has layers of tape on the back from where I’ve put it up and taken it down a thousand times.
Jen Schiller
Staff Writer
Twitter.com/Jenisaur