It’s that time of year again. A chill has settled into the air, football season charges along in full swing, turkeys tremble in the refrigerator as their fate approaches, and in-laws around the country swamp homes for the weekend.

Time to remember the many things we’re thankful for.

It’s easy to lose sight of the day-to-day blessings amid the chaotic rush of modern life. Thanksgiving is a chance to slow down, take a breath, look around us, and see how truly fortunate we are. To appreciate everything we have—or things we’ve been spared from undergoing.

Everyone’s Thanksgiving list looks different. Since this is my inaugural post at SpecFaith (insert trumpet fanfare) you may not know this, but I’m a HUGE sci-fi and fantasy geek.

With that in mind, I’d like to present a list of things sci-fi and fantasy geeks are thankful for.

A Thanksgiving List for Geeks

1. Say what you will about our government, at least we don’t live in a tyrannical dystopia controlled by the Capital and marked by annual Hunger Games.
2. We have at least five more years of Doctor Who to keep us traveling through space and time.
3. The first promo video for season two of Agent Carter is out.
   

   Captain America and Black Widow

4. Because of this awesome thing known as cosplaying, we can play dress-up no matter how old we are.
5. There is such a thing as an R2-D2 USB charger.
6. Maybe we don’t have “enough” by modern standards, but neither are we toiling far from home on a quest that seems impossible to achieve.
7. The invasion of relatives or friends might loom like a highstorm on the horizon. But we don’t have to worry about being unexpectedly overrun by a slew of noisy, messy, food-devouring dwarves.
8. After Thanksgiving comes Black Friday, which means sales. Which means we can buy books—and more books. And geek paraphernalia. And appropriate Christmas presents for the geeks in our lives. Oh…and did I mention books?
9. The best stories, even if secular, ring with the faint chimes of truth.
10. Hobbits. Small and unassuming, they show us that heroes don’t need bulging muscles, intense powers, or brilliant minds to make a difference.
11. Boromir memes. They help to add a touch of humor to any situation.
12. We can pass the dark winter nights enjoying TV shows like Gotham, Doctor Who, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, Heroes Reborn—the list goes on.
13. Places such as SpecFaith exist, providing a common place for us geeks to gather and talk.
14. Even if the invitation to Hogwarts hasn’t shown up yet, there’s always next year.
15. Thanks to Marvel, superhero movies are becoming the next big thing. Which is awesome.
16. Because of the magic of storytelling, we can live vicariously through the experiences of hundreds of different characters, travel to far-flung galaxies, and let our imaginations soar to impossible places. All from the comfort of home.
17. Tolkien and Lewis. (Yeah, I had to slip that one in there.)
18. Fantasy and science fiction are more popular than ever in the world of entertainment. From video games to TV shows to blockbuster movies, we geeks have plenty of options.
19. Life might be tough, but at least we’re not under Loki’s mind-control, hallucinating from the effects of Tracker Jacker venom, or controlled by the power of the One Ring.
20. 25 DAYS UNTIL STAR WARS!!!

In addition to all this, we can thank God for the gift of stories—the foundation of our fandoms. E. Stephen Burnett will address this topic in more depth on Thursday.

What are some geeky reasons you have to be thankful?