The holiday season is here again! Time for joy, love, good cheer, etc, etc. Of course, the main reason most of us look forward to the holiday season is the great swag bestowed upon us by our loved ones. This is the time we hope to get all the goodies we’ve not been able to afford to buy ourselves all year; that special edition DVD, that kick ass video game, and those oh-so-awesome limited edition action figures. Y’know; the stuff we need! Screw underwear, cologne, and snowflake sweaters! I want a Tombs of the Blind Dead boxed set, a copy of Dragon Age, and a hobo Michael Myers action figure! Of course, some of us are luckier than others; we’ve got friends and family that know exactly what to get us for the holidays. But, for those of you who are annually let down by offerings of fruitcakes, Old Spice, and Chia Pets, I give you the Horrorview Ultimate Geek Gift Guide.  Send your loved ones a link to this page and assure yourself a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, or kick-ass Kwanza!

For the Comic Geek:

Absolute Sandman Volume 1: The first  20 issues of Neil Gaiman’s classic Vertigo Comics series presented in a gorgeous, oversized hardcover collector’s edition. This is the first volume in a four edition set (each available now!), and makes an ideal gift for both Sandman fans and those who’ve yet to discover the magic of this geek culture touchstone. Featuring newly recolored artwork, galleries, scripts, and all sort of other goodies, the Absolute Sandman collection is an absolute must have, and there’s no better place to start than the beginning.

The Walking Dead Compendium Volume 1: If you want zombies, you got ‘em in Robert Kirkman’s epic undead series, The Walking Dead. Collecting the first 8 volumes of the series (issues 1-48), this 1,000+ page omnibus is a zombie fan’s wet dream!

Watchmen The Ultimate Cut (Blu-ray): Forget about the wimpy theatrical version and director’s cut DVD’s. If you want to see Watchmen the way Zack Snyder intended, you need this Ultimate Cut. Coming in at just under 220 minutes, this version of the film features the Tales of the Black Freighter animated short intertwined with the director’s cut of the film, representing the most comprehensive retelling of Alan Moore’s game-changing comic series. Packed with extra features (including the Motion Comics version of Watchmen), this is the version of the film fans have been waiting for. Still no squid, though.

Batman – Arkham Asylum (PS3): Here we have what is easily the best Batman videogame of all time, if not the best superhero game, period. Locked up in Arkham Asylum alongside his greatest foes, you must guide Batman through a gauntlet of traps, puzzles, and random bouts of fisticuffs with all manner of baddies. It’s one of the rare console games even I can play (my hands…they’re like a baboons, I tells ya!), and one of the most satisfying gaming experiences of the year.

For the Sci-fi Guy (and Gal):

Star Trek (2009 – Blu-ray): J.J. Abrams masterful retooling of the Star Trek universe is an all-out crowd pleaser, filled with action, humor, and loads o’ sex appeal (Zoe Saldana…yum). The 3-disc Blu-ray is loaded with awesome bonus features, including loads of deleted scenes and geek-centric goodies that will keep fans coming back for more…unlike that suspicious Jell-O fruit mold your aunt brings over every year.

Galaxy Quest (Blu-ray): Speaking of Trek, here’s the best Star Trek movie that’s not a Star Trek movie, Galaxy Quest is a laugh-out-loud funny, touching, and just downright fantastic parody/homage of Trek culture, focusing on the struggling, aging  cast of a long-ago cancelled sci-fi series, and their encounter with an alien race who thinks the actors’ adventures were real. While the humor is especially effective for Trek fans, this is one everyone can enjoy,  and the Blu-ray looks fantastic! Oh, and Sigourney Weaver has never looked hotter!

Robot B9 from Lost in Space: Now here’s something for the geek who has everything (including very rich and generous loved ones); for the bargain price of just $24,500 dollars, you, too, can own a life-sized replica of “Robot” from Lost in Space! Embrace your inner Will Robinson, as Robot moves around, wiggles its arms, and says 500 different phrases (all recorded by Richard Tufeld, the original voice of Robot!) and comes with a remote control to turn it on and off and freak out your friends. Set it to “crush, kill, destroy” mode and unleash it on your neighbors for added fun! Hysterical, fey pedophile sold separately.
 

For the Slasher Enthusiast:

Going to Pieces- The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film: Still my go-to book for all things slasher related, Adam Rockoff’s heady dissection of the stalk n’ slash genre is brilliant, fun, informative, and enlightening reading. It was also adapted into a documentary by Starz!, that, when paired with the book, makes for the ultimate crash course in slasher 101. Here’s hoping for a second volume to cover some of the more obscure entries in the genre!

Crystal Lake Memories – The Complete History of Friday the 13th: A coffee table book like no other, here is your ultimate Friday the 13th reference. This massive, 321 page tome covers everything from the inception of the first film all the way through to Freddy vs. Jason, with loads of rare photos, behind-the-scenes tidbits, trivia, and more. This is one Jason fans will not only cherish, but will return to again and again!

Halloween- 25 Years of Terror: An exhaustive documentary focusing on the original Halloween series (Halloween through the dismal Halloween: Resurrection) packed with interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, archival footage, deleted bits, and loads more. This two disc set also comes loaded with extras, including a lengthy panel discussion from the Halloween Anniversary convention, extended interview bits, and much, much more. This is an essential addition to any Halloween fan’s collection!

For the Literate Fan:
 

Under the Dome – Stephen King: Literally his biggest novel since The Stand (this sucker weighs in at over 1088 pages!), Stephen King crafts a new tale of terror in which a small town is surrounded by a giant dome-shaped force field that forces its denizens to do anything to survive. Sure it sounds like the plot of The Simpsons Movie, but King’s been working on this one since the late 1970’s, so any similarities are purely coincidental, right Mr. Burns? Release the hounds!!

The Strain - Book One of the Strain Trilogy – Guillermo Del Toro & Chuck Hogan: This smartly crafted and frantically paced reconstruction of the vampire mythos reads like a sick hybrid of CSI, Outbreak, and Blade 2. Del Toro’s gothic stylings and Hogan’s procedural prose weave together wonderfully, merging dark horror and forensic science together to create one of the scariest and most entertaining reads in ages. Book Two is just around the corner, so get caught up now!

Already Dead – Charlie Huston: Here’s a vampire tale that hits like a punch in the gut and goes down like a smooth shot of bourbon. Huston creates a world where the peace between vampire clans precariously cohabitating in Manhattan is threatened by an undead menace, and it’s up to hard-boiled vamp detective, Joe Pitt, to expose the culprits before all hell breaks loose. Huston’s prose is down, dirty, and dynamic – it’s Raymond Chandler meets Bram Stoker. This is the launching point of a multi-story arc, and definitely one to consider for the vampire-lover on your list.

Well, that's all. I'm sick of typing. There's plenty of other stuff out there, and, maybe, this will guide you in the right direction! Hopefully this will give you and your loved ones some ideas for great geek gifting this holiday season! Enjoy! - HEAD CHEEZE