What’s Geeky in May 2022?

What up, Geeks?

With summer nearly upon us that means it’s time for the start of summer blockbusters. With school almost done for many of us, it’s that perfect time to sit back in your living room or dark movie theater and enjoy some quality media.

And what’s coming, you might ask? I’m glad you did, but let’s just say you should ask off now for May 27^th.

This is only the beginning of the season so sit back and enjoy what’s new this May!

Movies and TV shows

May 5^th: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, The Pentaverate

We have two tv shows premiering on Cinco de Mayo (oddly enough there’s nothing geeky premiering on Star Wars day, May 4^th), a new Star Trek show on Paramount+ and a conspiracy comedy on Netflix.

First up is Star Trek: Strange New Worlds following the adventures of Captain Christopher Pike and his first mate, Commander Spock, as they take the starship Enterprise to discover, well… Strange New Worlds. These old favorites to the Star Trek universe will be played by Anson Mount as Pike and Ethan Peck as Spock, both of whom are reprising the roles they had on Star Trek: Discovery in 2019.

I am really excited for this show! Anson Mount and Ethan Peck were perfect in Discovery and I’m looking forward to seeing their adventures in their own show.

Next is The Pentaverate, a comedy show where almost half of the roles will be played by Mike Myers. A spin-off of Myers’ black comedy So I Married an Axe Murderer. The Pentaverate focuses on a Canadian journalist (Myers) who seeks to uncover a secret organization of five individuals who have been influencing world events since the time of the Black Death in the Middle Ages, led by the mysterious Lord Lordington (also Myers).

May 6^th: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Grab your glowing hands and American accents, it’s time to jump back in the saddle with Spiderman’s sidekick—I mean the incredibly powerful Doctor Stephen Strange in a new adventure into the whole multiverse with Wanda Maximoff… and your main man Wong (who does not get nearly enough credit). To show you just how much of a wild ride this movie is going to be, IMDB has listed sir Patrick Stewart as playing Charles Xavier. Doctor Strange will only be available in theaters.

May 13^th: Firestarter, The Essex Serpent

First up is an adaptation of a Steven King novel. Firestarter is the story of a little girl (Ryan Kiera Armstrong) with the ability to start fires and cause explosions with her mind. Her parents (played by Zac Efron and Sydney Lemmon) take her on the run and must teach her how to control her abilities before government agents, fearing that she could cause a nuclear explosion, get to her.

Next is The Essex Serpent, another adaptation of a novel, this time by Sarah Perry. This show on Apple TV is not so much fantasy and sci-fi as it is a Gothic romance set in the Victorian era. That said, it tells the story of Cora Seaborne (Claire Danes), a recently widowed woman who leaves London to investigate a small town in Essex that is supposedly home to a monster.

May 23^rd: Prehistoric Planet

It’s been a while since we’ve had a dinosaur documentary series and the wait is finally over. It’s taken a long time for artists and documentarians to come to terms with the new theory that dinosaurs were in fact covered with feathers, and this new documentary on Apple TV promises just that. Get excited for this new dinosaur documentary voiced by the legendary Sir David Attenborough.

May 27^th: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Stranger Things

The time has finally come to bust out those Eggo waffles and prepare to say “Hello there” to the two shows we have been waiting years for.

First up is the long-awaited Disney+ series, Obi-Wan Kenobi, featuring the return of Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen as Obi-wan and Darth Vader. Joining them, and stirring the plot will be Joel Edgerton as Owen Lars (Luke’s uncle) and Rupert Friend as the Grand Inquisitor—a force-sensitive Imperial agent tasked with hunting down surviving Jedi.

There’s been no real talk yet about the show’s plot, save that it is set ten years after the end of Revenge of the Sith, but the show’s director and executive producer is Deborah Chow—one of the brilliant minds behind the Mandalorian and many others—so I’m feeling pretty confident about this show’s high quality.

Also, as Ewan McGregor told all of us on Youtube, Disney will be releasing the first two episodes as opposed to just one on the 27^th.

Now we go back to Hawkins, Indiana where more trouble is brewing as the Mind Flayer continues its attack on our world. But this time, Eleven is without her powers and Hopper is trapped in a Soviet gulag. It’s been a long wait, but we’re all very excited to see what new surprises, scares, and 80’s references the Duffer brothers have in store for us.

This fourth return to the Upside Down is brought to you by Netflix.

Video Games

There are a number of games here, geeks. And most of them seem to be sidescrolling adventures either in 2 or 3D. But in addition to that we have another much anticipated Vampire: the Masquerade game and the ultimate stroll down nostalgia lane with a collection of everyone’s favorite hungry yellow ball: Pac-Man.

So, get those thumbs ready, because there are a lot of exciting video games this month.

May 3^rd:

Dungeon Defenders: Awakened

PS 4

Dungeon Defenders: Awakened is now available for Playstation users, having been previously released for PC, Xbox, and Switch. Return to the world of Etheria for some Tower Defense and RPG combat as you take on hordes of orcs, demons, and dragons to save the world.

May 5^th:

Trek to Yomi

PS 4, PS 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC

Trek to Yomi is a black and white side-scrolling action game and an homage to the samurai movies of Akira Kurosawa. Follow the young samurai Hiroki as he goes on a quest to confront the forces responsible for the destruction of his village that range from human ronin to mythological monsters from Shinto mythology.

May 10^th:

Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising

Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC

Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising will be the first part of a new franchise of JRPG games that will continue next year with its companion game, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes. The story so far seems to be about two friends on opposite sides of a conflict involving the Galdean Empire’s hunt for powerful artifacts.

Salt and Sacrifice

PS 4, PS 5, PC

Next up, we have the 2D action role playing adventure, and the sequel to Salt and Sanctuary, Salt and Sacrifice where you play as a Marked Inquisitor, a former criminal tasked with hunting down evil witches across the world (and promptly eating their hearts because that’s what you do).

May 13^th:

Evil Dead: The Game

PS 4, PS 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC

It has been almost twenty years since we last had an Evil Dead game and now we’re getting one a Friday the 13^th. Join Ash and his pals from the various different movies and tv shows as you fight off the forces of darkness in co-op, or play as a demon and possess trees and other monsters in the game’s pvp. So, grab your chainsaw and boomstick and get ready for a wild ride.

May 19^th:

Deliver Us The Moon

PS 5, Xbox Series X/S

Now available on consoles, Deliver Us The Moon tells the story of a lone astronaut (and his robotic side-kick ASE) on a mission to the moon to answer the question: why did the lunar colony, responsible for mining life saving natural resources for an already dying earth, suddenly go dark?

Souldiers

PS 4, PS 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC

In another 2D side-scrolling adventure, Souldiers tells the story of a group of warriors who are whisked away to the afterlife where they must battle different guardians to progress to the next world and figure out the mystery of why they were sent there in the first place… especially since they never actually died.

Vampire: The Masquerade—Swansong

PS 4, PS 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC

Now we get to the much anticipated Vampire: The Masquerade—Swansong where you can play as 3 different vampires, each with their own skills and agendas, as you navigate the Byzantine politics of Boston’s Vampire domain and the new prince of the vampires, Hazel Iversen, who may have murdered her way into her new position. Your actions will have consequences, however, and you may very well end up saving Boston… or throwing it into chaos and blood.

May 20^th:

Dolmen

PS 4, PS 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC

In Dolmen, you are sent to the distant world, Revion Prime, to search for the unique crystals with the ability to tap into other realities, also known as Dolmen. All of this in a dark cosmic horror world that does not want you to survive.

May 24^th:

Hardspace: Shipbreaker

PC

In our next game, you’ll play as a spaceship salvager in a zero-G spacedock in a realistic sci-fi universe. With your laser saw, cut open larger and larger ships to salvage their valuable resources. But with one wrong cut you could destroy an oxygen supply or even blow up the ship. With you on it.

May 26^th:

Sniper Elite 5

PS 4, PS 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC

The award-winning Sniper Elite series is back as you take on the role of Karl Fairburne, a US Ranger and elite sniper in 1944 working with the French Resistance in preparation for D-Day. While hunting Nazis, Fairburne and his allies will uncover a secret Nazi plot that could change the tide of the war: Operation Kraken.

May 27^th:

Pac-Man Museum+

PS 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC

Complete with 14 different arcade games, Pac-Man Museum+ will offer gamers a chance to relive the glory days of coin arcade games where you will get the chance to play all of the classic Pac-Man games from the original 1980’s Pac-Man, 1987’s Pac-Mania, 1995’s Pac-in-Time and so much more. Get your coins ready and prepare to dodge some ghosts.

Books

There are a number of books coming out this month, and many of them seem to be YA and Middle Readers. That said, there are still books here for everyone, including several by well-known and established authors.

Personally, I’m very excited for the short story anthology including works by Jim Butcher, a novel by Guy Gavriel Kay, and another hilarious work by Christopher Moore (you may remember him from Practical Demonkeeping and Lamb: or the Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal).

May 3^rd:

• Ballad & Dagger by Daniel Jose Older—Book 1 of Outlaw Saints, YA fantasy, a Rick Riordan presents book
• Search for the Astral Dragon by Bryan Davis—Book 1 of Astral Alliance, Sci-Fi Space Opera
• Abbott in Darkness by D.J. Butler—Steampunk Science Fiction
• The Lost Coast by A.R. Capetta—YA Fantasy, LGBTQ
• Book of Night by Holly Black—Urban Fantasy
• Eyes of the Void by Adrian Tchaikovsky—Book 2 of The Final Architecture, Sci-Fi Space Opera
• Fair Trade by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller—Book 24 of Liaden Universe series, Sci-Fi Space Opera
• The Marvellers by Dhonielle Clayton—Middle Reader Fantasy
• Grave Danger by Mike Johnston—Book 2 of Confessions of a Dork Lord, Middle Reader Fantasy
• The Prince of Nowhere by Rochelle Hassan—Middle Reader Fantasy
• Tear Down the Throne by Jennifer Estep—Book 2 of A Gargoyle Queen Novel, Epic and Romantic Fantasy
• We Are the Song by Catherine Bakewell—Middle Reader Fantasy
• The Blind King’s Wrath by Ashok K. Banker—Book 3 of The Burnt Empire Saga, Epic Fantasy
• The Immortal King Rao by Vauhini Vara—Literary Sci-Fi and Satire
• Tom and Ironskin by Alastair Chisholm—Book 1 of Dragon Storm, Middle Reader’s Fantasy
• An Unreliable Magic by Rin Chupeco—Book 2 of A Hundred Names for Magic, YA fantasy
• Heroic Hearts by Jim Butcher—Urban Dark Fantasy short story anthology, featuring short stories by Jim Butcher, Patricia Briggs, Charlaine Harris, Kelley Armstrong, and others.
• Seasonal Fears by Seanan McGuire—Urban Dark Fantasy

May 10^th:

• Cara and Silverthief by Alastair Chisholm—Book 2 of Dragon Storm, Middle Reader fantasy
• Doppelganger Danger by Rebecca Caprara—Book 2 of Mission Multiverse, Middle Reader sci-fi
• Wildseed Witch by Marti Dumas—Book 1 of Wildseed Witch, Middle Reader Fantasy
• Kagen the Damned by Jonathan Maberry—Dark Fantasy
• Drifters by Kevin Emerson—Middle Readers Sci-Fi
• Siren Queen by Nghi Vo—Historical Fantasy, LGBTQ
• Misrule by Heather Walter—Book 2 of the Malice Duology, Fantasy, LGBTQ
• Child Zero by Chris Holm—Post-Apocalyptic Hard Sci-Fi
• Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor by Xiran Jay Zhao—Middle Readers Fantasy

May 17^th:

• The Last Prospector by Joseph A. McCullough—Book 2 of Stargrave, Military Sci-Fi
• All the Seas of the World by Guy Gavriel Kay—Epic Fantasy
• Twin Crowns by Catherine Doyle—YA Romantic Fantasy
• The Ice Ghost by Kathleen O’Neal Gear—Book 2 of The Rewilding Reports, post-apocalyptic sci-fi
• Razzmatazz by Christopher Moore—sequel to Noir, comedic fantasy
• The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah—epic fantasy
• Kiki Kallira Conquers a Curse by Sangu Mandanna—Middle Reader fantasy

May 24^th:

• The Wizard in the Wood by Loui Stowell—Middle Reader fantasy
• Warlords of Sigrdrifa Rusalka by Tappei Nagatsuki—Fantasy
• A Cruel and Fated Light by Ashley Shuttleworth—YA dark fantasy
• Walk the Vanished Earth by Erin Swan—Post-apocalyptic sci-fi

May 31^st:

• Together We Burn by Isabel Ibanez—YA epic fantasy
• These Prisoning Hills by Christopher Rowe—Post-apocalyptic sci-fi
• Her Majesty’s Royal Coven by Juno Dawson—Urban Fantasy, LGBTQ
• The Fae Keeper by H.E. Edgmon—YA fantasy, LGBTQ
• The Merciless Ones by Namina Forna—Book 2 of The Gilded Ones, epic fantasy
• City of Hooks and Scars by Estelle Laure—Book 2 of City of Villains, YA dark fantasy
• Rise of the School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani—Middle Readers Fantasy
• Rivals by Katharine McGee—Book 3 of American Royals, YA alternative history
• The Impossible Destiny of Cutie Grackle by Shawn K. Stout—Middle Readers fantasy

And That’s May!

That’s May, Geeks!

With summer almost in sight, we can all sit back as we enjoy the return of Stranger Things as well as a new Star Trek and Star Wars tv show, a veritable boatload of 2D and sidescrolling adventures, and tons of new books from the genius minds of Holly Black, Guy Gavriel Kay, and Christopher Moore.

There’s a lot more coming up, so stay tuned (or rather, sign up for some Geek Alerts) to get the latest in what’s coming next in our favorite fandoms.

Keep it Geeky!