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Do you ever get suckered into doing something that you think is beneath you, but then you get completely consumed by it? That pretty much sums up my relationship with Twitter. Let me tell you a little story, and then I’ll help you get your geek on.

I joined Twitter in April because @grimmna said that I could win Nine Inch Nails tickets through a Twitter-only game. I followed the promotion for the few weeks it lasted, and then I went back to ignoring Twitter — I didn’t really see the point of this shiny, trendy new entity. But a few months later — after suffering through a very depressing summer and realizing that I’d be without one of my closest friends while she was on a long Italian vacation with hardly any contact — I knew that I needed a new hook to focus on for a while. Re-enter Twitter.

I started small. A friend here. A band there. Baseball season helped, because there’s no shortage of #stlcards fans to collectively applaud Albert Pujols or boo the #cubssuck. But what really turned the tide was when I discovered that so many of my nerdy idols spewed science, mayhem and nonsense at all hours of the day. I became hooked, and my tweets per month have increased exponentially as I ignore work and forget to eat lunch just to bring folks my #musicmonday selections and #starwars obsessions. And you, dear reader, will benefit from my Twitter gluttony. Behold, 10 awesomely nerdy folks/companies/whatever that you need to follow on Twitter.

(Note, these are official-type people and not necessarily our nerd blog friends. That’s what #followfriday is for. Also, if you want to subject yourself to my own Twitter-whoring, follow me @u2acro.)

1. @nerdbastards

Ok, the first one obviously is going to be @nerdbastards. If you thought differently, you’re an idiot. Luke posts the latest from our site over and engages our fellow nerd cabal in important questions such as, “Would sex with a zombie be considered necrophilia?” Plus, Twitter brought me together with his motley crew of nerds, so you have him to thank for my rants on gender inequality in geeky shirts.

2. @starwars

When @starwars tweets, you’d better listen. They’re always pointing out weird memorabilia or posting secret photos from the Lucas compound. And they lovelovelove sharing costumes and other fan-made junk that people share with them.

If you’re looking for something a bit more fan-powered, check out @theforcenet. They’ve got excellent book reviews and news from the best conventions, among other stuff.

3. @io9

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that @io9 has one of teh intertron’s best roundups of breaking sci-fi news as well as a crapload of original features and instructional lists. Comics, science, tv, art… it’s all covered.

After you’re done perusing @io9, head over to @Kotaku, one of its Gawker brothers, for the latest gaming news.

4. @smilinstanlee

I can’t think of a good reason why someone wouldn’t want to follow @smilinstanlee. Sometimes he lets you in on news (He broke the news about his “Thor” cameo via tweets.), sometimes he makes plans for his POW brigade (followers), and sometimes he tells you how things went at the dentist. Bonus: when he signs off for the night, he leaves you with “EXCELSIOR!” The man is pure magic.

If more Spider-Man, Iron Man and Random Other Man stuff is your thing (Yes, please!), check out @Marvel, too.

5. @james_gunn

Do you like poop jokes? Tiny Japanese women? Inane music lists? All things inappropriately uncomfortable? More poop jokes? Then @james_gunn is your man. He tweets not only about his latest projects (“Super” will sooooo kick ass!), but he also shows you pictures of his nerdy celebrity friends (You know, the ones who appear in all his movies as some bastardized version of the Brat Pack.). Plus he’s from St. Louis; Nelly ain’t got nuthin’ on James-motherfucking-Gunn. Represent, yo! Or something.

Speaking of Gunn’s geeky circle, you have to check out @NathanFillion, @seangunn, @mrosenbaum711 and so many others. I guarantee you will piss yourself laughing — and if you don’t think that’s fun, I don’t want to talk to you.

6. @MythBusters

Raise your hand if you like to blow stuff up! *raises hand* Yeah, but we shouldn’t, right? That’s why the @MythBusters gang does it for us — the only folks who might get hurt are Jamie, Adam, Grant, Tory and Kari (and sometimes that one blonde girl). Plus, they tweet fun contests and give sneak peeks into upcoming shows through pictures and video.

7. @thinkgeek

You knew this was coming, right? @thinkgeek constantly tweets about new stock and money-saving specials for their nerdy apparel, office toys and home decor. Wait, what? Home decor? Yes, you too can get a periodic table shower curtain and binary doormat. What’s better: @thinkgeek JUST TWEETED a special on the FREAKING SWEET TAUNTAUN SLEEPING BAG. Sure, the special may be over by the time you read this, but if you follow @thinkgeek, you won’t miss out next time.

8. @mental_floss

I kick ass at Trivial Pursuit — yes, the Star Wars editions, but also the regular, all-encompassing games. I’d like to think that reading @mental_floss plays a part in kicking my challengers’ asses. Did you know that the longest place name in the U.S. is Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg, located in Webster, Mass.? Or that the string on boxes of animal crackers was originally placed there so the container could be hung from a Christmas tree? It’s all true, and @mental_floss will tell you so!

Need even more realistic nerdy knowledge? Check out @PopSci, too.

9. @BrianLynch

@BrianLynch belongs in the @james_gunn category of whackadoo writer-types who turn the world on its head and tickle it until it pees all over the place. You probably know him as that guy who writes the “Angel” comics — which is reason enough to follow him because, come on, he’s in the Whedonverse! But what makes his tweets awesome is that he does and watches stuff that us normal (um, abnormal?) folks do, and then he pulls some hiliarous commentary out of his ass. Example tweet: “Dear @michaelianblack . It has been a while since I saw you on VH1. Am I to believe you don’t love ANY decade anymore?”

10. @alyankovic

You, dear readers, are presumably white and nerdy. Following @alyankovic is a must. I was introduced to his genius when I was about 7. My father had bought me the “Eat It” 45 (That’s a small record made of wax/vinyl, kiddos.), and I proudly brought that sucker to school for show and tell. The teacher was, of course, somewhat appalled, and that’s when I knew I had comedy gold in my tiny hands. Anyone who listens to Weird Al knows that he’s a nerd — he recorded “The Saga Begins” before “The Phantom Menace” was even released and got all the details right, thanks to slips and rumors. Anyone who makes George Lucas smile like he reportedly did has instant nerd cred.

Category: Nerd Culture

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