The Week in Geek, March 21-28: Tricksy hobbitses, machete maidens, and clockwork hoedowns

Published Mar 21 2011, 06:31 PM by David Eisenberg

Now that we've been Supermooned and vernally equinoxed, it seems that Boston's geek events are in full bloom. Which means you folks are going to have to make some tough choices this weekend -- do your loyalties lie more with Tolkienian mythology? Or steampunkery? Or tapas of terror? Burlesque? (This looks like a job for Blernsday.)

MONDAY 3.21

[reading] Greg Lindsay explores Aerotropolis: The Way We'll Live Next at Harvard Book Store
We can't yet look into the future, but author Greg Lindsay offers a glimpse at how the global market is redesigning the urban landscape. It's not utopia. It's Aerotropolis. Free at the Harvard book store. 7 pm.

TUESDAY 3.22

[reading] James Gleick discusses The Information: A History, a Theory, a Flood
Remember the violent urge to shake your monitor as your dial-up connection stalled? James Gleick reminds us that the age of Google is a far cry from the invention of the wheel. He'll discuss his latest, The Information: A History, a Theory, a Flood at the Brattle Theatre in Cambridge. $5. 6 pm.

WEDNESDAY 3.23

[reading] Physics of the Future
Imagine taking an elevator to space. Seriously, just imagine that. That astronomical ride may be part of daily life by 2100 says Michio Kaku, PhD. He talks about that and other futuristic awesomeness from his book Physics of the Future: How Science Will Shape Human Destiny and Our Daily Lives by the Year 2100 at the Museum of Science. Free. 7 pm.

THURSDAY 3.24

[talk] WikiLeaks, Open Leaks, and our Right to Know
You know it would be totally badass to hear from people who actually worked at the most dangerous website on the planet - you know, the one that isn't related to Wikipedia. Former Wikileaks staffers Daniel Domscheit-Berg and Herbert Snorrason will talk about the importance and risks in leaking state secrets.

[film] Boston Cinema Census
The Boston Cinema Census happens once a year, so you don't want to miss its 10th installment at the Brattle Theatre in Cambridge. There will be films about musical breakfast and writers who may or may not get eaten by unseen creatures outside a cabin. Awesome. $11 for general public, $10 for students, seniors, and Brattle members. 7:30 pm.

[film] Boston Underground Film Festival
The 13th incarnation of the BUFF starts with a bang -- a Hobo With a Shotgun, to be exact -- and keeps going till next Thursday. That's 8 days of brain-thwacking Lazer Ghosts, Don Hertzfeldt shorts, and Tapas of Terror. (If you need a sherpa to guide you through the jam-packed schedule, Peter Keough runs down a few faves here.) And don't forget the parties! "Machete Maidens" and "Kaiju Karaoke" oughta deliver. March 24-31.

FRIDAY 3.25

[midnight movie] Blacula
It's difficult to empathize with the interior decorators that let the bloodsucking Blacula out of his coffin. What did they think would come of opening a 100 year old casket from Transylvania? The 1972 film will screen at the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline. 11:59 pm.

[symposium] Steampunk Industrial Revolution
We have the power to shape a greater future -- or we can wallow in the gaslamp-lit romanticism of yesteryear. The Steampunk Industrial Revolution aims to bring fans of the nostalgic world of science fiction together (including the likes of maker Jake Von Slatt, author Leanna Renee Hieber, and Emperor Norton's Stationary Marching Band). Forget the future -- embrace the fantastic past that never was. March 25-27.

SATURDAY 3.26

[symposium] Third Conference on Middle Earth
It's been 40 years since the Second Conference of Middle Earth. For Tolkien fans not yet born in time for the first two and those who have been patiently waiting for this day to come, this is some serious fandemonium in Westford at the Westford Regency Inn and Conference Center. The conference will feature panels and papers both scholarly ("Gondor Needs No King: Images of Kingship in the Ramayana and JRR Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings") and squeeful ("Blondes Have More Fun!: Images of Legolas Greenleaf") as well as the requisite crazy hobbit partying. The festivities officially kick off at the Green Dragon tavern on March 25 -- an auspicious day for JRRT nerds, as it marks Tolkien Reading Day (chosen to coincide with the anniversary of the Fall of Sauron, natch).

[performance] Bitches of Destiny Burlesque
Yes, more burlesque. But this is far weirder than just any old burlesque. There's dancing kittens and headdresses. What a lovely Saturday night you now have planned thanks to us. $15 advance, $20 day of show. 11:59 pm.

SUNDAY 3.27

[book launch] Road to Ruins by Ian Graham
Indiana Jones was cool and all, but Ian Graham, the "last explorer," actually existed. The Road to Ruins, Graham's memoir will launch at the Peabody Museum in Cambridge. Free. 4 pm.

MONDAY 3.28

[reading] Steven C. Schlozman, MD - The Zombie Autopsies
To properly prepare for the looming zombie apocalypse, it's both safe and smart to learn everything there is to know about the enemy. Dr. Steven Schlozman, Harvard Medical school psychologist discusses his hardcover thriller The Zombie Autopsies: Secret Notebooks from the Apocalypse at the Brookline Booksmith. Free. 6 pm.

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