Bad Feminist and The Geek Feminist Revolution- Media Critique and Timing Consumption

I read (and by read I mean listened to the audiobooks of) Bad Feminist by Roxanne Gay and The Geek Feminist Revolution by Kameron Hurley over the last few months. While both amazing pieces of feminist literature that should be read by the mass public and in sociology and media critique classes, I think there is something to be said about timing.

Kameron Hurley’s book came out only a little while ago (May 2016), so her critique of media is well, fresher. It’s more current, and I, having minor in women’s studies but having graduated two years ago, felt it inviting and important.

I don’t have a bad thing to say about either book. I think both have their merits. Hurley explores the intersections of chronic illness, domestic violence, geek culture, working in freelancing/in ad agencies, and being a SFF writer. Gay explores intersections of higher education, dating, sexuality and race, and focuses more on the news. Both overlap in a way that I hope sociologists/feminists in 100 years can look back on this time in the same way we look at the writings of Mary Wollstencraft and other feminist writers of the 19^th and 20^th century.

But I was late to the party on Bad Feminist, which came out in 2014. I was studying feminism and feminist theory at the time, including media and pop culture at that time, so had I read this book in 2014, I probably would have had a better understanding of what I was studying and have enjoyed it more. The book is so good, and so worth a read, but I feel like I missed the mark in reading it at the right time. Of course, it is still relevant. I love Gay’s voice, and I will probably read it again. I just wish I hadn’t procrastinated on the book for nearly two years. I am sure I would have loved it more if I had read it two years ago.

What do you think? Is timing everything when it comes to books? What are your thoughts on these books? Have your read them? Let me know in comments!